How to plant leaf lettuce in open ground with seeds and care for it. How to grow lettuce in the country in the open field

Literally everyone loves greens. Lettuce leaves are also extremely popular and useful, as they contain many trace elements and vitamins. Lettuce is a source of fiber, which has a positive effect on digestion. It is for these reasons that every summer resident tries to grow a plant on his site. When to plant lettuce outdoors in spring 2019? Accurate dates for different climatic regions will help you sow seeds in a timely manner.

Agrotechnics for growing lettuce is simple, no special plant care needs to be carried out.

When to plant lettuce in open ground in spring in the middle lane?

Nutritionists have long recommended including lettuce in everyone's diet. Vegetable fiber is a breeding ground for millions of bacteria in the intestines. By eating lettuce leaves, we provide the bacteria with the necessary nutrition, and they in turn release vitamins through fermentation. Our body receives many useful substances, thanks to the coordinated work of bacteria.

Growing lettuce is very easy. The plant is cold-resistant and tolerates short-term, nighttime temperature drops. However, if a cold snap below -5 degrees is expected, it is recommended to cover the crops. In the southern regions, it is not necessary to organize a shelter, which makes it easier to grow lettuce.

You can start sowing seeds in open ground in central Russia in the second decade of April - early May. The plant develops well at temperatures above + 10-15 degrees. When the snow has left the site, it's time to prepare. If the summer resident wants to harvest all summer, sowing is repeated every 10 days. Before this, planting material is treated with Fitosporin to destroy pathogens.

When to plant lettuce in open ground in the spring according to the lunar calendar?

More and more summer residents when planting plants are guided not only by the weather, but take into account the phases of the moon. It has been noticed that sowing on the growing moon has a positive effect on seed germination, growth and development of crops. We suggest you find out when to plant lettuce in open ground in the spring of 2019 according to the lunar calendar:

April - from 6 to 18;
May - from 6 to 18;
June - from 4 to 16;
July - from 3 to 16;
August - from 2 to 14;
September - from 1 to 13.

With a long growing season, lettuce leaves become bitter and tasteless. Such plants are removed. In order to have greenery all season, the seeds are sown every 10 days in the right amount. The bed should be freshly dug, and the soil fertilized with organic matter.

Lettuce leaves are an excellent raw material for preparing delicious fortified dishes. Today, there are hundreds of species and varieties of this crop, so choosing seeds for planting can be a difficult task for a gardener or. Consider the best lettuce varieties for open ground - photo with description.

The main varieties of culture - description and photo

Salad is divided into the following groups:

Leaf salad. Forms only leaves, which may have smooth and incised edges. The cultivation of this type of culture can be carried out in several stages. Minus leaf lettuce - not subject to long-term storage.

photo of lettuce leaves

Break salad. It has a stem covered with delicate leaves with a wavy border. The advantage of this variety is the possibility of gradual harvesting of leaves.

Shed lettuce outdoors

Stem lettuce. Consists of a fleshy stem and coarse leaves. The food is both. These varieties are little known to Russian gardeners. The main positive difference is high productivity.

In the photo, a stem (asparagus) salad, rare for our summer resident

Roman salad. This is a group of headed and semi-headed salads with excellent taste. Rarely grown by Russian gardeners. Rough oval leaves grow on a vertical rosette.

Roman lettuce in the garden

Cabbage salad. The leaves of the varieties of this group are hard, but juicy and oily. Heads of cabbage can have different sizes.

Pictured lettuce

The best varieties of lettuce for open ground

Let's move on to the consideration of specific varieties of each type of salad, recognized as the best in the circle of gardeners. These are the most delicious and fruitful varieties that do not require special care. We have prepared for you not only the names and descriptions of each of them, but also visual photos that will help you with your choice.

Lettuce for exhaust gases - favorite varieties

Excitement. Highly ornamental variety. Almost never gets sick. Gardeners and farmers in the description note its excellent taste and high marketability.
Kudryavets Odessa. An excellent variety of lettuce, known to many summer residents. Good resistance to fading. The leaves are juicy and elastic.
Bona. A variety of culture of medium ripening with a large rosette. Valued for its excellent taste and the ability to harvest a rich harvest. Planted outdoors in spring or summer.

