How to grow Iceberg lettuce: plant care, harvesting and storage

It is possible to grow iceberg lettuce in the country both in the greenhouse and in the open field, and in winter it is really possible to delight yourself with tasty and healthy greens, cultivating it at home on the windowsill. Agricultural technology, in this case, is quite simple, but it can raise many questions. However, if you follow all the recommendations on agricultural technology, then the results will not be long in coming.

Outdoor cultivation
Growing iceberg lettuce at home

Iceberg salad: features, or reasons for the true love of gardeners

Delicious, fresh, nutritious Iceberg salad is the basis of salads with vegetables, as well as white meat or fish. A couple of steps to the garden - and now there is an almost full-fledged head of cabbage on the table. Yes, this variety belongs to the cabbage varieties of salads. This is its main advantage.

An iceberg is a rosette of leaves collected in a head of cabbage. Height - 20-25 cm. The color of the foliage is light green, the edge of the leaves is finely toothed, the weight of the head is 1-1.2 kg. The taste is a cross between an ordinary salad with bitterness, the tenderness of savoy cabbage and the freshness of white cabbage. Moreover, the salad of this variety pleases:

juiciness and freshness after cutting;
the possibility of sowing in open ground every 2 weeks throughout the season;
uniformity of growth of heads of cabbage.

Such features of the variety allow even novice gardeners to grow Iceberg on their site. And enjoy organic greens that are high in fiber, which is never abundant.

Why I decided to grow lettuce on the windowsill

One of the most unpretentious and productive inhabitants is salad. Choose any of its varieties to get the necessary charge of vitamins and valuable substances:

Watercress. A source of such rare elements as glycoside, mustard oil, sulfur. Watercress is also rich in vitamins A, B, C, K, PP. Increases appetite, normalizes blood pressure, cleanses the body of toxins.
Arugula. A source of essential and mustard oils, flavonoids and steroids, protein and fiber. Arugula in salad is the protection of immunity, prevention of cancer and viral diseases.
Romano. Contains fiber, a supply of acids and amino acids necessary for the body, micro- and macroelements. A source of vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP. It has a positive effect on blood composition, blood pressure, metabolism.
Iceberg. The variety is distinguished by a high content of saturated fatty acids, coarse vegetable fibers. It is rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP, trace elements - potassium, iron, manganese, calcium, sodium. Periodic consumption of Iceberg in food improves metabolism, strengthens the nervous system, and improves blood composition.
Lettuce. It is valued as a source of vitamins A, B, C, E, K. It improves the functioning of the respiratory system, is used as a diuretic. Has a calming (sedative) effect, helps to reduce the level of bad cholesterol, normalize metabolism.

Any beginner, a person who has never had a vegetable garden, can grow this vitamin green. But to get a healthy, strong plant and a great harvest, you need to take on board the tips, which I am in a hurry to share.

growing lettuce on the balcony

Iceberg: sowing in the ground and seedling method, or we get a treat without hassle

Undoubtedly, planting a salad in open ground with grown seedlings is easier and easier. But this is only on the one hand. On the other hand, there is a need for arranging a heated greenhouse or growing lettuce on a windowsill. Agree, not the best option, besides, these are not only small plants that lack warmth and light, but also sand, excess moisture in the house.

Growing lettuce outdoors: the positives

An excellent option is sowing seeds in open ground. It has the following advantages:

simplicity. You do not need to prepare the substrate, cups or seedling cassettes for this. Everything can be done right away in the garden;
efficiency of cultivation. The technical ripeness of Iceberg lettuce is reached in 45-50 days. Add here another 10-14 days, during which your family will have time to eat it - and you can safely sow again !;
ease of care of sown seeds. In a garden bed, it is easier to cover the seeds with spunbond (through which you can water!) Or greenhouse film, than to build a greenhouse on the windowsill.

So, we got acquainted with the positive aspects of sowing lettuce in open ground. Where to start working in the garden? With the purchase of seeds!

Attention! Purchase seeds from a specialty store. Only in this way will you be protected from counterfeiting and get an excellent harvest.

Sowing process in several steps

In order to sow an Iceberg on a garden bed, you need to find a place for it. The salad simply transfers direct sunlight, so this will not be a problem. But the soil is worth taking care of. It should be light, well structured, not sour. Otherwise, special drugs will help fix the problem. First you need:

prepare the bed, that is, dig it up, tamp it a little, shed it and make grooves around the perimeter, so that it is easier to water adult plants and the water does not go beyond the bed;
make grooves on the bed with a depth of 2-2.5 cm and the same width. The distance between the grooves is 15-20 cm in case you grow salad for the sake of greenery, 30-40 cm - if you want to get full-fledged heads of cabbage. Row grooves can be made with a chopper corner or shingles, drawing lines on the ground with pressure;
sow seeds. The best option is pelleted ones, which are larger in diameter, and have a supply of nutrients, and they are better visible. If the seeds are ordinary, you can mix them with river sand. You cannot sow thickly;
carefully level the grooves, compact the earth;
shed the garden.

If you are sowing seeds in early spring and the temperature is low, cover the bed with covering material. When the temperature rises to 15-17 ° C, the bed should be opened.

Preparing and planting salad on the windowsill

I never tire of repeating: a rich harvest begins with proper and high-quality preparation for planting. I will share with you personally verified instructions.

Seed preparation for sowing

I start the preparatory procedures already with the purchase of seed:

Be sure to check the packaging date and expiration date. I do not buy wrinkled, damaged, greasy sachets.
I examine the purchased seeds - I reject small and damaged ones.
I check the rest for hollowness. To do this, I dilute a saline solution (30 g of salt per 1 liter of water), put seeds in it. I reject the emerging specimens, and I wash and dry the drowned ones.
I disinfect the seed - immerse it in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes.
I soak the seeds for 6-24 hours (depending on the variety, variety of lettuce) - either in water or in a growth stimulant solution.

