How to grow lettuce from seed
Lettuce is a leafy vegetable that is widely grown for culinary purposes. It is rich in Vitamin A and K.
This leafy vegetable grows up to 12 inches tall and can be grown in shallow containers. It prefers cool temperatures and the best time to grow it is during the spring and fall season. Find out how to grow lettuce from seed.
Growing conditions for lettuce
They grow best in well draining fertile soil that is rich in nitrogen. The soil Ph should be between 6 to 7.Lettuce prefers cool temperatures to grow. It grows best when temperatures are between 7 to 27°C. The best months to grow is during spring. Lettuce grows best when it gets 4 to 6 hours of sunlight everyday.
How to grow lettuce from seed
You can grow lettuce in your garden or in containers. You can either start seeds in small containers and transplant them in to the soil or to bigger containers once they grow 4 inches tall. Take a small container and sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep. Then gently water. Your seeds will sprout within 7 to 10 days. After 2 weeks your lettuce will grow tall enough. You can then transplant it into a bigger container or into your garden.
For the potting mix, Take 10% sand, 60% compost, 20% perlite and 10% vermiculite. Take a container that is at least 9 inches deep and 12 wide. You can grow 3 lettuce plants in a container that is 12 inches wide.
For growing lettuce in the garden you can amend the soil with compost or aged manure before transplanting the seedlings. Make sure there is space of 9 to 12 inches between the lettuce
You can fertilise the soil once during the growing season.
Depending on the variety can take 30 to 70 days to mature.
Common pests and diseases in lettuce
Some of the pests that attack lettuce plants include worms, aphids, maggots and beetles. Common diseases include mildew, leaf spot and yellow spot. Practising companion planting, using beneficial insects are some ways in which you can control these pests. Diatomaceous earth is also a great way to control pests.
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