When is the best time to plant lettuce in Shandong?
Lettuce, also known as qianjin cai, celtuce, stone lettuce, green lettuce, and shoot vegetable, is a common edible vegetable and is grown in most parts of our country. So when is the planting time for lettuce in Shandong? How is it planted?
1. When is the planting time for lettuce in Shandong?
Lettuce in Shandong is generally sown in September-October of the first autumn, and after 40-50 days, when the seedlings have 5-6 true leaves, they can be transplanted. They can overwinter safely in the winter of that year, and can be harvested in April-May of the following year.
2. How is lettuce planted in Shandong?
1. Land selection and preparation
Choose clay loam or loam rich in organic matter and with good water and fertilizer retention. Slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6.0 is suitable. Before transplanting, plow and turn 15-21 cm, and combine this with applying 75,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per hectare, then rake fine and level. Make high beds with a bed spacing of 120 cm and a width of 80-100 cm. Irrigate the furrows thoroughly once 7-8 days before transplanting, then cover with plastic film 3-4 days later. The film must be pulled tight and laid flat so that it adheres closely to the ground, and the edges should be firmly pressed down with soil.
2. Sow at the right time
After the seedling plot is prepared, sow the seeds directly in the seedling plot. After watering, apply 4.5% Baishida emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution and 5% Kungfu emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution to the seedling plot to prevent underground pests. For each mu of field planting, 15-20 sq m of seedling plot is needed. Generally, 25-30 grams of seed are used per mu of field. Cover with a shade net, then press it down firmly.
3. Close planting and transplanting
Celtuce has a high fertilizer requirement, so choose loose loam soil with strong fertilizer retention. Apply 2000-3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer. After deep plowing and fine raking of the land, prepare bed surfaces 1.6 m wide including the ditch. Planting density varies according to variety and season. For early-maturing varieties, the plant and row spacing is 23-18 cm, with 8500-12000 plants per mu; for late-maturing varieties, 30-25 cm, with 7000-8000 plants per mu.
4. Field management
Spring celtuce overwinters as seedlings. It grows slowly in the early stage and needs little fertilizer. After planting, water once with clear manure water. This promotes root growth. Before winter, control fertilizer and water to avoid excessive vegetative growth, enhance cold resistance, and ensure safe overwintering.