After such a simple preparation, the seeds are already completely ready for sowing.

Preparing the soil and containers for planting

Depending on the variety, I select different containers, boxes:

For sheet - 20-25 cm high;
For cabbage - a height of 35 cm.

Buckets, pots, dishes, basins, deep trays, and even cat litter will also work. If you haven't found a suitable container, stock up on a few thick plastic bags. Fill them with a nutrient medium, place them in a structure, from where they will not topple over or overturn.

In any container, be sure to make holes for the outflow of excess liquid, air access to the root system. Here I am acting with an ordinary awl, heating it on a gas burner.

You can buy potting soil for salad at any garden center, or you can easily prepare it yourself. I use my proven recipe:

I mix garden soil, last year's manure, compost and peat in a 2: 1: 1: 1 ratio.
For each bucket of the resulting substrate, I add 1 kg of sand, 1 glass of ash, 1 tbsp. spoon of urea, 1 tbsp. spoon of nitrophoska.

Another popular nutrient soil for homemade salad: coconut fiber, vermicompost, garden soil in a 2: 1: 1 ratio.

If you are using garden soil, do not forget to disinfect it before preparing the soil mixture in one of the convenient ways:

Calcination. Pour the earth on a baking sheet, place it in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 18 C. Before that, I recommend removing plant residues - they can ignite from heating. An alternative option is to ignite the earth in a frying pan, stirring it occasionally, moistening it with a spray bottle.
Water bath. The earth is steamed for 20-90 minutes.
The use of drugs. Traditionally, the soil mixture is treated with a strong manganese solution, iron or copper sulfate. An alternative is fungicidal agents.

A little secret - do not use the soil immediately after cultivation. Wait 1-2 weeks - during this time beneficial soil microorganisms will have time to recover.

Sowing lettuce on the windowsill

Remember that the soil mixture for our salad should be moderately moist all the time, but not waterlogged. Otherwise, rotting of the root collar and lower leaves cannot be avoided. To prevent stagnation of water, I place a drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles or synthetic winterizer at the bottom of the container.

The sowing itself is a fairly simple event:

I pour drainage, soil into each container.
I moisten the ground with warm water from a spray bottle.
I make the grooves necessary for the grade of depth. The distance between the rows is at least 15 cm.
I sparsely sow seeds into the depressions, sprinkle them with the same moistened substrate.
For close contact with the seeds, I lightly crush the ground with my hands.
I close the container with glass or wrap it with cling film, put on a "cap" from a large plastic bag.

I wait for the first sprouts already 2-5 days after planting. Immediately after their appearance, I remove the glass or polyethylene protection - otherwise, the seedlings will suffocate. If the seeds are pleased with good germination, I thin out the rows, leaving only the strongest, strongest specimens.

sowing lettuce seeds on the windowsill

Iceberg salad care: TOP-5 rules

Proper care is a balance of temperature and humidity indicators and watering. It will allow you to get the first shoots in the garden in 5-7 days. Now it remains to apply all knowledge and skills in order to get a bed of fragrant, juicy, crunchy salad in 30-40 days. When caring for a culture, attention should be paid to:

Watering. It is the cornerstone on which the crispy qualities of the salad, juiciness, sugariness and pleasant aftertaste depend. At temperatures above + 25 ° C and before the formation of a head of cabbage, the culture must be watered every day, after the formation of watering it is worth reducing it.
Top dressing. Organic fertilizers, mono and complex options, which include potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, are an excellent solution to grow a luxurious crop.
Loosening the soil and controlling weeds. There should be no crust on the soil, so the soil must be loosened periodically and weeds removed. Lettuce is a fragile plant, unable to fight weeds on its own.
Protect from pests. Aphids and whiteflies are frequent salad guests in hot rainy weather. Preventive measures taken in advance will allow you not to worry about the harvest.
Turnover. Sowing salad all the time in one place is not recommended, a new crop in the old place can be obtained in 2-3 years. The place needs to be changed and it is best to sow the seeds after the leeks.

What is left after the crop is grown, for example, in late autumn? Just collect it and store it properly. The optimum temperature is + 1-3 ° C and can only be found in the cellar. It is worth picking cabbages early in the morning, in the dew, at a temperature slightly above zero. Heads of cabbage can be uprooted and hung upside down in the cellar; they can be cut and stacked in rows on pallets. An important condition is to quickly transfer the salad from the garden to the cellar and cool it.

Simple rules of cultivation and care, simple seeding - and you will fall in love with Iceberg forever. And he reciprocates, giving health and longevity to every household!

Methods for growing iceberg lettuce in winter greenhouses

Juicy taste, delicate crunch, a set of nutrients and fiber, medicinal and dietary value Iceberg will only ensure compliance with the characteristics of care.

If you do not provide the salad with the necessary conditions under which it will grow with the greatest return, then there is nothing to hope for a good harvest:

The culture is light-loving, with a lack of lighting, the nutritional value of the salad will be reduced, the fruiting is extended, the appearance will lose its commercial appeal.
The technology of growing lettuce in a greenhouse does not provide for high temperatures, at which the germination rate sharply decreases, 12-15 0 C is enough for germination, the emerging seedlings feel great at daytime rates of 12-14 0 C, at night - 6-9 0 C.
After 2 weeks, when the root system has formed and the leaf mass is growing, the temperature must be increased to the limits from 14 to 16 0 С (the brighter the illumination, the higher the temperature indicators).
For a beautiful marketable product, it is necessary to prepare a light, fertile, moisture-permeable soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction; lettuce grows poorly on acidic soils. The soil can be deacidified with lime.
Cutting ripe heads of cabbage should be carried out with a sharp knife only in the early morning, when the vegetables are full of juices and as fresh as possible, put in boxes without pressing, you can store for up to a week in a cold, well-ventilated room.