On the photo salad Curly Odessa

Sandwich. The perfect salad for sandwiches in terms of taste characteristics. Valued for its high vitamin and mineral content.
Raspberry ball. The variety is characterized by very juicy wavy green leaves with raspberry splashes.
kitare. A new variety with a high degree of protection against diseases and shooting.
Lollo Rosa. An incredibly tasty variety that can be used as a decorative element.

Variety Lollo Rosa in the open field

Ruksay. Late ripening lettuce 20 cm high. Leaves are oily, slightly purple. Maximum weight - 400 g.
Levisto. A plant with slightly curly, sap-filled leaves. Excellent resistance to diseases and aphids. Grows well in open ground and shelter.

Variety of lettuce for open ground - Ruksay

Break lettuce for exhaust gases - popular varieties

Abracadabra. High-yielding variety with smooth cut oily leaves. Handles adverse conditions well.
Ballet. Lettuce variety, famous for its resistance to conditions of low temperature and low light. Can lie for a long time without loss of quality. Suitable for spring cultivation in open and protected ground.
Mercury. Mid-season variety with large reddish leaves and excellent taste characteristics.

Popular variety of lettuce Canyon: the maximum weight in the description is 700 g

Canyon. Mid-season variety with wavy and cut leaves. Lettuce is disease resistant. It tastes similar to the head varieties. Maximum weight - 700 g.
Barbados. The leaves of the variety are dark red, folded. Only for open ground.
Gascony. Mid-early outdoor lettuce variety with wavy and heavily cut leaves. Protected from disease. Maximum weight - 550 g.

Grade Gascony

Stem lettuce for OG - the best varieties

Driver. A plant with gray-green leaves not dissected along the edges. The lettuce variety has a high yield.
Svetlana. Mid-season variety. The total weight of one plant (leaves + stem) is 800 g. The crop can be stored for a long time.

Svetlana - a variety of stem lettuce, which, judging by the description, can be stored for a long time

Dandy. Late-ripening variety with dense, low-bubbly compacted leaves with smooth edges. Resistant to fading and temperature fluctuations.
Treasury. One of the most popular new varieties. Differs in high marketability and drought resistance.

In the photo lettuce Dandy

Parisian. The socket is large, raised. Head of cabbage - loose, oval. It is best to grow this variety outdoors in the summer-autumn period.
Balloon. Large rosette with dense leaves.
Roger. Produces high quality green crispy leaves.
Limpopo. An early variety resistant to flowering. The leaves are slightly wrinkled, tender.

Limpopo - a variety of lettuce for open ground

Head lettuce for OG - the best varieties

Stone head. One of the best varieties, characterized by a small and very dense head - weight up to 100 g. Uncut wavy leaves.
Large-headed. The leaves are very tasty, wavy, bubbly, dense. Growing recommendation - outdoors in spring. Weight of a head of cabbage - 500 g. It is stored for a long time.
Major. Highly productive variety with light green leaves framed with a red border.

In the photo, head lettuce for open ground of the Iceberg variety

Iceberg. A new variety resistant to bolting with excellent palatability.
Yetty. The ripening period is medium, the head is dense and large. Cultivation in an open ground in any segment of the sowing period is advised.
Dude. An early vitamin variety that forms a semi-head.
Senator. The variety is high-yielding, unpretentious, resistant to heat, with excellent taste characteristics.

Leaf lettuce is rich in vitamins and other beneficial substances. Therefore, include it in the diet of medical and dietary nutrition. Fresh leaves enhance the flavor of summer vegetable salads and are a good garnish. On the shelves of stores, fresh salad of various types arrives daily. Buying is not difficult. But everyone knows that the most useful greens are grown on their own plot, without the addition of fertilizers. Therefore, we will learn how to grow leaf lettuce on our own.

