How to grow a salad at home?

3 parts: Sowing lettuce seeds in pots Seeding care Harvesting

Whether you run out of space in your garden or just want to grow lettuce all year round, this plant is easy and simple to grow at home. Since lettuce thrives at room temperature and direct sunlight, it adapts well to home conditions and survives with basic care. Even if you've never kept any plants in your home before, you won't need anything more than regular potting soil, water, fertilizer and lighting, or a sun window to keep your plants strong. A month after planting the seeds, it will already be possible to harvest the lettuce!

Part 1 Sowing lettuce seeds in pots

1. Choose a salad variety that feels good at home.

   While most lettuce varieties can be grown at home, some will make it easier for you to succeed than others. Purchase any of the following salad varieties from your garden center or seed store:

   • "Moscow greenhouse";
   • "Emerald Lace";
   • "Parliament";
   • "Dubrava";
   • "May";
   • Paris Green;
   • Bettner;
   • "Merlot".
2. Fill a pot with forcing soil.

   Forcing the seed should be lightweight to promote root growth and to provide good drainage without allowing water to stagnate. If you cannot find a special soil for forcing seeds, you can

   cook yourself

   from equal parts sphagnum or coconut fiber, vermiculite and sand.

   • Each plant needs about 10-15 cm of soil wide and about 20 cm deep. Choose a pot for planting that meets these requirements.
   • Purchase a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Place a drip tray underneath to allow water to drain into it.
   • You can find ready-made forcing mix at most gardening stores and garden centers.
3. Sow the seeds into the soil about 2.5 cm apart.

   Dig a hole 1–1.5 cm deep in the ground and place the lettuce seeds in it at a distance of about 2.5 cm from each other. Limit yourself to four seeds per pot so you don't have to thin out the seedlings when they emerge. If you want to plant more than four seeds, prepare several pots beforehand.

4. Sprinkle the seeds lightly with soil and sprinkle with water.

   Take a handful of soil and sprinkle it with the salad seeds carefully.Fill a spray bottle with water and gently moisten the soil to avoid washing out the seeds.

5. If you don't want to wait for shoots, plant lettuce seedlings right away.

   If you don't have the patience to wait for seedlings to appear, you can plant the salad with seedlings. Use the same technique as if you were planting seeds: Plant no more than four plants in pots.

   • Ready-made lettuce seedlings can be bought from the hands or searched in garden centers.

Part 2 Seedling care

1. Use a spray bottle to moisten the potting soil daily until shoots appear.

   When the seeds germinate, the lettuce will need watering equivalent to about 25 mm of rain per week. Use your finger to check the soil twice a day and water it when it is dry.

   • The soil should remain moist, but not waterlogged.
   • Another way to check the moisture level is to raise the pot. If it is heavy, then the soil is saturated with water.
2. Grow lettuce at room temperature.

   Lettuce grows best at 18-21 ℃. Turn on air conditioning or heating as needed to keep your plants at the most stable temperature possible.

   • If the outside is warm or cool enough, you can periodically expose the plants to fresh air.
3. Place the salad pots on a sunny window or under a fluorescent light.

   Lettuce grows best in direct sunlight. If you live where there is very little sun, buy a fluorescent lamp from a garden center and hang it about 30 cm above the salad.

   • The salad requires a minimum of 12 hours of direct sun per day, but 14-16 hours is preferred.
   • Keep in mind that plants that grow under artificial light usually require more hours of backlighting than under direct sunlight. Be prepared to provide artificial lighting around 14-16 hours, not 12+.
4. Water the salad when the leaves begin to wilt.

   Lettuce leaves begin to wilt noticeably when the plant lacks water. If you notice that the leaves have wilted, pour over the lettuce so that the soil becomes moist again, but not waterlogged and soggy.

   • The higher the air temperature, the more often you need to water the salad.
5. Feed the lettuce three weeks after planting.

   Lettuce needs nitrogen fertilizers to grow, so spray the seedlings with liquid fertilizer three weeks after planting the seeds or when the first leaves appear. Spray the fertilizer closer to the soil to avoid splashing directly onto the leaves and causing burns.

   • Use a liquid fertilizer. Granular fertilizers must be mixed with the soil.
   • Organic alfalfa flour is rich in nitrogen and can serve as a long-term, gradual fertilizer, which is great for salad dressings.
   • Emulsified fertilizers based on fishmeal or seaweed can also be used, but these can give off a pungent odor and are generally not recommended for planting plants such as lettuce.