If the roots are left, after about a week, small heads of cabbage will appear, from which you can get an additional harvest.

Growing lettuce: video

Salads are popular nowadays. One of them is Iceberg salad. This healthy product with low calorie content attracts with its calm, neutral taste. It goes well with any sauces. At the same time, its resistance to low temperatures, unpretentiousness when grown in the country and decorative appearance attracts many summer residents.

Description and origin of iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is an early crop, ripening period 50-90 days, refers to cabbage salads. Outwardly, it resembles an early, white cabbage. A rosette of light green leaves with a carved border forms a small head of cabbage weighing 300-600 gr.

In terms of taste, it is similar to Chinese cabbage, but differs in juicy and crunchy leaves. These properties are also attractive in the preparation of cold appetizers and in the design of dishes.

The plant has gained its distribution throughout the world thanks to American breeders. They received culture at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is currently grown commercially. It was originally called "crispy salad". After that, his taste was appreciated.

The average weight of iceberg lettuce heads is 300-600 grams

Methods for growing iceberg lettuce in greenhouse conditions in winter

How to grow lettuce in a greenhouse for sale to pay off all the financial and physical costs?

Since the Iceberg belongs to the head lettuce, its growing season is quite long - from 50 to 70 days, therefore the seedling method of growing is preferable, it turns out a race for 2-3 weeks.

If you need to get products in the winter, you need to calculate how much lettuce seedlings grow in a pot, how much in a greenhouse, in order to sow on time.

Cabbage salads are considered more demanding to cultivate, requiring more area to form heads than leafy varieties. If there is a sufficient distance between the plants, they do not compete with each other, planting care is greatly simplified.

Sowing lettuce in a greenhouse with seeds implies two or three times thinning of the seedlings; when planting in seedling cups, they maintain a distance of 35x35 cm between the plants. The soil should be moist when planting, the root collar does not need to be buried.

The iceberg is hygrophilous, you need to make sure that the soil is always moist, with sudden changes in soil moisture and temperature, plants begin to shoot quickly. When such specimens appear, they must be removed from the beds, they have no food and market value.

Immediately after planting, watering should be done every other day, then the number of waterings is gradually reduced to two times every 10 days. During the period of setting heads of cabbage, the number of waterings is still reduced, to 1 per week, so as not to provoke leaf rot.

Recommendations before sowing in the country

Culture prefers loamy or sandy loamy, neutral soils... Therefore, to reduce acidity, dolomite flour, wood ash or limestone are first introduced into the ground.
For the prevention of plant diseases, planting is carried out in accordance with the requirements for crop rotation. It is advisable that cabbage, potatoes, onions or cereals grow in the beds last year.
Lettuce is a crop that can accumulate nitrates in its leaves. Therefore, nitrate fertilizers should be applied with caution. It is better to fertilize with humus, compost before planting, or with manure in the fall.
Early ripening and decorative appearance allows you to grow not only as a monoculture in a separate bed. It can also be grown together with potatoes, onions, carrots or in the aisles of courgettes, cucumbers. While these crops are growing and gaining strength, the salad will have time to ripen. A spectacular look with carved leaves is used in decorating flower beds.
Choose sunny or partial shade.
Culture cold-resistant and can withstand frosts up to -2 -6 degrees. Growth begins at +5 degrees. And the optimal one for active growth is + 18 + 25 degrees.
To increase the harvest period, you can sow in several stages, every 10-14 days.
Seeds, a day before sowing, are recommended to germinate in a damp tissue.

Agricultural technology of planting and growing by seeds

Sowing seeds in open ground

In the first half of April, a garden bed is prepared. Well loosened and covered with a covering material so that the earth warms up. When temperatures above zero were established, late April, early May rows 3 cm deep are made on the garden bed, after 40 cm. The earth is compacted and spilled with water. Seeds are sown at a distance of 20-30 cm and covered with 1 cm of soil.

Iceberg lettuce seeds

Coming covered with a film... Shoots should be expected in 6-14 days. The lower the temperature, the longer the shoots will take.

Sowing seedlings

Better to use peat or plastic cups... When transplanted into open ground, the root structure is not disturbed, and the culture takes root faster.

The soil is used from the store or from the site, from the place of future planting. The soil in the cups is slightly compacted and sown 2-3 seeds each, covered with 1 cm from above. Spill with water and cover with a film to retain moisture and heat.

The temperature is maintained for 4-5 days before germination + 16 + 17 degrees, then you can raise up to +25 degrees... After 3-4 weeks, in mid-May, when the plant has 4-5 main leaves, they are transplanted into open ground.

Seedlings must be hardened 3-5 days before the planned transplant. Carry out during the day from the house to the street in partial shade, in a quiet place, without wind and drafts. May get burned in sunny places.

3-5 days before planting in the ground, the seedlings need to be hardened

Transplanting seedlings into open ground

In a prepared, loose bed after 40 cm make rows of holes. In rows, the distance between the holes is 20-30 cm.

A wide, pointed stake can be used to make neat, even holes of the desired depth and diameter. The earth in such holes will immediately be compacted.

Seedlings and holes well spill with water... If the plant is removed from the cups, then with the help of light tapping or pressing the container. In this case, peat cubes are good, from which you do not need to get the plant and can be planted directly into the ground.

Lightly sprinkle the seedlings with earth. It is not worth deepening the root system, since it has a superficial type of growth. By planting seedlings in varying degrees of growth, you can extend the harvest period. Stronger shoots will yield faster, weaker ones later.

Sowing before winter

Another option is to sow in late autumn. It is good because the spring ripening of the lettuce occurs 10-15 days earlier, it is larger and stronger. But at the same time there is a risk of freezing of some of the seeds. therefore increase the number of seeds for sowing before winter 1.5-2 times.

