What fertilizer is good for growing lettuce? What is the best way to fertilize?

Lettuce is a very common vegetable variety in rural areas. Both the leaves and the rhizomes are edible. The leaves are usually stir-fried, while many friends like to use the rhizomes to cook hot pot. In order for lettuce to grow well, in addition to disease and pest control, fertilization is also very important. Let’s learn together what fertilizer is best for growing lettuce? What is the best way to fertilize?

1. Fertilizer selection

Lettuce requires more nutrients during the entire growth period, especially the three main elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, among which potassium is the most needed. About 4.5 kg of potassium fertilizer is needed to produce 1,000 kg of lettuce. The base fertilizer should be a high-nitrogen, high-potassium nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium controlled-release fertilizer, no less than 120 kilograms per mu of land, and combined with 5 kilograms of a large amount of trace element water-soluble fertilizer .

2. Soil pH

The suitable soil pH for lettuce should be around 6. Soil pH that is too low or too high is not conducive to the growth of lettuce.

3. Fertilization of seedbed

The seedbed should be made of loose, fertile, easily irrigated and drained sandy soil rich in organic matter, and high-quality organic fertilizer should be applied, about 12 kilograms per square meter, as well as about 300 grams of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer.

4. Fertilize before transplanting

About a week before transplanting, apply about 5,000 kg of fully decomposed farmyard manure, 80 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer, and 50 kg of superphosphate to improve the soil structure.

5. Topdressing

Lettuce needs to be fertilized several times during its growth period. Before wintering, apply soil and miscellaneous fertilizers to promote growth, and carry out shallow tillage to loosen the soil . Before the ridges are closed during the rosette stage, apply about 35 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer per mu. During the rapid expansion period of fleshy roots, amino acid water-soluble fertilizers and macro-elements and trace elements can be applied along the water.

6. Foliar fertilizer

Foliar fertilizer can be sprayed throughout the growth period. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate is commonly used at a concentration of 0.2%~0.3%, and can be mixed with plant growth regulators .

7. Fertilization principles

Increase the application of organic fertilizer, control nitrogen fertilizer to avoid affecting the root system's absorption of other elements, and increase the application of potassium fertilizer. Fertilization mainly uses base fertilizer and appropriate amount of topdressing. Topdressing is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, with a reasonable combination of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

8. Notes

Lettuce has poor acid resistance, so try to use less acidic fertilizers when fertilizing. When the soil pH is lower than 6, you can use quicklime to adjust it.

The above are suggestions and methods for fertilizing lettuce. When planting lettuce, the choice of fertilizer and the method of fertilization are crucial to the high quality and high yield of lettuce.