How and when to plant lettuce

Time and month for planting lettuce

Lettuce is suitable for planting in spring, summer and autumn, with the specific planting time being April-May in spring, August in summer and September in autumn. It is relatively cold in winter, so if you want to grow lettuce, you need to plant it in a greenhouse.

When to plant lettuce in spring

If you plant lettuce in spring, if you sow in early spring, you must sow and raise seedlings between January and March. You must also deep plow the land and water it sufficiently. Sow the seeds in the bed and cover them with soil, just enough to cover the seeds. Then cover them with a layer of film. Generally, the seedlings will emerge in half a month.

When to plant lettuce in summer

When planting lettuce in the summer, you can use open-field seedling cultivation around May. It is best to choose a relatively high terrain, deep plow the land and apply organic fertilizer. Before sowing, soak the seeds for about three hours, then dry the seeds before sowing. The seedling bed must be given enough water.

Then sprinkle the seeds on the bed surface, cover with soil and water sufficiently. If the temperature is relatively high and it is dry, cover it with a layer of shade net and remove the net after the seedlings have grown. The fertilizer and water for the seedlings must be moderate and not too dry.

When to plant lettuce in autumn

Planting lettuce in autumn takes a month around August, and the seeds also need to be soaked to germinate. You can wrap the seeds with gauze, soak them for about four hours, take them out, and refrigerate them for 10 to 15 hours. If the germination rate is more than 75%, you can sow them.

It is best to use a greenhouse for sowing in autumn. After the seedlings emerge, you must pay attention to the soil moisture conditions. It is not good to be too dry or too wet. Weeding should be done in time to ensure that water can flow more smoothly.

When to plant lettuce in winter

When planting lettuce in winter, you can sow and raise seedlings from November to December, apply base fertilizer, water enough, and then sow. After sowing, sprinkle a layer of nutrient soil, cover the seeds, and then cover with a layer of plastic film. After the seedlings emerge, you can remove the film. During this period, you must strengthen management, do a good job of ventilation and air exchange, and pay attention to insulation.

Lettuce planting methods and steps

The optimum sowing temperature of lettuce is 8-25℃, and the optimum growth temperature is 10-30℃. It has a very short growing period, usually 45 days. It can be planted with shade nets and sheds in summer and in greenhouses in winter. It can be sown all year round.

1. Site selection and land preparation: Lettuce has a very strong adaptability to the environment, so it is not very demanding on the soil. It is necessary to mix urea, diammonium phosphate, potassium sulfate and compound fertilizer evenly and spread the fertilizer before tilling the land.

2. Sowing and seedling raising: It is best to sow lettuce after the rain, otherwise it is necessary to water it artificially, wet the soil in advance, and then spread the lettuce seeds evenly on the soil.

3. Scientific transplanting: Generally, transplanting can be carried out 5-6 days after germination. The distance between plants should be controlled at about 20 cm and the row spacing should be 15 cm.

4. Field management: During the growth period of lettuce, it needs timely watering and fertilization to strengthen its maintenance. You can dilute potassium dihydrogen phosphate or other foliar fertilizers with water and spray them on the leaves.

5. Pest prevention: If the lettuce is not properly maintained, diseases and pests will occur. The most common disease is downy mildew, and the most common disease is leaf worm. We generally use pulichloriand or metalaxyl mancozeb wettable powder to prevent and control downy mildew.