When is the best time to plant celtuce? Detailed guide to planting time and methods

Celtuce is a vegetable that has become quite popular on the market in recent years. It closely resembles lettuce leaves and its taste is very similar. The only difference is that it is a leaf vegetable while lettuce is a stem vegetable. Also, although lettuce leaves can be eaten, they taste somewhat bitter, whereas celtuce has a slight sweetness. Today, let's follow Qinnong Web to learn about when celtuce is planted and its planting methods.

Planting time

Previously, celtuce could be described as a seasonal vegetable, but currently it seems that celtuce can be seen on the market all year round. That is because celtuce has particularly strong adaptability to the environment and because of the development of current planting techniques, so the planting time for celtuce can be said to be all year round. However, the normal planting time for celtuce is generally from mid-to-late April to mid-May in spring, August in summer, and September in autumn. Winter is relatively cold, so if you want to plant celtuce, try to choose greenhouse cultivation.

Planting methods

1. Land selection and soil preparation

Because celtuce has relatively strong adaptability to the environment, its requirements for the land are not particularly strict. It can be said that as long as it is a piece of land and given careful attention, it can grow very well. However, when preparing the soil, pay attention to plowing as deeply as possible and applying basal fertilizer well. It has certain requirements for soil fertility, so the basal fertilizer is basically mainly farmyard manure, but at the same time it should be mixed evenly with urea, diammonium phosphate, potassium sulfate, and compound fertilizer, spread well, and then the land should be plowed.

2. Sowing and raising seedlings

It is best to sow after rain; otherwise, artificial watering is needed. First, water the land until wet, then scatter the celtuce seeds, then spread a layer of farmyard manure over the surface of the seeds, that is, livestock droppings, and finally spread a layer of fine soil to cover the seeds. If the temperature is not particularly high yet, you can cover with a layer of plastic film to promote sprouting. When 80 percent have grown young shoots, the film should be removed in time, otherwise the seedlings will be burned.

3. Scientific transplanting

Generally, about five or six days after germination, transplanting can begin. The spacing between plants is generally about 20 cm, and the distance between rows is 15 cm. Transplanting at this spacing will give celtuce a relatively high yield, and it also prevents some diseases caused by density.

4. Field management

Field management refers to controlling field moisture and nutrients during the growth period of celtuce. The growth process of celtuce requires a large amount of nutrients, and generally three fertilizations are carried out. When celtuce has five or six leaves, one fertilization should be carried out. The second fertilization is when celtuce grows to 20 cm. The third fertilization is the final growth-promoting application when celtuce is almost ready for harvest. The usual fertilization method is to mix potassium dihydrogen phosphate or other foliar fertilizers with water and apply them as a foliar spray.

5. Pest prevention

The most common disease of celtuce is downy mildew, and the most common pest is leaf worms. For downy mildew, we generally use Previcur or metalaxyl mancozeb wettable powder for control, while leaf worms are a rather nasty presence. Generally, fly mite net emulsifiable concentrate is used for spraying and killing. If planting on a small area, you can pick the worms by hand, which makes the vegetables more environmentally friendly.

6. Timely harvest

The harvest time must be timely. If it is for your own consumption, you can harvest earlier, when the leaves are very tender. But if it is for sale, it is generally harvested when celtuce has grown 15 to 20 leaves. At this time, the leaves are still relatively good and can still fetch a good price. If harvested too late, the leaves will all become old and look unappetizing.