How to Grow Butterhead Lettuce: Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Tips

Lettuce has a very high water content and is rich in various vitamins, trace elements, dietary fiber and multiple minerals. It is known as the “queen of vegetables” and can be eaten raw or cooked. It has the effects of clearing heat and refreshing the spirit, clearing the liver and promoting bile secretion, nourishing the stomach and inducing sleep, making it a health-promoting vegetable. Eaten raw, it is crisp, refreshing and especially tender. Below is an introduction to the growing methods and tips for butterhead lettuce.

I. Planting at the Right Time

1. Butterhead lettuce is not heat-tolerant, so high-temperature seasons should be avoided when planting, or cooling measures should be taken during planting. For example, in the Guangdong region it is planted from August to March of the following year, while other regions should plant at the right time according to local climatic conditions.

2. The seedling stage of butterhead lettuce is 25 days; once it grows to 4-6 true leaves it can be transplanted.

3. When transplanting, plant at a spacing of 14×18cm between plants and rows.

4. When transplanting, keep the soil around the roots and water immediately after transplanting.

5. The transplanting depth should be just enough to cover the soil, and must not cover the heart leaves.

6. After transplanting, apply 4000-5000kg of organic fertilizer and 20kg of superphosphate per mu, or 50kg of compound fertilizer.

II. Field Management

1. Butterhead lettuce requires a relatively large amount of fertilizer, so the principle of frequent and generous application is adopted.

2. Apply a small amount of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer 5-6 days after transplanting; 15-20 days later, apply 15-2kg of compound fertilizer per mu; 25-30 days later, apply 10-15kg of compound fertilizer.

3. In the middle and late stages of butterhead lettuce growth, human feces and urine must not be used as a top dressing.

4. After transplanting, butterhead lettuce has a high water requirement, so watering should be adjusted according to the weather after the seedlings recover; when the soil is moist, water appropriately, generally once every 5-7 days.

5. In the middle and late stages of butterhead lettuce growth, the amount of watering should be controlled; for greenhouse cultivation, the humidity inside the greenhouse should be controlled.

6. Control watering 5 days before harvest.

III. Pest and Disease Control

1. Common pests and diseases of butterhead lettuce include: sclerotinia rot, soft rot and aphids.

2. Pest and disease control measures:

Choose disease-resistant varieties and carry out good field management.

Autumn, winter and spring are the peak periods of aphid damage. Spray for control with 40% dimethoate emulsion at 600-800 times dilution, or 50% pirimicarb at 2000-3000 times dilution.

Sclerotinia rot often occurs in February to March. Spray for control with 5% procymidone wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, or 50% iprodione wettable powder at 1000-1500 times dilution.

Soft rot often occurs in hot and rainy seasons. Spray for control with 47% kasugamycin-copper wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, or 77% copper hydroxide wettable powder at 500 times dilution.

Stop using pesticides 15 days before harvest.