Part 3 Harvesting

1. Start harvesting lettuce 30–45 days after planting.

   On average, lettuce takes 30–45 days to grow from seed into a full-grown plant. Check the calendar box to start harvesting in about 30 days.

   • Homemade lettuce continues to grow and mature, so after you pick the leaves from it for the first time, you can continue to harvest later.
   • A grown salad at home usually grows up to 10 cm in height.
2. Harvest in the morning.

   In the morning, the plants are most saturated with moisture and are stronger in themselves. If possible, harvest lettuce early in the morning, before lunchtime, to keep your plantation healthy.

   • If you are unable to harvest in the morning, refrain from doing so at lunchtime, when the plants are least saturated with moisture.
3. Cut only the outer leaves from the bushes.

   Don't pluck the entire plant.With the gradual collection of the leaves, the plant can benefit you for several months. Cut 3-4 outer leaves with a pair of garden shears or clippers, allowing the plant to recover and grow further.

   • Do not cut the core of the salad. Limit only the outer leaves to maximize your potential yield.
4. Store the harvested salad in the refrigerator for 5-8 days.

   Depending on the variety, lettuce can be refrigerated for 3 to 10 days. Check how long your particular variety can be stored by placing it in the refrigerator, and try to use the salad before it dries up.

   • If you know that you will not be using the salad for food in the next 5-8 days, wait a few days before harvesting.
5. Re-harvest every two weeks.

   The plant takes about two weeks to recover and grow new leaves before they can be harvested again. From the first harvest, continue to harvest the leaves at intervals of two weeks to keep the plants healthy and grow more leaves.

   • Be sure to wait at least two weeks before re-harvesting young plants as they may take longer to recover from the first leaf pruning.
   • Sow the lettuce additionally every two weeks to extend the harvest season.

Advice

• Instead of growing lettuce at home, you can put a container of lettuce on your front porch and care for it in the same way.
• If you have free space in your garden or move to a warmer climate, then you can always transplant your homemade salad outside.

Warnings

• Do not store lettuce frozen. Frozen salad loses its texture and flavor.

What do you need

• Lettuce seeds or seedlings
• Soil for forcing seeds
• Pot
• Spray
• Water
• Backlight (optional)
• Garden or regular shears
• Nitrogen fertilizer

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The salad contains a huge amount of nutrients. Therefore, many lovers of this greenery want to grow it not only in their summer cottage, but also at home. Is it possible to grow lettuce from seeds on a windowsill at home? This will be discussed further.

Is it possible to grow lettuce on a windowsill

Lettuce can be grown at home as well. Both in winter and summer. But this plant at home requires a lot of attention.

For his growth needs a lot of sunshine... On short winter days, it needs additional lighting. If there is not enough light, it begins to bloom early. Does not tolerate drought, heat. In this case, the leaves become bitter. Beginners should not take up the cultivation of head forms in an apartment. They are very moody.

This is an early maturing culture. To constantly have greens at home, it must be planted 1 time in 10 - 14 days.

The best varieties of lettuce to grow at home

Batavia is the most suitable salad variety for an apartment

The most suitable variety for an apartment is considered Batavia... In grocery stores, it is most often sold.

It grows even without additional illumination. Can withstand short-term drought, high air temperatures.

The most famous varieties for cultivation on the windowsill:

• Lollo rossa
• Emerald lace
• New Year
• Lollo bionda
• Vitamin

Lolla rossa is distinguished by its brown head, curly light green leaves. Counts the most vitamin... It has a delicate taste.

Lolla bionda - the most beautiful... The leaves are wavy. Yellow-green color. The taste is pleasant, bitter with a nutty flavor.

The apartment also grows watercress... This is a moisture-loving plant. The best varieties for the windowsill:

• curly;
• pepper;
• broadleaf;
• ordinary.

Broadleaf watercress

Choosing a container for sowing and preparing the soil

Lettuce roots do not go deep into the soil. Large containers are not needed to grow it. Better to choose a plastic pot. The capacity should be volume of 1-2 liters... Depth - 10 - 35 cm. Depending on the variety. There should be holes at the bottom of the container.

The soil can be purchased at the store or used garden soil. Acidic soil is not suitable for planting. Better option - a mixture of sod land, humus, sand... Another option is garden soil, coconut fiber, vermicompost. The ratio of the latter two is 2: 1.

For sowing, it is necessary to use drainage: pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick, small stones.

When using garden soil, the soil should be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil is filled into the pot, not reaching the edges of 2.5 - 3 cm.

Some varieties can be grown without soil... One of them is watercress. For cultivation, they use such improvised materials as a sponge, cotton wool, paper.

