Potted lettuce

Sprouted lettuce in home seedbed

La lettuce It is an ideal plant for potting. Its growth is very fast and, since what is eaten are its leaves, not its fruit, it is easy to enjoy them in a few weeks from sowing.

This plant, a source of vitamins A and B, has been highly valued in Mediterranean culture since ancient times. Although it is native to India, it was cultivated by Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who appreciated both its leaves and the oil in its seeds. In the mythology of these civilizations, lettuce is associated with sex and is part of important disputes between the gods.
There are different varieties and they can all be grown in pots. The Roman is the best known and most consumed, with its large leaves around a central bud; the trocadero; the iceberg, which forms a very tight and round bud; the marigold, very good for growing in pots; and the oak leaf, with a slightly more bitter taste.

Un climate Temperate (15-18º) is ideal for them, but they adapt very well to more aggressive conditions. At high temperatures (+ 25º) it "spikes" prematurely, that is, it rises above the stem and blooms.

Since you don't need that much Salt Like other vegetables, we will place it in an area with hours of shade, so the sunniest areas can be enjoyed by other plants such as aubergines or cucumbers.

Regarding irrigationIt does not require a large amount of water, although in summer it may need daily watering. Just check the humidity of the soil.

Their problems The most common are premature earing, aphids and whiteflies.

Too easy sow it in yogurt cups, with the bottom perforated, 5 mm deep. We will use a soil for seeds, which is nothing more than a low compost substrate so that it does not burn the small roots. We will put several seeds to preserve only the one that best develops. The others, if they have sprouted, we pluck them to let the selected one grow strong.

It will be when it has about 6 leaves when the let's transplant to a pot of about 11 liters, with universal substrate.

As the lettuce grows, we will cut the leaves, thus enjoying salads with real fresh and crunchy leaves of our own flowerpot. Once all its leaves have been cut, the stem can be cut about 3 cm from its base and it will still sprout giving us a few more leaves.

More information - The Macetohuerto