The best varieties of leaf lettuce for open ground

lolla rossa- early varieties of leaf lettuce, from seedlings to technical ripeness 40-50. Possesses the increased resistance to premature flowering. During growth, it forms many leaves of a corrugated burgundy shape. The plant is erect, up to 20 cm in diameter. Tall. Cut greens are suitable for salads and other dishes.

Moscow greenhouse- an early ripe variety of lettuce. From germination to the first cutting of greenery, 30 days pass. Forms a powerful rosette of delicate leaves, light green in color, weighing up to 110 grams. The leaves have good taste (juicy, tender, without bitterness). Great for decorating dishes, preparing salads and sandwiches.

Dubachek- one of the well-known varieties of leaf lettuce of medium ripening. From sowing seeds to harvesting - 40 days. It forms oblong leaves of light green color with a diameter of up to 30 cm. The mass of one plant is up to 90 grams. After cutting, it quickly grows green mass.

Mercury- the original mid-season variety of leaf lettuce - 55 days pass from germination to cutting. Leaves with a reddish anthocyanin tinge. To the touch soft and gentle. The rosette reaches a height of 27 cm and a width of up to 31 cm. Very productive - the weight of one plant is up to 450 grams. Due to the original appearance, the leaves are used as a decoration for salads.

Mercury salad. Photo

Abracadabra- mid-season leaf cut variety of lettuce. You can start harvesting 60 days after germination. Rosette up to 40 cm in diameter with wavy edges weighing up to 450 grams. The leaves are bright green, soft and juicy. Pros: color resistance. It grows without problems in adverse conditions.

Lettuce grows well with other herbs. Read articles about growing parsley and dill. Perhaps this information will be useful to you.

When to plant lettuce

They begin planting in early spring, when a stable positive temperature is established on the street day and night. In the Urals and Siberia, lettuce is usually sown in the garden not earlier than the beginning of May. In more southern regions, you can start a little earlier - at the end of April.

You can determine the timing of landing, according to the lunar calendar. Auspicious and unfavorable days are painted in them. All you have to do is choose a good day. If there is no calendar, they are guided by the phases of the moon. Like all tops, lettuce is sown on the growing moon. Not allowed on full and new moons.

Gardeners practice a seedling method of growing lettuce, which allows you to get a crop 3-4 weeks earlier. Organize beds or containers for salad in the greenhouse, around mid-April. They are planted when the threat of spring frosts has passed - in the last decade of May.

Good to know. Early varieties of lettuce ripen in 30 days. Therefore, in order to cut fresh lettuce from the garden all summer, it is recommended to plant every 2-3 weeks until the end of July.

Preparing a site for growing lettuce

But in order for the greens to grow juicy and tasty, it is desirable to create favorable conditions for growth in the garden.

Lettuce, like any greens, loves sunlight. It grows well in the garden, with good lighting and protection from strong cold winds. The more daylight, the better. In the shade of large trees or buildings, plants develop poorly.
The plant likes moderate soil moisture. If there is a choice between a lowland or a hill, then areas with a hill are preferred. In the lowlands, where moisture accumulates after rains, rotting of the roots of plants is possible.
The culture develops well on neutral fertile soil with drainage. In poor soils, add a little humus or compost. And in heavy ones, river sand is added for digging. Acidic soil is neutralized by the introduction of crushed lime or dolomite flour.
To make it more convenient to take care of the plants, it is recommended to form narrow beds, no more than 80 cm wide. In a bed of 1 meter or more, it is difficult to reach the greenery and weed the weeds.

For more information about growing lettuce in open ground, see the video:

The best precursors for salad are tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and peppers. Greens coexist perfectly with radishes, radishes, onions, cabbage, cucumbers and beans. It does not grow well with beets, as its foliage creates a shadow.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Seeds germinate faster in moist soil. If the soil is dry, it is abundantly watered from a watering can, per 1 square meter, at least 10 liters of water. When the moisture is completely absorbed into the soil, go directly to planting.