When the outside temperature is within +1 +3 degrees, seeds are laid in the prepared bed. They are deepened by 1-1.5 cm. With this mode, the seeds will safely leave before winter, they will not germinate. The bed is covered with dry grass, foliage and other covering material. Open in the spring when it gets warm.

The main care is feeding, watering, loosening, weeding and thinning.

Top dressing... Done 1-2 times, before sowing and during the formation of heads of cabbage. The best option is to combine with watering and feed with organic fertilizers. For this, a solution of mullein or bird droppings is suitable (for 10 liters, 1-2 tablespoons).
Watering... Regular moderate watering is required, every other day or once a week, abundant. If the soil is dry, the heads of cabbage will not form well, if it is wet, there is a risk of rot. After the formation of ovaries, watering is reduced.
Loosening and weeding... Periodic shallow loosening so as not to damage the roots. The first is 3-4 weeks after sowing. At the same time, weeding takes place.
If the seedlings are thickened, then spend thinning in two steps. Not doing this work on time, the head of cabbage will be poorly formed. The first time in the phase of one true leaflet, the shoots are preserved after 4-5 cm. The second time in the phase of 6-7 true leaves. Plants are left every 20-30 cm.

In addition, the plant can be exposed to diseases and pests.

When the iceberg is damaged by apical rot, a solution of calcium nitrate is used

At the end of growth, with a lack of calcium, disease may occur top rot, inside the stems. For prophylaxis, it is sprayed once a week with a solution of calcium nitrate (100-150 grams per 12 liters of water).

On defeat cruciferous flea beetles, sprinkle with plenty of water and sprinkle with wood ash. Repeat the procedure after 3-4 days.

Care

The main care is feeding, watering, loosening, weeding and thinning.

Top dressing... Done 1-2 times, before sowing and during the formation of heads of cabbage. The best option is to combine with watering and feed with organic fertilizers. For this, a solution of mullein or bird droppings is suitable (for 10 liters, 1-2 tablespoons).
Watering... Regular moderate watering is required, every other day or once a week, abundant.If the soil is dry, the heads of cabbage will not form well, if it is wet, there is a risk of rot. After the formation of ovaries, watering is reduced.
Loosening and weeding... Periodic shallow loosening so as not to damage the roots. The first is 3-4 weeks after sowing. At the same time, weeding takes place.
If the seedlings are thickened, then spend thinning in two steps. Not doing this work on time, the head of cabbage will be poorly formed. The first time in the phase of one true leaflet, the shoots are preserved after 4-5 cm. The second time in the phase of 6-7 true leaves. Plants are left every 20-30 cm.

In addition, the plant can be exposed to diseases and pests.

When the iceberg is damaged by apical rot, a solution of calcium nitrate is used

In wet summer, during the invasion of slugs and snails, you can use the drug "Thunder". Arrange the granules in the places of accumulation.

On defeat cruciferous flea beetles, sprinkle with plenty of water and sprinkle with wood ash. Repeat the procedure after 3-4 days.

Reasons for the absence of head ovaries

Paying attention to proper planting and care, gardeners do not always wait for young heads of cabbage. What is the reason?

Insufficient watering. Until the formation of ovaries, regular watering is carried out.
Shady landing site. The best place is sunny with partial shade.
Temperature below +19 degreesespecially at night. It is necessary to cover the plants. The best mode for forming is +20 +22 degrees.
Temperature above +25 degrees... this leads to overripening, the acquisition of a bitter taste, flowering.
Not enough sunny days.
Thickened plantings or thinning was not carried out on time.

For the successful formation of heads of cabbage, it is necessary to observe the temperature and thinning

If often the average, summer temperatures in the region are above 25 degrees at the time of the formation of ovaries, then crops should be sown earlier through seedlings or into closed ground (greenhouse).

Iceberg growing technologies

The greenhouse must be provided with rich lighting. In the event that the light is scarce, the plant will stretch up to the sun, losing its juiciness, and the leaves will begin to fade.

One of the types of salad

Planting soil for lettuce should be light and nutritious. Garden soil mixed with turf and sand is best.

It is recommended to observe the optimal comfortable temperature in the greenhouse, the norm for the formation of a healthy head of cabbage is considered to be 20-22 degrees, and at night - eighteen. It should not be overly stuffy in the greenhouse.

When growing an Iceberg in a greenhouse, it is required to fertilize the ground with mineral fertilizers.

Cabbage salad of this variety is classified as a moisture lover. Watering should be regular, but moderate. An increased fluid content can provoke rotting. Drying out can lead to the fact that the head of cabbage cannot form normally.

From time to time, you should loosen the soil and remove weeds after each watering. This can protect the plant from rot on the roots. To give the Iceberg a crunch, try to enrich the soil with fertilizers containing phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

The salad becomes ready for cutting within a couple of months after planting, when the head of cabbage reaches about ten centimeters in diameter.

In order for the vegetable to retain its juiciness, it must be cut early in the morning during the dew period. If you keep the root of the plant inside the ground, while continuing to water regularly, then soon new heads of cabbage will form on the root collar.

You only need to leave one so that it grows strong and is fit for human consumption.

While watching the video, you will learn about growing lettuce in the garden.

It is not surprising that for many gardeners, growing a crop is interesting in terms of making a profit from it, they are interested in growing lettuce in a greenhouse for sale in winter. Moreover, Iceberg lettuce belongs to cold-resistant plants, quite suitable for winter cultivation.

Cutting and storage

Through 45-90 days after sowingwhen the diameter of the heads of cabbage reaches 5-10 cm, there is a cutoff.

For better preservation of the juiciness of the leaf plate, the crop is harvested early in the morning. Choose heads of medium density. Young and loose are poorly stored, and dense overripe are inferior in taste.

Plastic container and close.
Into a damp cloth and into a bag.

Interestingly, after cutting, the crop keeps growing... At the cutting site, new ovaries grow on the root collar. If you wish, you can leave one for further growth.

