Every vegetable has its own unique growth pattern. Take Chinese cabbage, for example: most of it is planted in autumn and winter and harvested in winter and spring, while water spinach, amaranth and the like are planted in late spring and harvested in summer and autumn. Leaf lettuce is also a kind of vegetable. So what exactly is its growth pattern?
⟦4
<p>Every vegetable has its own unique growth pattern. Take Chinese cabbage, for example: most of it is planted in autumn and winter and harvested in winter and spring, while water spinach, amaranth and the like are planted in late spring and harvested in summer and autumn. Leaf lettuce is also a kind of vegetable. So what exactly is its growth pattern?</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Planting time for leaf lettuce</strong></p><p>Leaf lettuce is generally sown in August-September, but with the development of greenhouse technology, it can now be planted all year round.</p><p></p><p><strong>Seedling-raising techniques for leaf lettuce</strong></p><p>1. Seed treatment: To raise leaf lettuce seedlings, the seeds need to be soaked to promote germination. Wrap the seeds in gauze and soak them in cool water for about 1 hour, then take them out and place them at 15-20℃ or in a household refrigerator's cold storage compartment for 2-3 days. Once the seeds show white sprouts, they can be sown.</p><p>2. Seedbed preparation: Choose a seedbed plot where the previous crop was not treated with long-residual herbicides such as imazethapyr or thifensulfuron-methyl, with high, dry terrain and strong water- and fertilizer-retention capacity. Apply plenty of organic fertilizer. For each mu of cultivation field, use 15-20 sq m of seedbed.</p><p>3. Timely sowing: At sowing time, mix an appropriate amount of fine sand with the seeds to separate them, then broadcast them to raise seedlings. Do not sow too densely, to prevent the seedlings from becoming leggy. Cover the seeds with 0.5 cm of medicinal soil mixed with phoxim, and set up a shed for sun protection and rain protection.</p><p>4. Seedling-stage management: When the leaf lettuce seedlings grow two true leaves, divide the seedlings, with a transplanting density of 6×6 cm. The leaf lettuce seedbed should be kept moist, and shade should be provided at noon. At the same time, during the seedling stage, leaf lettuce requires attention to pest and disease control.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Field management techniques for leaf lettuce</strong></p><p>Leaf lettuce is generally cultivated in flat beds. Leaf lettuce can be planted out once it has 5-6 true leaves, with a row spacing and plant spacing of about 20 cm. Before planting out, deep-plow and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Generally, apply 3000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure per mu, 80-100 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, with 2 m including the ditch, deep ditches and high beds. Plant out at the 4-5 leaf stage, with strong seedlings, at a row spacing and plant spacing of 10-15 cm, cultivated in flat beds. For spring sowing and open-field transplanting, apply sufficient decomposed barnyard manure, and apply 80 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per mu.</p><p>After planting out, water thoroughly to settle the roots. In case of drought, promote growth with fertilizer and water, and it can be marketed in 25-30 days, with a yield of 1800-2000 kg per mu. Autumn sowing in July-September coincides with the high-temperature and dry season, and there are often rainstorms. After transplanting, water thoroughly to establish the plants, and cover with shade netting for 5-7 days. After the plants are established, if there is cloudy and rainy weather, the shade netting can be removed. Moderate fertilizer and water are conducive to the normal growth of leaf lettuce, and it can be marketed in 20-30 days, with a general yield of 1600-1800 kg per mu. For autumn-winter sowing in October-November, transplant in the open field. If a cold wave hits in December, it needs to be transplanted into a greenhouse, and it can be marketed in 25-30 days, with a yield of about 1500 kg per mu. Before planting out, apply sufficient base fertilizer. For every 667 mz, apply 5000 kg of high-quality barnyard manure, 40 kg of diammonium phosphate, 20 kg of urea, 20 kg of potassium sulfate, or 200—300 kg of plant ash, and make beds 1.5 m including the ditch.</p><p></p><p>When planting out, water well with the planting water. After 1 week, water thoroughly to help the seedlings recover. After recovery, apply a seedling-promoting fertilizer together with watering (15 kg of urea). In the later stage, apply a heavy plant-promoting fertilizer (30 kg of urea). After planting out and recovery, carry out timely intertillage and deep hoeing to help the plants stay compact and promote root development. Throughout the entire growth and development period, keep the field moist and the soil loose. The management method after planting out is basically the same as that for celtuce, and fertilizer and water management must be strengthened. It is necessary both to maintain sufficient moisture and to prevent waterlogging damage caused by excessive moisture, while also doing a good job of pest and disease control.</p><p></p><p><strong>Harvesting and storage of leaf lettuce</strong></p><p>Harvest. After planting out, depending on various conditions, it can be harvested in about 30-50 days, and in winter it takes a little longer. For harvesting, in summer it should be done in the morning, and in winter in a greenhouse it should be done in the evening. A knife can be used to cut the plant close to the ground. Remove yellow leaves and diseased leaves, then tie them into bundles or put them in baskets for sale. If long-distance transport is required, precooling is also necessary, or ice cubes can be placed in the packing boxes (frost damage is likely to occur around the ice cubes).</p><p>Storage The suitable storage temperature for leaf lettuce is 0℃, and the suitable relative humidity is above 95%. For storage or transport, the quality of the leaf lettuce must be high, the leaves should not be too tender, and the moisture content should be low. When harvesting, handle gently, harvest gently and place gently, to avoid mechanical damage.</p><p></p><p>In today's era of highly advanced technology, leaf lettuce can be planted all year round, but like all vegetables, vegetables grown in accordance with the laws of nature always taste better than those grown by breaking the rules. So, if it is for your own consumption, then do the appropriate things in the appropriate season!</p>
Every vegetable has its own unique growth pattern. Cabbage, for example, is mostly planted in autumn and winter and harvested in winter and spring, while water spinach, amaranth and the like are planted in late spring and harvested in summer and autumn. Leaf lettuce is also a vegetable - so what exactly is its growth pattern?
