Head lettuce - set of 5 pieces

Head lettuce needs no introduction, it is without a doubt the most well known and grown leafy vegetable.

There is a very wide range of different varieties available in our supermarkets year-round nowadays in all kinds of colors and shapes. The modern consumer is also inundated with various ready-made packages of neatly washed and mixed lettuce varieties. Lettuce, however, is easy to grow yourself in your own vegetable garden

PLANTS:
All our lettuce plants are grown in a press pot with excellent quality potting soil. This way they have strong and healthy roots so you can be sure of a good start.

We also guarantee you that you will plant the right variety at the right time, as there are separate varieties for spring, summer and autumn. Moreover, we only use varieties from professional horticulture. These varieties give the best yields and are resistant to white diseases.

Like influenza in humans, new variants (called physios) of whitefly disease appear regularly in nature. Modern lettuce varieties are resistant to most recent physios. If you use old lettuce varieties that you sow yourself, there is a real chance that white disease will become a major problem in your crop.

CULTIVATION TIPS:
-If you have a greenhouse that can be kept frost-free, you can already start as early as the beginning of February. With a little help from the sun that is gaining strength, it is then feasible to harvest already in the middle of April.
-In a cold, unheated greenhouse it is best to plant from mid-March onwards. A little night frost won't hurt, but if it freezes longer it is best to cover the plants with acrylic cloth. The cultivation period is about 10 weeks.
-From mid-April until the beginning of September can be safely planted outside. If necessary, cover the plants with a net against birds. The cultivation period varies from 8 weeks in April to 6 weeks in full summer.
-If you still want to harvest lettuce in the fall, it is best to plant them in a cold greenhouse from September 5. Harvest around the end of October. In case of early night frost, cover at night with a cloth.
-Planting after the end of September does not make much sense, the days become shorter and darker and the cultivation period too long.

Lettuce can be grown well on most soil types. However, the plant does have high requirements for water and food supply. The best is a humus-rich soil that provides plenty of moisture by itself. Organic fertilizers are preferably used for fertilization, as they have a long effect.

Chemical fertilizers sometimes work too quickly and increase the risk of too high a salt concentration in the soil, which increases the chances of dryness. Be careful with excessive nitrogen fertilization, however, this not only increases nitrate levels in lettuce but also makes them more susceptible to disease and burning.

Do not plant the press pots too deep, place them on the ground with about ½ of the root ball under the soil. This way you reduce the contact with the soil and the chance of fungal infections is reduced. Planting distance: 25 x 30 cm.

Water lettuce regularly and sufficiently, especially in spring and summer. It is best to do this in the early morning or late evening, when the temperature is lower. Heat and moisture are excellent conditions for diseases. Be careful with watering, especially in the autumn, because the plant will evaporate less. If you water too much, you will soon get 'glassiness' (cells that burst open due to the high root pressure).

HARVEST AND STORAGE:
Don't wait too long to harvest outdoor lettuce, the risk of disease is always increasing. Be satisfied with a slightly smaller head that is disease free.

Lettuce consists mostly of water. It is best to store it in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for several days. Tear the leaves of the cabbage lettuce (instead of cutting them) so the pores close faster and better and the lettuce stays fresh longer.

PROBLEMS AND DISEASES:
-Dry edge (usually in spring) due to too little moisture or too high a salt concentration in the soil.
-Scotch (mostly in summer) due to too little moisture and/or not harvesting fast enough.
-Glazing (usually in the fall) due to excessive root pressure with too much moisture or too little aeration so the plant does not evaporate enough.
-Botritis or foot rot: fungal fluff on the underside of the head.
-Sclerotinia: black globules on the stem.
-White disease or downy mildew, especially in old lettuce varieties.
-Caterpillars.
-Slugs: sprinkle slug pellets between the plants in good time on dry soil.