Lettuce seeds in a bowl. Photo

In the garden, grooves are made with a depth of no more than 1 cm, leaving a gap between them of at least 20 cm. The grooves are shed with water and seeds are sown at a distance of 1-2 cm. The grooves are sprinkled with light soil, for example, a mixture of compost with garden soil. Plentifully watered.

In windy weather, a crust forms on moist soil. Seedlings do not penetrate well through the crust. Therefore, it is advisable to cover the bed before germination with non-woven covering material. Under cover, creates a favorable environment.

Care

To get a big harvest of fresh herbs, you need to properly care for the plants:

Water the salad bed regularly. Especially in dry and hot summers. In cloudy and rainy weather, watering is not necessary. Use slightly sun-warmed water. Therefore, it is advisable to keep a barrel of water in the open on the site.
Fertilizers applied to the soil in autumn or spring are sufficient for leaf lettuce. But it will not be superfluous to feed with herbal infusion or mullein. Fertilize under the root so that the fertilizer does not fall on the leaves.
Combine loosening the soil with cleaning weeds. Carry out weeding in the evening, after watering. From dry soil, weeds are uprooted and then begin to grow again.
With a dense planting, thinning is carried out during growth. Pull out excess plants from the ground in the evening after watering.

By following these simple rules of care, you can always enjoy delicious lettuce leaves and get a lot of vitamins throughout the summer.

Even a gardener with minimal experience will cope with planting leaf lettuce. The culture will bring a harvest when planted in a greenhouse, on an open garden bed, or when grown on the windowsill of an ordinary city apartment. You need to know when to plant lettuce in open ground conditions, varieties, planting dates, soil requirements, temperature conditions. Leaf lettuce is a frost-resistant crop. Its seedlings can withstand temperatures down to -4 degrees. Mature plants remain green at lower temperatures - up to -8 degrees. However, these figures are extreme.

The optimum temperature for the variety ranges from 15-20 degrees above zero. This mode will allow the plant to develop properly and delight the summer resident with delicious shoots, even when grown in open ground. Culture loves moisture. Sufficient watering will allow its leaves to maintain special juiciness and bring a good harvest in open ground conditions.

When to plant lettuce - soil requirements

Open ground for sowing lettuce is best prepared in the autumn. Before planting, the earth must be dug up, loosened. Loosening is an important procedure when growing a crop. This is due to the root system of the plant.

If possible, it is good to add organic fertilizers: chicken or cow manure.
You can use previously fertilized beds for planting leaf lettuce in open ground.
In this form, the site remains until spring. Leaf lettuce is good for planting on slightly alkaline soils, as well as in areas with a neutral acid reaction.
It is undesirable to plant lettuce in heavy clay or saline areas. This will lead to the death of the plant. A place for a future landing is chosen sunny. In the shade, the plant develops poorly. Otherwise, it is rather unpretentious.

When to plant lettuce - timing of planting lettuce

When to plant a crop in open ground? Lettuce has one feature: with prolonged cultivation of the plant, the leaves become bitter. Therefore, it will be correct to periodically plant the plant again, like radishes. The optimal time for sowing seeds is the end of April. Under adverse weather conditions, you can plant a crop in early May. Leaf lettuce seeds germinate when the ground temperature is +5 degrees. Therefore, from the moment the snow melts completely, you can prepare for landing.

Seeds are planted in a previously dug-up bed. The soil should stand for two days before planting. Seeds are sown in grooves, the distance between which should be at least 15 cm. A distance of at least 4 cm must be left between plants. Seeds should not be planted deep. So the leaves will appear faster, and with them the first harvest. The plant has good germination. Usually the first shoots appear on the third day.

When to plant lettuce - growing lettuce seedlings

Some summer residents, in order to quickly get a crop of leaf lettuce, prepare seedlings for planting. Sowing dates in this case are shifted to March. Seeds are planted in a container with fertilized soil. You can use individual cups, peat pots. When to plant seedlings in open ground? It is transplanted into open ground after 20 days. Seeds are still producing good seedlings. The plant does not like transplanting, so care must be taken.