Planting time for leaf lettuce
Leaf lettuce is generally sown in August-September, but with the development of greenhouse technology it can now be planted all year round.
Seedling-raising techniques for leaf lettuce
1. Seed treatment: Leaf lettuce seedlings require seed soaking and sprouting. Wrap the seeds in gauze and soak them in cool water for about 1 hour, then take them out and place them at 15-20°C or in a household refrigerator crisper for 2-3 days. Once the seeds show white sprouts, they can be sown.
2. Seedbed preparation: Choose a seedbed on a plot where long-residual herbicides such as imazethapyr and chlorimuron-ethyl have not been applied to the previous crop, with high, dry terrain and strong water- and fertilizer-holding capacity. Apply plenty of organic fertilizer; 15-20 sq m of seedbed is used per mu of cultivation field.
3. Timely sowing: At sowing, mix an appropriate amount of fine sand with the seeds to separate them, then sow them broadcast for seedlings. Do not sow too densely, to prevent the seedlings from becoming leggy. Cover the seeds with 0.5 cm of medicinal soil mixed with phoxim, and set up a shed for sun and rain protection.
4. Seedling-stage management: When the leaf lettuce seedlings grow two true leaves, separate the seedlings, with a transplanting density of 6×6 cm. The seedbed for leaf lettuce should be kept moist, and shaded at noon. At the same time, during the seedling stage leaf lettuce requires attention to pest and disease control.
Field management techniques for leaf lettuce
Leaf lettuce is generally grown in flat beds. It can be transplanted when it has 5-6 true leaves, with a row spacing of about 20 cm. Before transplanting, deep-plow and apply sufficient base fertilizer; generally apply 3000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure per mu, 80-100 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, with 2 m including the ditch, and deep ditches with high beds. Transplant at the 4-5 leaf stage, with strong seedlings, at a plant and row spacing of 10-15 cm, in flat-bed cultivation. For spring sowing and open-field transplanting, apply sufficient decomposed barnyard manure and 80 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per mu.
After transplanting, water thoroughly to settle the roots. In case of drought, promote growth with fertilizer and water; it can be marketed in 25-30 days, with a yield of 1800-2000 kg per mu. Autumn sowing in July-September coincides with the hot, dry season and frequent rainstorms; after transplanting, water thoroughly to establish the plants, cover with shade netting for 5-7 days, and remove the shade netting after the plants are established if there is cloudy or rainy weather. Moderate fertilizer and water are beneficial to the normal growth of leaf lettuce; it can be marketed in 20-30 days, with a general yield of 1600-1800 kg per mu. For autumn-winter sowing in October-November, transplant in the open field; if a cold wave hits in December, it needs to be transplanted into a greenhouse; it can be marketed in 25-30 days, with a yield of about 1500 kg per mu. Before transplanting, apply sufficient base fertilizer: per 667 mz apply 5000 kg of high-quality barnyard manure, 40 kg of diammonium phosphate, 20 kg of urea, 20 kg of potassium sulfate or 200-300 kg of plant ash, and make beds 1.5 m including the ditch.
At transplanting, water well with the transplanting water; after 1 week water thoroughly to help the seedlings recover. After recovery, apply a seedling-promoting fertilizer together with watering (15 kg of urea), and later apply a heavy plant-promoting fertilizer (30 kg of urea). After transplanting and recovery, cultivate and hoe deeply in good time to help the seedlings settle and promote root development. Throughout the entire growth and development period, keep the field moist and the soil loose. The management method after transplanting is basically the same as for celtuce; fertilizer and water management must be strengthened, maintaining sufficient moisture while preventing waterlogging damage from excessive wetness, and pest and disease control must also be done well.
Harvesting and storage of leaf lettuce
Harvest. After transplanting, depending on various conditions, it can be harvested in about 30-50 days; in winter it takes a little longer. In summer, harvest in the morning; in winter, in a greenhouse, harvest in the evening. You can cut the plant near the ground with a knife, remove the yellow and diseased leaves, and tie into bundles or pack into baskets for sale. If it is to be transported over long distances, it also needs pre-cooling, or ice blocks placed in the packing box (frost damage is likely to occur around the ice blocks).
Storage: The suitable storage temperature for leaf lettuce is 0°C, and the suitable relative humidity is above 95%. For storage or transport, leaf lettuce must be of high quality, the leaves not too tender, and the moisture content low; at harvest, handle gently and place gently to avoid mechanical damage.
Today, in an era of highly advanced technology, leaf lettuce can be planted all year round, but like all vegetables, vegetables grown in accordance with the laws of nature always taste better than those grown by breaking the rules. So, if it is for your own consumption, do the appropriate things in the appropriate season!