Key Points of the Planting Method for Emperor Lettuce, Plus a Little Harvesting Trick

Friends who enjoy salads or diet meals are certainly familiar with lettuce. Lettuce is always present in a salad, just as it is in diet meals. Lettuce has a long history in our country, and through the passage of time, many regions have begun to cultivate it. So, are you clear about the planting method for lettuce?

The Planting Method for Lettuce

1. Preliminary Preparation

Preliminary preparation mainly involves choosing a suitable lettuce variety and preparing the seedbed. According to the weather and environment of your region, select a lettuce variety suited to growing there, such as the familiar glass lettuce, Caesar lettuce, Emperor lettuce, and so on. Once you have made your choice, prepare the seedbed needed for the lettuce. Cultivating in fertile sandy loam is the most suitable option, and the specific mix for the seedbed needs to be determined by the amount of lettuce. You can refer to a combination of organic fertilizer, ammonium sulfate, calcium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and so on.

2. Sowing and Raising Seedlings

There is a little trick when sowing lettuce: mix some fine sandy soil in when scattering the seeds, so they can be spread more evenly. After the seeds are scattered, fill the soil back in, then cover with plastic film to retain moisture. When the seedlings gradually break through the plastic film and emerge, you can completely remove the film. The most suitable growing temperature during the seedling stage is within 20 degrees; ensure the environment is well ventilated, and in bad weather, such as strong winds or blazing sun, provide shade and shelter from the rain.

3. Fertilizing

Lettuce likes to grow in slightly acidic soil, so it is best to set the soil pH at 5-7; this range is the most suitable for growth. Calculated per 1000 kg of lettuce, it needs to absorb 2.5 kg of nitrogen, 1.2 kg of phosphorus and 4.5 kg of potassium. If you are growing head lettuce, it needs even more potassium fertilizer. This data is for reference only; the specifics still depend on your planting area and yield.

4. Field Planting Management

The day before field planting the lettuce, the seedbed needs to be irrigated; this is to make the whole seedbed moist, so that more soil is carried along when the seedlings are lifted for planting. For field planting, just open furrows according to the calculated row spacing; after planting is complete, remember to fertilize and water, rake the ground level, and cover with plastic film. Because lettuce likes a moist environment, remember to water regularly after planting too, and you can stop watering before harvest.

5. Harvesting Tips

Because lettuce varieties differ, harvesting is also a skilled job. Based on the distributor or restaurant you have arranged things with, and what requirements the buyers have, scheduling your harvest accordingly is the most suitable approach. For example, head lettuce and Emperor lettuce have different harvesting methods.

That is all we have summarized about lettuce for today. When it comes to planting, it mainly depends on you: accumulate plenty of experience and methods, and find what suits you.