Small heads of cabbage with delicious, crispy Iceberg lettuce leaves more and more conquer our taste preferences. Easy care, good preservation and the ability to grow this product, from spring to late autumn, disposes to plant it on your site.

The article will tell you how to grow Iceberg lettuce, how to achieve the maximum yield, and most importantly, what is needed for proper plant care.

Harvesting the head lettuce

Finishing the article, let's talk about how to cut ripe Iceberg lettuce and when to do it.

You can cut a head of cabbage at a time when its diameter is about 8-10 cm. This should be done early in the morning so that the leaves are juicier. It is not recommended to break out the head of cabbage; it is better to use a sharp knife. After cutting, the plant must be quickly used or placed in a cold place with a temperature of no more than +1 ° C (do not allow it to freeze, otherwise the salad will start to rot). In such conditions, it can be stored for another week.

I think everyone knows how iceberg salad is useful and how well it complements almost any dish. That is why, after cutting the first head of cabbage, continue to take care of the plant, and several more small heads of cabbage will appear on it. If you're lucky, you may be able to harvest another crop of delicious leaves.

Agricultural technology for a high yield

Iceberg lettuce gives the best harvest on loamy and sandy loam soils. Neutral soil is also suitable for planting. The culture does not like acidic soil, so gardeners need to lower the acidity level before planting: it is worth adding dolomite flour, ash, or simply diluting a small amount of lime in the ground.

Additional Information. "Iceberg" - translated from English as an iceberg, that is, a mass of ice in the ocean. The name for the salad comes from a technique used by farmers at a time when there were no refrigerators. The ice, which was sprinkled on the leaves, allowed them to preserve the freshness of the vegetable. Today the name “iceberg” has come down from “ice” to gardeners.

Lettuce differs from cabbage in a set of vitamins such as A, B and C, as well as high content of folic acid, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. For people who follow the figure, this plant is a real storehouse of vitamins.

Outdoor cultivation

The plant is susceptible to diseases on unprepared soil, so it is extremely important to plant it in the beds where potatoes, other varieties of head crops, onions or cereals used to grow. You should not immediately add a lot of fertilizer to the soil for planting, it will be enough to add compost and humus. For seedlings, it is better to choose sunny places. The culture is light-requiring. Frosts are not terrible for salad, as it can withstand frosts down to -6 degrees. For vegetable growth, a temperature of 18-25 Celsius will be optimal.

The day before planting, you must put the seeds in a damp cloth or gauze. To lengthen the harvest period, a technique of sowing every two weeks is suitable.This will allow for constant growth of the culture.

Important! In the early stages of growth, it is imperative to cover the seedlings with film or non-woven material. The advantage of these coatings is that you can water the plant without even removing the film. If the bed is at an angle, then it will be more expedient to remove the cover and make sure that each bush of the seedling is moistened. The coating is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature and preserve immature sprouts. Care for iceberg lettuce when growing from seeds in the early stages of growth must be careful.

How to propagate a culture

Lettuce can be grown by seedlings. Open ground allows you to achieve maximum yield if you choose the right irrigation technique and regularly monitor the temperature inside the film shelter. The head lettuce does not withstand abrupt changes in soil, so peat tablets must be purchased to preserve the seeds. There are two to three seeds per tablet. Containers with peat tablets and seeds in a fertilizer cover can be placed on the windowsill. When the seedlings reach a height of 8-10 centimeters, the culture is ready to be replanted.

Note! The salad can be grown on an unheated balcony or loggia, for this it is enough to monitor the temperature so that it does not fall below zero. Unseasoned seedlings can die from too low temperatures.

Seedlings will reach 8-10 centimeters only in the eighth week of germination. This applies to the spring period. In the summer, you can also plant 3 week old sprouts.

At home, without a summer cottage, it is possible to grow a culture from seeds. Seedlings can be installed on a balcony or windowsill. Growing at home is very similar to the summer cottage approach. Pots measuring 60x60 centimeters are best suited for culture. It is required to plant sprouts at a distance of 12 centimeters from each other and half a centimeter in depth. In this way, conditions similar to open ground are created at home.

The Moscow region will be a good environment for salad if the gardener applies a technique called hydroponics. This is an alternative method of plant cultivation. The seeds must be planted in a mineral-rich environment. The advantage of this technique is that the plant directly receives nutrients, and there is no need to enrich the soil.

Iceberg lettuce growing from seeds

This section will answer the question of how to grow a salad from seeds. It is best to start preparing the beds in early April. The soil must be loosened and covered with material or film. This will keep the earth warm for fresh seeds. Every 40 centimeters, beds up to three centimeters deep should be dug. After that, the seeds are placed in a depression at a distance of 20 centimeters from each other. A centimeter of earth is poured on top.

Important! If you are not sure about the quality of the seeds, then the thicker the sowing, the better. This will increase the likelihood of sprouts appearing.

Caring for a salad is similar to caring for home seedlings. The bed must be covered with foil and wait for the first shoots to appear for two weeks. Temperature has a high impact on growth rate.

Planting and planting seedlings

It is better to plant seedlings in peat and plastic cups, so the seedlings are not injured and take root better in the open field. To do this, it is necessary to lightly tamp the earth, sow 2-3 seeds each and cover it with earth. The film will help in keeping the moisture and heat levels in place. It will be possible to open the plant already in the fourth week from the moment of planting. Seedlings will appear quickly if the temperature is regularly maintained at 25 degrees Celsius. Before planting, the container must be taken out into the garden in partial shade. It is not recommended to leave it in open sunlight - the plant is easily burned.

It is necessary to plant in loosened soil in holes, 20-30 centimeters deep. The planted rows should not be closer than 40 centimeters. It is important to water the wells with water during planting.It is not necessary to strongly compact the soil at the roots of the Iceberg lettuce, as this will impair the functioning of the plant's root system.

