Growing lettuce safely
Lettuce, which is very familiar to us today, started with a “sad fate” because people considered it a weed in the Mediterranean region. Then lettuce got its rightful place in the human diet about 4,500 years ago.
Lettuce has also been proudly present in the paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs. Greek scholars have classified lettuce into many different types. Explorer Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the “new world” (America). From then on, lettuce was grown on this continent. Today, lettuce is considered the “ambassador” of… vegetables, present all over the world. Currently, there are about six different types of lettuce.
Regardless of the type, lettuce is a very nutritious vegetable. Every 100 grams of lettuce will provide about 2.2 grams of carbohydrates, 1.2 grams of fiber, 90 grams of water, 166 micrograms of vitamin A, 73 micrograms of folate (vitamin B9). Lettuce also contains many minerals with alkaline elements, thereby helping the body "clean" the blood, helping the mind stay alert and helping the body avoid many diseases.
1. Similar
- Use varieties with high yield, good quality, suitable for local production conditions and accepted by the market.
- Treat seeds before sowing with pesticides. You can soak seeds in warm water mixed with foliar fertilizer (about 1cc/1 liter of water), after 3-4 hours take them out to drain and incubate, then sow.
- Sowing: sow on nursery beds then pull out the plants and transplant them to planting beds. Seedling age 20-25 days.
After sowing, cover with a thin layer of soil mixed with compost, sprinkle some insecticide to kill ants and other pests, cover with a thin layer of straw and water sufficiently.
- Before pulling out the tree, water the soil with diluted DAP fertilizer (30g/10 liters of water).
2. Seasonal
Roll lettuce is grown in the winter-spring crop. Roll lettuce can be grown year-round, but yields best in the dry season. During the rainy season, a trellis must be built to prevent the leaves from being crushed.
3. Prepare the land
- Lettuce can be grown on a variety of soils, but it must be well-drained.
- The land must be plowed thoroughly, weeds and crop residues from the previous crop must be picked up. If possible, the land should be turned and left fallow for 8-10 days to allow the soil to breathe, helping the plants grow well and limiting pests residing in the soil.
- During the rainy season, it is necessary to choose to plant rain-resistant varieties. Cover with straw or use nylon netting to limit soil splashing on the leaves, and at the same time limit pests and weeds.
- The bed is 0.8-1m wide and 10-15cm high. During the rainy season, the bed should be higher, about 20cm, to help with good drainage and prevent waterlogging.
* Do not plant many crops of brassicas consecutively on the same piece of land.
4. Planting distance
- Winter-Spring crop: 15x18cm or 15x15cm.
- Summer-Fall crop: 12x15cm or 12x12cm.
5. Fertilization (per 1,000m2)
- Base fertilizer: 1.5 - 2 tons of decomposed manure; 10 kg of phosphate fertilizer; 30 kg of oil cake.
- Top dressing:
+ 1st time (7 days after planting): Mix 5-6kg of urea in water for watering.
+ 2nd and 3rd time: Should use foliar fertilizer (5-7 days apart).
6. Pest control
Through experimental areas, lettuce has very few pests so pesticide spraying is limited to ensure vegetable safety.
Lettuce cultivation often encounters some major diseases such as: seedling death disease (Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Sclerotium sp.), stem rot disease (Slerotim rolfsi Rhizoctonia sp.), bacterial soft rot (Erwinia carotovora), in general these diseases do not cause serious damage in the field. Prevention and control measures are the same as for green mustard.
7. Harvest
- Can be harvested 30-40 days after planting.
- Should be harvested early in the morning or cool afternoon…
According to trongraulamvuon - LY