Some lettuce varieties can be grown without soil - on paper or cotton wool

Sowing seeds

• Before sowing, seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. Time is 2-3 hours.
• A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot.
• The drainage is covered with earth. Watering.
• Make a groove. Depth - 5 mm... Distance between rows - 10 cm.
• Seeds are placed in the groove. Fall asleep with a small amount of earth. Slightly compacted.
• Cover the container with a bag - create a greenhouse effect.
• They are placed in a dark place.
• When the first shoots appear, the bag is removed. Transferred to the windowsill.

The first shoots can be seen after 4 - 5 days... You need to protect it from direct sunlight. On bright sunny days, it is necessary to shade it - the leaves can burn.

The salad loves warmth. For its good growth, a temperature of 17-21 degrees is required. During a strong drop in temperatures outside, the container with plants should be removed from the windowsill.

Culture needs thinning... This is done 2 times:

1. After 1 week, as the first shoots appear; Leave a distance of 1–2 cm between them.
2. When 2 true leaves are formed; Distance - 4-5 cm.

If the lettuce grows densely, you will not be able to get a good harvest.

Lettuce needs to be thinned twice

Watering

Watering should be abundant... With insufficient soil moisture, arrows begin to form earlier than usual. Watered with settled water 1 time in 1 - 2 days.

If the container is on the south side, more often. In winter - less often. It is impossible to moisturize the soil too much - the roots and lower leaves will begin to rot. The air in the room should be humidified. The leaves are sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

Top dressing

Feed Once every 1.5-2 weeks... Fertilizers are suitable for indoor plants. It is a fast growing culture. If fertile soil was chosen for planting, it grows well without them.

You cannot apply a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers - lettuce is capable of accumulating nitrates. If you use a potassium iodide-based top dressing, you can get a plant with a lot of iodine in the composition.

Lighting

Light-loving plant. In winter, in short autumn - spring days, you need to use additional lighting - fluorescent lamps. They need to be turned on for 2 - 5 hours. Hang it at a height of 50 - 60 cm above the plant.

Daylight hours when growing lettuce should last 12-14 hours

In total, daylight hours should last 12-14 hours... It is impossible to highlight during the day. The greens must rest.

If it is not possible to add additional lighting to the plant, it is best to plant it at the end of winter.

Loosening

Lettuce has very fragile, superficial roots. Loosen the ground under the seedlings it is forbidden.

Harvesting

Greens grow quickly. It can be harvested over a period of several weeks. They are plucked by the roots or the outer leaves are torn off... Arrows form after 3 to 5 weeks. The plant is removed. Other seeds are sown in its place.

Experienced gardeners plant salad every 10 days... 40-50 grams of greens are obtained from one plant. But it all depends on the variety.

Lettuce can be grown both outdoors and at home. But when planting it in an apartment, you need to remember that it requires daily care.

1. This is a moisture-loving plant. The soil should always be slightly damp. But excess moisture can kill him.
2. The best place is a windowsill on the south, southeast side. It is impossible to grow it without enough light at home.

Growing fast. Doesn't take up much space. But you need to choose the right variety for the pot.

How, in winter, you want to crunch with juicy leaves of greenery, and not purchased in a supermarket with a whole set of nitrates, but environmentally friendly, just collected. In this case, you need to master the cultivation of lettuce on the windowsill, especially since there is no particular difficulty in this, because the culture is early ripening and unpretentious.

Preparing a place for a room "bed"

For each culture on the windowsill, be it parsley, dill or green onions, you need a special container. And as a dish for sowing salad, almost any container with a depth of at least 20-25 cm is suitable. These can be plastic or wooden boxes, flower pots. Green plantings look very original in ordinary kitchen utensils, which it is a pity to throw away and cannot be used, for example, an old teapot or a broken favorite cup. With this, your room "beds" will also become a design element of the interior. Just remember to create a drainage layer so that excess water runs down and does not accumulate around the roots.

Tip: in addition to traditional expanded clay, pieces of ordinary padding polyester can be used as drainage. It perfectly absorbs excess moisture, and when the soil in the pot dries up, it will give it back.

Video about growing lettuce at home

Now for the soil. Of course, it is easier to purchase ready-made soil for seedlings, but why spend money if you can save money. To grow a salad, land from a vegetable garden, flower beds or even a nearby park is quite suitable. The main thing is that it has a dense structure, because the crumbly soil with a high content of sand will dry out quickly and the moisture-loving salad may not get moisture. There will be enough nutrients in ordinary soil for the development of early ripening lettuce, but if you still doubt its fertility, then you can add a part of humus or concentrated organic fertilizer Humate. It is recommended to disinfect the prepared soil by warming up in an oven or microwave or generously watering it with a solution of potassium permanganate. In this way, unwanted microorganisms and fungal spores are killed. You need to fill the pots with soil not to the top, leave about 1.5-2 cm to the edge - it will be more convenient to water this way, and the earth pushed out by the growing root system will not fall out.

