About growth
Lactuca sativa is the name of the garden salad, of which there are numerous shapes and types. They grow mainly annual and develop a rosette of leaves in spring. Since the plants are long-day plants, flowers form after the length of the day has exceeded a critical value of twelve hours. When grown in spring and under optimal conditions, the crop will go through the entire growing season and bloom naturally.
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Why shoot salads
The decisive factor for normal growth is the temperature. Short-term cold spells in the youth phase, in which the thermometer falls below ten degrees, suggest to the plants that winter is imminent. If the plants get the impression that the conditions for further survival are getting worse, they react with premature flower development. The intention is to produce a large number of viable seeds as quickly as possible.
Negative influencing factors:
- Plants are too close together in the bed
- Soil is too dry
- Temperatures are too warm or too cold
- Fungal or insect attack on the roots
You can do that
Protect the young plants from night frosts and cold spells when they are young. Ideally, the plants do not come into the bed until after the ice saints in mid-May, whereby the exact sowing date depends on the selected variety. If spring ensures consistently warm conditions, the risk of premature shooting is relatively low. Preferred plants, which you can buy in the garden center, have been preferred under optimal conditions. As a rule, these lettuce plants do not shoot.
Grant optimal location conditions
Sandy soils warm up faster than heavy soils after winter. Both extremes are unsuitable for the salad, however, because it prefers a loose and moderately nutrient-rich substrate with a good water storage capacity. Fresh and humus conditions in a well-aerated soil are optimal. As far as the lighting conditions are concerned, the garden lettuce feels comfortable in a sunny to partially shaded location.
Maintain properly
Lettuce leaves contain 95 percent water, so the water requirement is very high during the growth phase. Make sure you water it regularly so that the soil doesn't dry out. In dry periods, irrigation is much more important. After the basic fertilization in spring, lettuce does not require any further nutrient supply. Chop the bed regularly to improve ventilation, water drainage, and mineralization. At the same time, this measure ensures that weeds have no chance.
Interesting facts about the harvest
As soon as the leaves are crisp and have a firm texture, they are ripe for consumption. Lettuce can be harvested throughout the growing season if you leave the heart intact. When inflorescences develop, the lettuce leaves have a bitter taste.