When to plant lettuce - a variety of varieties

Varieties of leaf lettuce are different. Early maturing plants have a growing season of up to 40 days. Among the varieties you can choose for open ground, for planting in a greenhouse and even on a windowsill.
In open ground it is better to grow varieties such as:
Emerald;
golden ball;
Riga;
Odessa curly man;
Credo change.

Plants of these varieties are unpretentious in care. For greenhouses, such as:
Moscow greenhouse;
Lollo Ross.

Lettuce is harvested at home. Moreover, it can be sown throughout the year in open ground. Seeds and seedlings are suitable for this purpose. In winter, additional lighting is needed. Remember to respect the distance between lettuce plants. Varieties that are great for planting in an apartment:
Creed change,
Odessa,
Lolo Bionda.

When to plant lettuce lettuce care tips

A good lettuce harvest is fairly easy to obtain. Plant care includes three mandatory steps: watering, loosening, removing wild herbs. Watering should be timely, in sunny weather 1 time per day. In cloudy weather, in the absence of rain, it is necessary to water the crop at least twice every seven days. This should be done in the evening after the sun has set below the horizon. Watering must be carried out from a watering can, which will evenly moisten the soil.

For the purpose of good aeration of the root system and better nutrition of the plant, the soil must be loosened in time. Then all the nutrients will go to the leaves. Due to the precocity of the culture, it can not be fed. It is best to fertilize the soil in the fall or spring just before planting.
It is necessary to pull out weeds between plants in time so that they do not crush the crop. With the development of various diseases on the leaves, the bush must be removed from the garden. This will prevent the spread of infection to healthy plants. Chemicals are not recommended for pest control. For this, there are folk methods, for example, garlic infusion.

When to plant lettuce - storage features

With proper care, lettuce can be harvested fairly quickly. Sufficient lighting, good watering and after a few days you can enjoy the first leaves. When the leaves reach a length of 6 cm, they are cut off. It is better to harvest in sunny weather, which will ensure its long storage. You can pick the leaves, then the lettuce will continue to grow. Leave the salad in the refrigerator. Room temperature has a bad effect on a plucked lettuce bush. It quickly dries up and deteriorates.

Leaf lettuce is unpretentious in care. However, for a beginner in gardening, some useful tips will help in growing this crop:
Individual varieties are suitable for growing in the garden;
For better warming of the soil before planting, cover material is used to cover the future bed;
Seeds should be planted at some distance from each other;
Also, the ground should be covered after sowing, which will contribute to rapid growth;
Timely watering is needed to increase succulent leaves.

Leaf lettuce is gaining more and more supporters. This is due to the many advantages of this culture. The leaves of the plant do not just contain vitamins, they are useful for certain diseases: heart, sleep disorders. Simple care, undemanding feeding, temperature fluctuations, a quick ripening period, a rich harvest make it one of the favorite crops among beginners in gardening, but more experienced gardeners play casino volcano here.

Fresh and crispy salad on your table throughout the year - it's simple and easy. Lettuce is an annual vegetable plant that grows quickly and is used fresh. Lettuce does not take up much space, and in the smallest garden or even in flowerpots, you can plant several heads of lettuce. Lettuce, as a plant, is completely unpretentious, can grow in any soil and does not require special knowledge to get a rich harvest.

Types of lettuce:

Head lettuce - round, like cabbage, with wide spread smooth leaves. It grows very quickly and does not require much care.
Iceberg lettuce - crispy lettuce forms a large head of rolled leaves, crispy in taste.
Lettuce "Romaine" - leaves are crispy, elongated, grow vertically upwards. It takes longer to mature than other lettuce varieties and requires frequent watering.
Curly lettuce - lettuce with a lot of curly leaves without a core.

Recently, such salads as: arugula, corn salad, watercress salad, frillis salad, lettuce have been very popular. Varying in shape, color and flavor, these fast-growing annual vegetables are mostly used fresh.