Culture care

For effective cultivation of Iceberg lettuce seeds, the following steps must be taken:

Loosen the soil. Weeding the weeds is essential for efficient growth of the heads of cabbage. Lettuce has a superficial root system, so weed should be done with care so as not to harm the roots;
Feed the sprouts. The best feeding time is when the heads of cabbage form. For feeding, it is better to dilute two tablespoons of bird droppings and mullein in 10 liters of water. So you can combine watering and feeding;
Abundant watering. Watering should be done every day, but the head of cabbage should not be oversaturated, since it can fester from an excess of water. Rotting inside will ruin the entire head of cabbage and can negatively affect the harvest. When the head of cabbage begins to form ovaries, watering should be reduced several times;
It is necessary to sow seeds at a distance of 20-30 centimeters. If the sprouts interfere with each other, then the head of cabbage will not form correctly. To do this, you need to monitor how close the heads of cabbage have sprouted.

Note! Cruciferous fleas are the main pest in Iceberg lettuce beds. Seeds grown in accordance with all the rules of agricultural technology are less susceptible to the parasite. To eliminate pests, intensive watering and sprinkling with wood ash on the heads of cabbage is necessary.

Harvesting

Harvesting can be carried out as early as 45 days after sowing. Cutting heads of cabbage with a diameter of 5-10 centimeters is recommended early in the morning. This way the freshness of the salad is preserved. Storage conditions are simple: heads of cabbage will remain fresh for another week at a temperature of -3-5 degrees Celsius.

Additional Information. The culture continues to grow even after the heads of cabbage are cut. Several more ovaries may form inside. For fun, you can leave one for growing.

Iceberg lettuce plant will be an ideal addition to the table on a hot summer day. Even in winter, gardeners have the opportunity to enjoy this amazing vegetable, for this it is enough to sow the plant in a greenhouse and keep the temperature at least 18 degrees Celsius.

In appearance, Iceberg lettuce can be confused with ordinary white cabbage - its round, juicy, crunchy leaves are collected in the same, only looser head of cabbage. American in origin, it has come to the taste of consumers in many countries. It got its name for the way of transportation in the old days: farmers covered their heads of cabbage with pieces of ice and called them Ice Mountain, and later the name Ice was established for the variety, and then Iceberg.

When to plant salad on a balcony or windowsill

The salad is different in that it can be planted at home all year round. But under one condition - winter plantings developing in conditions of short daylight hours, it is necessary to provide artificial supplementary lighting with phytolamps.

Almost all varieties are unpretentious and have an excellent harvest. But it will not be superfluous to tell about the features of each of them:

Lettuce. Feels great in shallow containers about 15 cm high. Seeds are sown in furrows 0.5-0.7 cm deep. For full development, lettuce is watered every 2 days - in a month it already pleases with the first harvest.
Watercress. The variety is planted in containers 8-10 cm high. Experimenters also successfully use inert substrates - coconut shavings, sawdust and even scalded cotton wool. However, when choosing such alternatives, do not forget to feed the plants with additional fertilizers. The watercress bowls are turned over every day to the sunlight on the other side - for even development. The first harvest is ready 2 weeks after sowing - as soon as the greens grow to 6-8 cm.
Iceberg. For growing head lettuce, containers with a height of at least 60 cm are chosen.The sowing depth of seeds is 0.5-0.7 cm, the row spacing is at least 12-15 cm. For the variety, prolonged direct sunlight is destructive, therefore planting is not placed on southern windows and balconies. Or the seedlings are shaded with gauze, tracing paper, tulle. Sufficient daylight for Iceberg is 12 hours.
Arugula. The seeds are placed to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. The sprouts appear on the 3-5th day - after a week they must be thinned out. For arugula, regular watering is required - otherwise tasteless and bitter greens will appear. The variety is good for winter cultivation - 8 hours of daylight is sufficient for it. To continue the development of green mass, the inflorescences are necessarily cut off.

All types of salads are more than 90% water - regular and sufficient watering is important for any variety.

general characteristics

The leaves have a delicate color from light green to white, twisted into a loose head of cabbage, the weight of which can reach 400 g. Refers to lettuce. They are grown in summer cottages in our climatic conditions both through seedlings and by sowing into the ground. The highest yield can be obtained when planting in greenhouses, since this plant is quite thermophilic. You can even grow it on a windowsill. In the refrigerator, it can retain its taste and crunchy properties for up to a month or more.

How to grow iceberg salad in the country?

Iceberg lettuce can be grown in the country both in a greenhouse and in the open field. And in winter it is cultivated even on home windowsills. His agricultural technology is completely uncomplicated, so if some recommendations are followed, it is quite possible to grow a good harvest of useful greens.

How to grow iceberg lettuce in your garden?

If you want to know how to grow iceberg lettuce outdoors in the country, you can use both seeds and seedlings for this. When pre-growing seedlings, you need to sow seeds in peat tablets - 2-3 seeds each.

The finished tablets are placed in a container and placed in a room with a temperature of + 18 ° C. Seeds usually germinate as early as 5 days. After that, you can continue to grow the iceberg at home by placing the tray on the windowsill or balcony.

They can be planted in open ground when 4-5 leaves appear and the height of the seedlings reaches 8-10 cm.This usually happens after about 8-9 weeks. It is necessary to plant when it is not yet hot outside, that is, in early spring, when the ground has just thawed.

Before transferring the seedlings to the soil, you need to harden it, that is, take the container with it to fresh air for a couple of days. The preparation of the garden consists in its good digging and the introduction of humus and fertilizers.

How to plant iceberg lettuce?

The scheme of planting iceberg lettuce looks like 30x40 or 40x40 cm.At the same time, it is not necessary to deepen the seedlings together with the tablet. After that, for the first time, it is better to cover it with a non-woven material.

