Key points of lettuce growing techniques, with full guidance from sowing to harvest

Lettuce is a biennial or annual herbaceous vegetable in the genus Lactuca of the Asteraceae family. Its leaves are the main edible part, with a crisp, tender and refreshing taste; it can be eaten raw in salads, or stir-fried, or used in soups. It has a short growing cycle and strong adaptability, and its requirements for cultivation conditions are not particularly high, making it a leafy vegetable very suitable for home gardens and field cultivation.

Lettuce prefers a cool climate, and its suitable growing temperature is roughly between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too high, it tends to bolt and flower, affecting quality. Therefore, open-field planting is mostly arranged in spring and autumn, while sowing in summer requires shading and cooling. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked in cool water for several hours, then dried and sown; sprouting will be faster and more uniform.

For growing lettuce, it is best to choose loose, fertile plots with good drainage, and apply plenty of decomposed organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer when preparing the soil. Lettuce has a relatively shallow root system and high water consumption, so during the growing period it should be watered frequently in small amounts to keep the soil moist. Lack of water can easily make the leaves bitter and smaller. Topdressing should mainly be nitrogen fertilizer, combined with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Properly reducing water a few days before harvest will improve the taste.

After the seedlings grow two or three true leaves, they should be thinned in time; if the seedlings are too densely spaced, they are prone to leggy growth. During the growing period, attention should also be paid to loosening the soil and removing weeds, maintaining ventilation and light transmission, and reducing the occurrence of diseases such as soft rot. From sowing to harvest, lettuce generally only takes a few dozen days. Once the leaves have grown fully, they can be harvested in batches, and the flavor is best when eaten fresh and tender.