How to Grow Celtuce (Stem Lettuce)? A Complete Guide to Scientific Cultivation Techniques
Celtuce is a flavorful vegetable. Every vegetable with a distinctive flavor is sure to have its loyal fans as well as those who genuinely dislike it, but judging from the current market response, celtuce lovers should make up the vast majority. Therefore, growing celtuce is also very profitable.
Scientific Cultivation Techniques for Celtuce
1. Variety selection: For overwintering celtuce and spring celtuce, choose varieties that are cold-tolerant, highly adaptable and slow to bolt, such as “Naihan Baiye Shi”, “Naihan Erbaipi” and “Ruoman Ye”. For summer and autumn celtuce, choose heat-tolerant early-maturing varieties, such as “Naihan Baiye Shi” and “Naire Dahua Ye”.
2. Sowing time: For spring celtuce, raise seedlings in a greenhouse from December to March, or raise seedlings in the open field from mid-February to late March. For summer celtuce, cultivate in the open field from April to mid-to-late May, or sow directly or plant at high density under shade netting from late May to July. For autumn celtuce, sow under shade netting from July to September and raise seedlings for transplanting. For overwintering celtuce, raise seedlings in the open field from October to November.
3. Land preparation and fertilization: Choose soil that is loose, well-drained, rich in organic matter and with strong water and fertilizer retention. Plow deep and sun the soil, apply 2-3 tons of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, sun the clods for 7-10 days, then prepare the soil finely. Make beds 1.8-1.9 m wide; use flat beds for in-season cultivation and raised beds for off-season cultivation.
4. Sowing and seedling raising: Sow at the right time. The seeds can be broadcast directly onto the seedbed (before sowing, dress the seeds with Xin Gaozhi Mo). Then lightly rake the surface soil with a toothed rake so the seeds are worked into the soil, and spray the surface with an 800-fold dilution of Xin Gaozhi Mo to keep warmth and moisture, prevent soil crusting and increase the seed germination rate.
5. Seedling management: Water the seedbed frequently to keep the soil moist and favor emergence. After the seedlings emerge evenly, thin them promptly, and promptly prevent seedling spindling caused by seedlings being too crowded. Also spray an 800-fold dilution of Xin Gaozhi Mo at the right time to protect the seedlings, prevent infection by pathogens, improve resistance to natural disasters and keep the young plants growing vigorously.
6. Transplanting and field planting: Choose a plot with fertile topsoil and strong water retention for transplanting. Before planting, apply sufficient basal fertilizer and water thoroughly, and plant at a reasonable density, preferably 20-26 cm square spacing. After planting, water to settle the roots, and spray an 800-fold dilution of Xin Gaozhi Mo to isolate pests and diseases, shorten the recovery period and help the seedlings grow healthily. 5. Field management: After transplanting and survival, water and topdress promptly, cultivate and weed, and control pests and diseases. At the same time, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and a small amount of potassium fertilizer at the rosette stage and when the stem begins to swell, and spray Zhuangjing Ling to make the celtuce stalks thick and strong and the plants lush, with a rich natural flavor. It can also improve disaster resistance, increase the effectiveness of pesticides and fertilizers and reduce residual toxicity.
Growth Characteristics of Celtuce
1. Celtuce is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable. It prefers cool conditions, tolerates light frost, fears high temperatures and grows poorly in hot seasons.
2. Celtuce is a long-day crop and needs sufficient light; it is sensitive to soil acidity and alkalinity and is suitable for growing in slightly acidic soil.
3. Celtuce has a shallow root system and weak absorption capacity, and has a relatively high demand for oxygen. Sandy loam and loam are best for growing celtuce.
Growth Cycle of Celtuce
The entire growth process of celtuce includes the seed germination stage, seedling stage, rosette stage, fleshy stem formation stage and flowering and seed-setting stage. The growth cycle of celtuce is about 80-100 days, and it can be divided into the following stages:
1. Germination stage: From sowing to the appearance of true leaves, 8-10 days are needed.
2. Seedling stage: From the appearance of true leaves to the partial unfolding of 5 or 8 leaves of the first phyllotaxis. Direct sowing takes 17-27 days; seedling raising takes more than 30 days.
3. Rosette stage: From “rosette formation” to the full unfolding of the third phyllotaxis, when the heart leaves are level with the outer leaves, 20-30 days are needed.
4. Fleshy stem formation stage: The stem swells rapidly and the leaf area expands rapidly, taking about 30 days. Pea pods: the shoots can be picked 30 days after sowing.
Harvesting and Seed Saving Methods for Celtuce
Harvesting celtuce too early gives low yield, while harvesting too late causes the flower stem to elongate, fiber to increase, stem skin to thicken, flesh to harden and even become hollow, reducing quality. Therefore, the best harvest time is when the top of the tender leaves is level with the tip of the highest leaf; at this point the fleshy stem is fully swollen and the quality is good.
For seed-saving celtuce, it should be sown in autumn and grown through winter. Select plants that bolt late, have short internodes, no side branches, few leaves and thick stems, do not split and are free of pests and diseases. Before the seed plants flower, apply sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer; do not let them lack water during the flowering period, and reduce watering after the terminal flowers fade. The seeds mature 11-13 days after flowering. When the seeds turn black-brown and have white umbrella-like pappus, harvest them in batches in good time. If there is continuous rainy weather, the seeds rot easily and are not suitable for seed production.
If you want to rely on growing celtuce for profit, celtuce cultivation techniques are crucial, because the level of technique affects not only vegetable yield but also vegetable quality and customer satisfaction. Therefore, growers must study more and master every key technical step.