How to grow iceberg lettuce from seeds?

If you want to immediately sow seeds in the beds, you need to wait for the average daily temperature below + 4 ° C. Before planting, carefully dig up the ground, apply humus and mineral fertilizers, reduce acidity if necessary.

There should be no large earth lumps, stones, weeds in the garden bed. The distance between the holes should be at least 30x30 cm, and the depth of planting seeds should be 1 cm. The planting site is carefully covered with agrofibre until germination with periodic ventilation.

Further care for both the seedling and the seed method consists in timely watering, loosening and weeding.

Seed preparation

The first thing to look out for is the shape, size and density of the seeds. The larger they are, the more nutrients they contain and the stronger and healthier the plant will be. It is better not to use deformed and damaged ones at all.

For friendly shoots, use the same size seeds.

To “wake up” the seeds, soak them in warm water before planting.Better yet, use a technique called bubbling. For this, the water for germination is heated to 23C and, using a compressor, is saturated with oxygen. This method also helps in the disinfection of the inoculum.

You can also get friendly shoots using simple sawdust. To do this, use shallow boxes, into which crushed wood residues pre-scalded with boiling water are poured into them with a layer of about 5 cm, and cotton cloth on top. Wet seeds are laid on it and covered with a cloth, and then again a layer of sawdust.

The seeds are ready to plant as soon as the white shoots are 1 to 2 mm thick. It is important not to exceed this length, because when planting in the ground, delicate seedlings can break!

Seed preparation before planting

Continuing the topic of how to plant Iceberg lettuce, let's talk about pre-planting seeds.

First of all, it is worth remembering that some varieties or hybrids are bred specifically for growing in pots. Therefore, preference should be given to just such seeds. If you cannot find a similar seed, buy seeds of early ripening varieties.

Now about the preliminary preparation. Before sowing, the seeds should be held for about 15 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate so that they germinate better and are not affected by fungal diseases.

If you use fertile soil or vermicompost mixture, then after soaking we immediately sow. If you use a mixture of garden soil and store soil, then you will have to postpone the planting of the Iceberg for a while and buy peat cubes in which we will bury the seeds and plant them in the soil mixture.

Winter growing method

If there is a desire to get an earlier harvest, use the subwinter method. To do this, the area planned for cultivation is carefully dug up in the fall, fertilizers rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as trace elements, are applied. At the same time, it is worth remembering that more does not mean better, the manufacturer always indicates the application rate, and it is not necessary to exceed it. It is better to slightly raise the bed or lay it on an elevated place for better warming up. But you can sow seeds a little more than usual, it is better to remove excess seedlings later.

Crops in winter are covered with peat (in spring it will serve as a fertilizer) or old foliage, and in spring the soil is loosened and excess shoots are thinned out.

Growing through seedlings

This method is the most effective, but it will require more effort and attention. 2-3 seeds are placed in peat tablets and removed to a cool room, and after 3 days they are transferred to a warmer one (but not higher than 25C).

Important! During germination, the soil must be constantly moist.

After 7-10 days, the first shoots will appear, and after 14 days the shoots will already have 4-5 leaves. For the transplant to be painless, hardening of the new settlers is required. It is very important to plant seedlings in the country in a permanent place only after the passage of spring frosts, otherwise this delicate plant will be difficult to save.

Young specimens are transferred to the ground very carefully, trying not to damage the earthen lump, because the roots located in it are very thin and delicate. The holes are made at a distance of 40 cm. Water thoroughly and sprinkle with a layer of dry soil or mulch. If the nights are cold enough, it is better to cover the plants for this time with a perforated film.

Irrigation systems for "ice salad"

Depending on the initial conditions, most fields are pre-watered before sowing lettuce to soften the soil and prepare the seedbed (a 5-10 cm soil layer is shed). Both the seeded and the planted lettuce are often sprinkled (every 2-3 days) until the seedlings emerge or take root (usually 6-10 days). After sprouting before thinning (2 to 3 weeks after sowing), watering is carried out less often. The fields are irrigated to soften the soil before manual thinning. After thinning and fertilizing with fertilizers, it is watered 1 more time.

In areas with strong winds, a well-controlled canal system can provide better irrigation uniformity than sprinklers. Most of the water is consumed in the last 30 days before harvesting. Care must be taken not to overmoisten the soil - this contributes to the development of rot. Closed pipes are often used just before harvesting. The use of closed pipes ensures even water distribution between furrows and keeps row spacings dry so that harvesting equipment can be deployed on dry soil.

During the ripening period, excess water and fertilizers can cause overgrowth of heads of cabbage, which reduces their quality, and, accordingly, the cost of production. The volume of water used is usually 750 to 1000 m3 / ha (sprinkling) and 1000 to 1250 m3 / ha (furrow). Drip irrigated lettuce requires from 500 to 750 m3 / ha. Surface drip line is installed between 2 rows of plants on 1 meter ridges or 3 drip lines are installed between 6 or 5 rows of plants on 2 meter ridges.

Drip irrigation distributes water more evenly than furrow irrigation or sprinkler irrigation, and this helps growers obtain marketable heads in fields with irregular soils, maintaining high soil moisture levels throughout the field.

Sowing seeds in open ground

When planting in open ground in the beds, longitudinal grooves are made at a distance of about 40 cm, into which the seeds are laid out, taking into account the expected germination rate (but a little denser is better). In order for the growing conditions to be the most comfortable, it is worth covering the bed with covering material for the first time - this will give a greenhouse effect and accelerate germination.

After a month, weeding is carried out, weak and excess plants are removed, and superficially loosened, providing the roots with oxygen.

Growing in a greenhouse

Cabbage salads do not like cold climates or too high temperatures. And here a greenhouse will be a good helper. The main thing is to observe the optimal humidity of both the air and the soil, avoiding overheating on hot days.

