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Lettuce Growing Tips

Lettuce is a great addition to any vegetable gardening. Not only is it healthy to eat, it takes up very little space, unlike pumpkins. But for an optimal crop a few simple guidelines are helpful. As with all vegetable gardening, good soil is a must. Keep the nitrogen level high by the use of a good 30-10-10 NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) fertilizer. That gives them lots of nutrition for producing healthy leaves. Plant the seeds about 1/8-3/8 inch deep, separated by 6-12 inches (2-3.5 m) from the next plant. Romaine does fine at the smaller spacing, but crisp lettuce needs more room. If you plant in rows, keep the rows separated by about 20 inches (6m). Keep in mind that seeds shouldn't be planted too early, since they're subject to cold damage. Keeping the soil moist but not soaked is good. Lettuce doesn't have very deep roots, so it needs to find moisture near the surface. Still, try to keep the water off the leaves and onto the soil, except for the occasional washing. Wet leaves encourages disease, especially when they're moist during nighttime temperatures. Since their roots aren't very deep you'll also need to be diligent about weeding around lettuce plants. Many grasses and other plants can compete well because their roots go down to deeper soil. Infrequent but deep watering, letting the top layers dry out, will give most an advantage. But lettuce doesn't have that advantage, so you'll need to help them. Like most vegetables, lettuce plants also have problems with diseases and pests. In their case, the variety is quite large. Many insects find the leaves irresistible and the folds offer many places for fungi to grow. Aphids, flea beetles and leafhoppers are common problems. Slugs are even more so. Cutworms are often seen. Washing with a high pressure hose can help temporarily, but be sure to do it early to give the leaves time to dry before nightfall. A good insecticide lightly applied will keep them under control for the long term. Anthracnose (Microdochium panattonianum) is a common fungal disease. It can stay alive in unplanted soil for many years, so don't assume you're safe because your garden is new. Bottom rot (Rhizoctonia solani) is another common fungus. It occurs usually in soil that drains poorly. Keeping the foliage dry and planting in good soil will help to reduce the odds of being infected. Bolting is a common problem with lettuce, and it isn't a disease or pest, though it can be worsened by them. It occurs when the plant goes to seed and the leaves stop growing. Lettuce likes cool weather and bolting is more common when the temperatures are consistently too high. Keeping the plants shaded will help. One way to do that is to plant a shading crop, like corn, over the lettuce. With the proper preparation, planting technique and care you can have lettuce several times during a growing season.

 

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