Lettuce is an easy to grow salad that requires little space and is very accessible, even on a balcony.
In summary, what you need to know:
Name: Lactuca sativa
Family: Asteraceae
Type: Annual
Height : 20 to 30 cm
Exposure: Sunny, partial shade
Soil: Ordina
Harvest: About 6 weeks after sowing
Sowing and planting, caring for and harvesting lettuce will help you have beautiful salads throughout the seasons.
Lettuce seedlings
Lettuce is sown in place and in a row from February to October depending on the types and species of lettuce. The earlier you start, the more you have to protect it with a frame, bell, or tunnel.
When to sow Romaine lettuce?
We start sowing lettuce at the end of winter and in spring :
Sow direct in February / March. Remove the tunnel as soon as the frosts end.
- Summer lettuce :
Sow direct from April to June.
- Autumn Lettuce :
Perform up Sowing the month from May to June
Regarding summer seedlings, germination is difficult beyond 20 ° so do not hesitate to sow them in a slightly cooler place, even in the shade …
- Winter lettuce :
Sow under cover from August to October.
In all cases, it will be advisable to thin out to 25/30 cm as soon as the first leaves appear.
You should also know that salad grows very well in a pot and that you can therefore enjoy it on your balcony or terrace.
Plant Romaine lettuce
If you want to avoid the sowing stage, buy directly your potted lettuce (bucket) with a few leaves.
You will then plant them in the ground, whether in the vegetable garden or in a container on a terrace or balcony.
- Choose a partially sunny spot, even in a pot on a balcony.
- Do not bury the collar (base of the plant), so let this part touch the top of the earth.
- Keep a distance of 30 cm between each plant and water regularly.
- Plant what you need and renew the plantings regularly.
The slug and snail s love lettuce, do not hesitate to protect them with a net.
Harvesting Romaine lettuce
Harvest your salads, lettuce or romaine, when the core of these has reached a good size.
- When harvesting, do not tear off the roots as you will prevent it from making new leaves.
- It is best to use a good knife and cut the lettuce 2 cm above the collar
- Leave the white part in this way and new shoots will appear quickly for another harvest.
- Water regularly to keep the soil moist.
- It is absolutely necessary to harvest before the rise to seed
Don’t wait to harvest your lettuce because the crunchier it is, the better it is!
Store lettuce well
Although its shelf life is relatively short, it is possible to keep it a little longer by placing it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, surrounded by a cloth or loosely wrapped plastic wrap.
- But the best path for lettuce is still the one that goes from the garden to your plate!
Lettuce During winter
It is possible to harvest lettuce all year round but also in winter.
To do this, choose varieties of winter head lettuce such as Winter Wonder, Winter Green Passion, Blood Drop Batavia, Val d’Or, or Winter Brune.
- You will sow from August to October, directly in place.
As soon as the first cold weather arrives, you will protect your seedlings and your crops with a small greenhouse, a tunnel, or any other support allowing your lettuce to grow despite the frost and letting as much light as possible.
All you need to know about Romaine lettuce
Relatively easy to grow, lettuce requires little maintenance throughout its growth, apart from regular but measured watering.
Annual of the Asteraceae family, lettuce is relatively poor in energy value while containing a large amount of water and an excellent intake of omega 3.
It also contains trace elements, fibers, minerals, and vitamins essential for the proper development of our bodies.
As you can see, the lettuce has many advantages, both in terms of its ease of cultivation and its nutritional qualities.
