When is the best time to plant lettuce?

In recent years, romaine lettuce has been loved by consumers for its appearance and taste. Many people think it is lettuce, but it is not. Romaine lettuce is mainly eaten as a leafy vegetable. Its leaves are soft in texture, refreshing in taste, and have a hint of natural sweetness, while lettuce is slightly bitter. Let’s take a look at when is the best time to plant lettuce?

1. Seasonal planting time

Lettuce is usually sown in April and May in spring because it requires lower temperatures to promote seed germination and growth. Under natural conditions, lettuce seeds can germinate at temperatures above 4°C, and the most suitable germination temperature range is 15°C to 20°C. Within this temperature range, lettuce seeds only take 3 to 4 days to germinate.

2. Year-round planting conditions

With the development of modern agricultural technology, especially in greenhouse planting environments, lettuce can be grown all year round. In the greenhouse, the temperature and humidity can be controlled to simulate the optimal environment for lettuce growth, thus breaking through seasonal limitations.

3. Preparation before planting

Before planting lettuce, the soil needs to be deeply plowed and sufficient base fertilizer applied. Lettuce is not very demanding on the soil, but it likes fertilizer, so the base fertilizer should be mainly farmyard manure, and it should be supplemented with appropriate amounts of urea, diammonium phosphate, potassium phosphate and other compound fertilizers .

4. Seeding and planting

When sowing, sow the seeds directly into the soil, and then spread a layer of farmyard manure and fine soil on the surface of the seeds. If the temperature is low, you can cover it with a film to promote germination. About a week after the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow to a certain height, they can be transplanted. The recommended row spacing for planting is 15 cm and the plant spacing is 20 cm to ensure that the lettuce has enough space to grow and reduce the occurrence of diseases.

5. Water and fertilizer management

Lettuce requires sufficient water and fertilizer during its growth period. Fertilization is usually required three times during the entire growing period. You can use foliar fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate and spray it on the leaves after diluting it with water to promote the healthy growth of lettuce.

To sum up, the most suitable time to plant lettuce is in April and May in spring, but through modern agricultural technology, it can be planted all year round. No matter when you plant, you need to make sure the soil is suitable, the base fertilizer is sufficient, and that you sow and plant at the right time. Through reasonable water and fertilizer management, good growth and high yield of lettuce can be ensured.