Do you fancy a particularly tasty and fresh salad? Then you should maybe grow in your own garden. We have tips on how to plant.
- Home- grown lettuce is particularly fresh.
- It is easy to plant in the garden.
- We show you what you need to consider when it comes to location, plants and care .
Lettuce, lamb's lettuce, iceberg lettuce, picking lettuce - there are really many options available when choosing a type of lettuce. The great thing about lettuce is that it gives you a harvest almost all year round and is relatively easy to grow. We show you how to cultivate it in your garden.
When is the right time to plant lettuce?
As such, most types of lettuce, for example lettuce, can be brought forward in the cold frame or greenhouse from February or March. If you want to sow the seeds directly outdoors, the period between late March and early April is favorable . Endive lettuce should only be sown directly into the bed between June and July.
The advantage of growing in the cold frame, however, is that your growing time in the bed is reduced and you can enjoy the plants earlier. After the first sowing in the bed, you can plant new seeds every 14 days so that you can harvest new lettuce plants all summer long.
Planting lettuce: You should take this into account when it comes to the location
Salad plants are, in terms of location, quite frugal. They get along well in both sunny and partially shaded areas in the bed , but it shouldn't be very shady. The plants also like airy, loose soils that are very rich in humus. The soil should also be pleasantly moist, but not too wet.
Salad feels good in a mixed culture with beans *, peas *, leeks, garlic *, radishes * or strawberries *. Neighbors such as parsley, celery or potatoes are less good.
Fittingly : If you forget this thing while growing vegetables, diseases and pests are at risk.
How to prefer lettuce plants in the greenhouse, cold frame or on the windowsill
Moving forward in the greenhouse, cold frame or in the apartment on the windowsill gives you a four-week head start in harvesting - but you also have more work to do. For sowing, you need pot plates with single pots , into which you fill special soil. Place the seeds in it about half a centimeter deep. They are only lightly covered with soil, since lettuce is a germ of light. The seeds are then lightly moistened with a spray bottle.
Afterwards, it is best to place the growing pots in a warm place where the temperature is around ten to 16 degrees . After about two weeks, the seeds will start to germinate. As soon as the seeds open, they are spiked. That means you increase the distance between the seedlings to about five centimeters if they are too close to each other.
Instructions: How to plant lettuce in the garden bed
About four weeks after moving forward and as soon as the frost period is over, you can put the young plants outdoors. Alternatively, you can now sow the first seeds outdoors or get young plants from the gardener. Prepare the soil by loosening it with a hoe and adding some compost as fertilizer with nutrients.
Then you can start planting or sowing: Create grooves that are approximately 25 centimeters apart . The plants or seeds themselves should also be 25 centimeters apart, although this can vary somewhat depending on the variety.
The depth of the grooves differs depending on whether you are planting seeds or young plants. The seeds should only be covered slightly with soil, while the young plants with the roots must protrude from the earth . If you sit too far underground, the leaves will not unfold properly and your salad will be more susceptible to disease.
Also interesting : Which fruits and vegetables can be grown in the shade?
Tips for maintaining the salad
A fertilizer application after sowing or planting is usually no longer necessary. Salads, however, require a lot of water, which is why you should water the young plants regularly . In addition, you should look for greedy snails when eating salads outdoors, as they like to eat on the green leaves. Since snails do not like garlic, it can make sense to use it as a mixed culture.
How planting lettuce works on the balcony
In addition to the garden bed, you can also grow your lettuce plants on your balcony. It is important for the location that it offers a lot of sun and is protected from the wind . The planter should also have about 25 x 25 centimeters so that your salad has enough space. Create a gravel drainage in your pot so that the water can escape through a drain hole.
When growing on the balcony, you can bring your salad to the windowsill as early as February . Plant the seeds half a centimeter deep and only cover them lightly with soil. After about two weeks, you can prick out the seedlings.
You care for your young plants by watering them regularly - especially in dry seasons. There is usually no need for an additional fertilizer. Depending on the type of salad, you can harvest the vegetables after two to four months.
Read also : Which fruit and vegetables can I store together?
These ten mistakes can ruin your garden
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