Iceberg lettuce is great in salads, sandwiches, and many other recipes. Growing her is easy, especially if you grow the sprouts indoors for the first few months. By keeping the plant cool, well watered and growing it at the right time of year, you can harvest crisp and refreshing baskets of iceberg lettuce straight from your garden.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Planting the Seeds
Step 1. Plant iceberg lettuce six to eight weeks before the last spring frost
Do not do this in the first months of winter or summer, otherwise the plant will struggle to grow due to the extreme temperatures.
If you don't know when the latest frost will arrive in your area, search for this information on the internet. For example, you can write "average dates of the last frost in Tuscany"
Step 2. Plant the iceberg lettuce seeds in a low-sided seed tray
Fill the bottom of each cell in the tray with universal potting compost, then bury the seeds. Cover them with a thin layer of soil.
Step 3. Keep the tray in a sunny area of the house
Place it near a window or in a bright room, where the seeds can receive about 12 hours of natural light. If there are no suitable places in your home, you can also use indoor plant lamps.
Step 4. Keep the soil in which you planted the seeds moist
Check the tray daily and water the seeds when the soil looks dry. You need to make it moist but not soggy. If puddles of water remain on the surface, the seeds risk rotting. After 5-10 days, the first shoots should appear.
Step 5. Cut the shoots with scissors, so that only one remains per cell
Once all are sprouted, cut the unwanted ones to ground level.
Step 6. Let the lettuce grow indoors for six weeks
At that point, the plants will be large enough to be transplanted outside.
Part 2 of 3: Transplant the Lettuce
Step 1. Gradually get the plant accustomed to the outside climate
After six weeks of growing, start placing the tray outdoors in a sheltered spot for three hours a day. Each day, leave the lettuce for two more hours outside than the previous day. The plants will fully adapt when they are out for a full day. The whole process should take around 7 days.
- Don't leave lettuce outside overnight until it has fully acclimatized. You should only do this after the process is complete.
- It is not a problem if the weather is not yet warm at this stage of cultivation. By getting lettuce acclimatize properly, it will become more resistant to freezing temperatures. However, you shouldn't plant it outdoors until you are certain there will be no more frosts.
Step 2. Dig a 12.5cm hole in the garden for each seedling
Available in alternating rows, 25 cm apart. The cultivated area should not exceed 50 cm in width.
Plant lettuce in an area of the garden where the soil is rich, drains well and receives plenty of sun
Step 3. Pour a tablespoon of 5-10-10 fertilizer into each hole
Products of this type contain 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 10% potassium. If you don't have fertilizer, use a handful of dry compost or manure.
Step 4. Water the tray cells before transferring the lettuce sprouts
Do not try to do this when the soil is dry or it will crumble and fall off the roots.
Step 5. Before transferring the sprouts, tear off the outer leaves of the lettuce
In this way the plants will be lighter and the roots will be able to take root in the ground more easily. Leave the buds in the center of the plant intact, which will form the adult leaves.
Step 6. Plant the sprouts in the holes
Do this so that they reach the same depth as they had in the tray. Fill the holes with soil and gently compact it around the base of the plant with your hands.
Step 7. Lightly water the lettuce
Continue doing this daily for the first three days after the transplant.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Lettuce
Step 1. Water the lettuce three to four times a week to keep the soil moist
There is no need to give so much water if it rains a lot. The goal is to keep the lettuce fresh and moist; if it were to dry out, it would acquire a bitter taste or rot. If the soil feels dry to you, you haven't watered it enough.
Don't give the lettuce more water than recommended, or it can rot. You should also avoid watering in the evening
Step 2. Add a 6-7.5cm layer of mulch around the lettuce
Use organic mulch, such as chopped leaves or compost, to keep the plant cool and protect it from the heat during spring and summer.
Step 3. Apply a 5-10-10 fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks
Find a product that fits your needs at garden stores, or use a natural, organic alternative such as cottonseed meal or fish emulsion. Gently apply a thin layer of fertilizer to the soil surrounding the plant. If you prefer to use a chemical product, the granular or spray versions are best suited to vegetables grown outdoors.
Step 4. Pick the lettuce by cutting it to ground level
The plant is ready for harvest when it is firm and fully grown, that is, if it reaches about 15 cm in diameter. You can store the leaves in the refrigerator for 5-10 days.
- Don't wait too long to harvest the lettuce or it can turn bitter.
- Lettuce does not grow well when the temperature rises excessively. You should make sure you collect it before the temperature exceeds 27 ° C.