Plants can be planted in small boxes, if placed on shelves (which will greatly facilitate maintenance), or simply in ground beds. In any case, you should pay attention to the following points:

Observe the temperature regime for germinating seeds in the soil - it should not be higher than 12-14C during the day and 9C at night.
Iceberg lettuce is a light-loving culture. If the greenhouse provides insufficient light, the foliage will stretch out and the heads of cabbage will turn out to be less dense.
When the root system is formed (after 12 days), it is time to raise the temperature in the room to 16-20C, but no more.
The soil in the greenhouse should be loose, moisture-permeable. This is ensured by regular loosening of the row spacings.
The growing season of this culture is 50-70 days, so it is better to plant seedlings in greenhouses, not seeds. This will shorten the harvest time by 2 weeks!
Watering immediately after planting is carried out every other day, at a later date - once a week.

Important! If you allow sudden changes in humidity or temperature in the room, the lettuce will go into the arrows!

What difficulties can arise when growing lettuce in the house

I will share with you some small tips that help me grow a delicious and fruitful salad, avoid difficulties in growing it:

Small leaves. As soon as the seedlings have two true leaves, I transplant them into separate cups. This allows you to get much larger leaves than when grown in a common container.
Elongated landings. “They say” that there is not enough lighting for him. Deficiency of ultraviolet radiation will result in inhibition of the formation of green mass, premature shooting and flowering.
Crust on the soil surface. The lettuce has a superficial root system - it is not recommended to loosen it, so as not to damage the delicate roots.To prevent the formation of a dense earthen crust, blocking the access of air to the roots, I spray the substrate every day with a spray bottle.
Late and poor harvest. The main cause of the problem is over-thickened plantings. The plant develops under stressful conditions - with a lack of light, soil, nutrition, moisture. It is logical that it grows slowly and does not please with a large harvest. Therefore, I do not forget to thin out the salad in a timely manner, or even better - to transplant each grown seedling into a separate container.
Early shooting (appearance of flower arrows). The reason is the increased air temperature. For the salad to develop optimally, it is necessary to keep it at 15-20 C.
Romaine does not form heads of cabbage. Both in garden and in home varieties of such salad, the heads of cabbage do not form independently. About 2 weeks before the expected harvest, I wrap the outer leaves of the plant, artificially forming a head of cabbage. With this approach, in conditions of a lack of light, the inner young leaves are whitened, formed juicy, tender and without bitterness.

Salad, as you have seen, is one of the most suitable for indoor growing crops. He is not picky about fertilization, loosening, but it is important for him to ensure regular watering, sufficient lighting and optimal temperature conditions.

Soil preparation

For a good harvest, it is necessary to carry out a number of activities:

Check the acidity of the soil (for this there are special litmus strips that can be purchased at gardening stores). If the indicator is higher than the norm, add ash and lime to it.
Dig up the planting site and enrich with fertilizers, trying not to overdo it with nitrogen, because cabbage salads tend to build up nitrates.
It is also good to add humus to the soil (not to be confused with manure, otherwise you will definitely “burn” the plants).
In heavy soils, sand must be added. This will improve drainage and prevent roots from rotting, even if over-watering.

The benefits of greenhouse salad

Growing lettuce in greenhouse conditions has many advantages. This is not only an opportunity to provide yourself with vitamins throughout the year and naturalness of products, but also making a profit in the case of doing business. In addition, greenhouse salad:

works wonders in cosmetology (as face masks);
helps with atherosclerosis and hypertension;
regulates water exchange;
contains vitamins and minerals;
is a dietary product;
normalizes sleep and calms the nervous system.

Vitamin salad is very healthy

Lettuce is an unpretentious plant that even a novice gardener can cope with growing. The main conditions for obtaining a good harvest are considered to be sufficient watering and proper lighting. Do not forget about preparing the soil and taking measures to insulate the greenhouse. Use greenhouse varieties as planting material. All expended forces will be replenished with a rich and useful harvest.

Care and cultivation

The basic rules for growing lettuce are as follows:

Regular, timely, but moderate watering is required... Iceberg roots damaged by drought are almost impossible to reanimate. And excess moisture leads to diseases such as gray and white rot, downy mildew (downy mildew).
Obligatory loosening of the soil... It is better to do this after each watering, but not immediately, but when the soil dries slightly. This will protect the root system from diseases and increase the access of oxygen to it.
Plant feeding takes a special place... Regular application of complex fertilizers, which contain not only nitrogen, potassium and magnesium, but also mineral supplements, will give the leaves a spectacular crunch and a beautiful look, but it is important not to overdo it.
Weed removal required in the care of any plantings, and salad is no exception. Moreover, a lot of space is needed to form forks and uninvited “neighbors” are useless here.

If you adhere to all of the above rules, you can count on a good harvest of this undoubtedly healthy, tasty and, we will not be afraid of the word, beautiful culture. It is better to cut off the finished heads in the morning, while the salad is still chilled and fresh, removing the lower leaves.

It is recommended to store Iceberg lettuce in a cool, ventilated area, but it is better to eat it right away, before it loses its amazing crunchy properties. It's a delightful accompaniment to many different dishes!

Diseases and pests

General recommendations for prevention:

remove and destroy all plant residues;
treat all potential foci of infection in time;
clean and disinfect equipment and machinery;
predict the flight of pests and set traps in time;
observe crop rotation;
observe storage regimes;
choose varieties that are as resistant to diseases and pests as possible;
do not plant in areas where the causative agent of the infection was previously detected.

Like any other garden crop, iceberg lettuce can be attacked by pests and various diseases.

Iceberg salad is used for preparing many vegetable dishes, table setting or for filling well-known burgers.

Perhaps the most popular dish it contains is Caesar salad.

So that you can always afford to cook tasty and healthy dishes with the participation of this plant, let's talk about growing Iceberg lettuce at home.