To get a lettuce crop for a whole year, it is necessary to sow seeds (spring, autumn, winter) every 2 weeks, in summer every week.

soil for growing lettuce. For growing lettuce outdoors, nutritious soils with good drainage, which contain mineral impurities, are best suited. The soil should not be too acidic, but well moistened. It is good to plant lettuce on the sunny side, where there are no drafts; in warmth, it will ripen faster.

Spring sowing of lettuce in open ground. The place for sowing lettuce seeds needs to be dug up and organic and mineral fertilizers added, leveled, ridges made - you can sow lettuce seeds.

To sow lettuce seeds in open ground, make furrows (oblong pits 2 cm deep at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Sow seeds rarely, lettuce grows very slowly if you sow seedlings, it can be thicker.

Tip: Sow the seeds at different times so that you get a crop from early spring to mid-summer and until frost.

Dive the grown seedlings (seed 1 plant) at a distance of 5 - 10 cm from each other. Water the seedlings regularly, weed and move the soil.

To get a rich crop of a plant, you need to loosen the soil in a timely manner, remove weeds and water regularly. During the period of drought without watering, the lettuce does not tie into heads, its leaves become rough, bitter, and it blooms. On dense crops - lettuce heads cannot form, plants bloom early.

Sowing lettuce seeds for seedlings

Lettuce seedlings can be bought at the market or sowed by yourself. Lettuce seeds are sown in small cups, pots or special greenhouses filled with compost or seedling soil. You need to sow the seeds 2 seeds per hole (deepening) and carefully water. Cover the sown seeds with a film or a lid for a mini-greenhouse.

In a few days, the seeds will germinate and cotyledons will appear. From those two germinated seeds, choose the weaker plant and cut it below the cotyledon leaves, we do not need it. Ventilate the greenhouse daily (leave it open for several hours a day) so that the plants gradually get used to the environment. When the plants grow up and 3-4 true leaves appear, they can be transplanted into pots or into open ground.

For a small garden, joint planting of garden crops on the same bed is suitable. Lettuce is planted between previously planted vegetables or herbs that grow much more slowly than lettuce.

Growing lettuce on a windowsill

In order for the grown lettuce on the windowsill to give a rich harvest, you need to choose the right place, container, soil and seeds. Any boxes, pots are suitable for salad; the height of the bulk soil must be at least 10 cm. The soil must be nutritious: soddy soil, humus, sand (2:2:1). After filling the container with soil, it needs to be tamped and poured with warm water, then make indentations up to 1.5 cm, sow the seeds at a distance of up to 5 cm from each other, sprinkle the seeds with earth, water again, it remains to wait for seedlings. The best place to grow lettuce on a windowsill would be South windowsills (requires extra light in winter). Lettuce seedlings need high humidity, so spray them twice a day with warm water.

lettuce care

It is very easy to care for lettuce: it does not need to be fed (if you used nutrient soil). The main care is watering (1 time in 2 days), and then it will grow rapidly, and after 30 days it will be possible to treat relatives and friends with their own grown salad.

Loosening the soil, watering and weeding lettuce

To obtain high yields, plants need timely loosening of the soil, destruction of weeds and watering. During the period of drought, without watering, the lettuce does not tie heads, its leaves become rough, bitter, and the flower stalk is thrown out. On crops that are not thinned out in a timely manner, heads cannot form, plants bloom early.

Growing lettuce before winter

You can grow lettuce in autumn or winter in greenhouses. Of course, you will have to make a little more effort, pick up specially bred varieties. To harvest early summer through fall, start sowing lettuce in mid-spring and continue sowing at two-week intervals until mid-summer. Then a stable lettuce harvest is ensured from early summer to mid-autumn.

For autumn harvests, choose frost-resistant varieties. Plant them outdoors no later than the first week of August. In early autumn, when the plants get stronger, transplant them into a greenhouse.
If you do not transplant plants into a greenhouse, then you should thin them out and cover them in early autumn. While it is sunny and warm outside, the shelter is removed, and closed at night. Lettuce will give a harvest in late autumn.

When lettuce is grown in a greenhouse, the seeds are sown in early to mid-autumn, and the crop is harvested in winter and up to spring.