When is the best time to sow lettuce seeds?

Lettuce seed sowing time

Lettuce prefers a cool environment and is suitable for sowing in spring and autumn. It can be harvested in spring from February to April and in May to June, while in autumn it is mainly sown at the end of August and can be harvested in September to October. Because different varieties of lettuce have different characteristics, you should understand their growth habits when sowing and then choose the planting time.

Lettuce seed planting method and steps

1. Sowing: Lettuce seeds are very small and very light. They need to be mixed with fine sand and then sprinkled on the soil. Cover them with a layer of 0.5-1 cm soil. If the ambient temperature is 15-20 degrees, it will germinate in about 3-5 days. In summer, they need to be treated with germination, soaked in water, then wrapped with wet gauze, and placed in the refrigerator. Sow when most of the seeds are white.

2. Seedling stage: Lettuce likes a humid environment. During the seedling period, the soil should be kept moist and not dry. Keep the soil permeable. When there are 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings should be thinned out, and the spacing between plants should be 5-8 cm.

3. Transplanting: Lettuce can be transplanted when it grows 5-6 true leaves. Water it thoroughly before transplanting. If the sunlight is very strong in summer, provide shade and place it in a cool place to slow down the growth. After the roots start to grow in about a week, expose it to normal sunlight.

4. Fertilization: Fertilize once every 7 days after transplantation. It is best to choose decomposed organic fertilizer. After 2 weeks and 4 weeks after transplantation, you can apply organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer mainly composed of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Stop fertilizing 2 weeks before harvest.