There will be enough nutrients in ordinary soil for the development of early ripening lettuce

Prepared containers with crops are placed on the southern or southeastern windowsills to provide the salad with maximum illumination on short winter days.

Sowing rules and norms

It is possible to get a good harvest of lettuce in a limited amount of soil only if the sowing norms are observed. This is especially true of leafy or cabbage varieties, the excessive thickening of which does not allow the rosette to form successfully.

Sowing lettuce in boxes, leave at least 10 cm between the rows, and deepen the seeds no more than 0.5 cm. Following these tips, we proceed to sowing:

• the soil before sowing is watered or abundantly moistened from a sprinkler;
• the surface is leveled and shallow grooves are made using a wooden stick;
• sow seeds, leaving 2-3 cm between them - as the outlets grow, the extra ones will break down for consumption, and the rest will continue to grow;

It is possible to get a good harvest of lettuce in a limited amount of soil only if sowing norms are observed

• now the box is placed in a warm place and covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in transparent plastic wrap to keep moisture better and the seeds germinate faster;
• after the first shoots appear, they are transferred to the windowsill, to a cooler and well-lit place.

In the future, simple care and care of crops will bring the first harvest of tender, juicy, environmentally friendly greenery.

Crop care and harvest

The main conditions for growing moisture-loving lettuce are regular, moderate watering. Young plants do not need much water, but as they grow, the frequency and volume of watering will increase.

The temperature regime is also important. We prefer cool salad, but an increase in temperature above + 15 ° C leads to drying out of the tips of the leaves, loss of taste, and will most likely provoke the shooter's rosette. Therefore, it is better to place containers with crops on a loggia, a glazed balcony, on a window in a corridor or on a veranda, where it is not hot and the temperature does not drop below + 5 ... + 7 ° C.

And a few more words about illumination. With spring sowing, lettuce seedlings will have enough natural daylight. But in late autumn - early winter, when daylight hours are minimal and the weather is cloudy for most of the time, additional lighting will be required, otherwise the plants will stretch out and you will no longer grow a juicy green mass.

With spring crops, lettuce seedlings will have enough natural daylight

Mineral dressing for the salad is not needed, the nutrients contained in the soil will suffice for its short growing season. It is unreasonable to use traditional organic fertilizers in an apartment because of the characteristic smell. The only way to "support" the growing salad sockets is to add the same Humate during watering - it is useful, harmless and does not smell, but you can do without fertilizers altogether.

With proper care, the first crop can be harvested in about three to four weeks. Of course, in leafy or head lettuce varieties, the first crispy leaves can be pinched off even earlier and use the greens gradually, without waiting for the formation of a full-fledged rosette. And by sowing seeds periodically, at intervals of 1-2 weeks, you will provide your family with fresh greens during the entire cold period.

Features of growing watercress

An almost win-win option to get fresh greens in winter, and besides, without any hassle, is watercress on the windowsill. It can be successfully grown in any small bowls or dishes, on trays, or even just in a shoe box lid covered with polyethylene. It is even easier with the substrate: it can be a 2-3 cm layer of ordinary soil, peat or even sawdust. If this is also at hand, then a soft cloth folded in several layers, paper towels, ordinary table napkins or sponges, for example, moistened with water and laid in a plate, are suitable for germination of seeds.

Seeds of watercress are sown densely enough so that the growing tender stems support each other and do not fall. Seedlings appear faster than those of leafy varieties, no later than 5-7 days, and the seedlings themselves are more patient with the growing conditions - the cool air is favorable for them, + 15 ... + 17 ° C, the air at the window, and the meager winter sun is enough for them ...

Video on how to grow watercress

Advice: children are especially enthusiastic about home "beds", and if they are entrusted with growing tender greens on their own, then they will eat it with great appetite!

The main thing in growing watercress is in no case to prevent the soil from drying out, which can quickly and irrevocably destroy crops, but the stagnation of excess water also leads to root rot.

The first crop of watercress is harvested when it grows to 8-10cm. Plants are carefully cut with scissors just before eating - such greens are stored for a short time.Considering that almost all varieties of watercress grow quickly, it is recommended to sow them every 3-4 days so that the delicate greens on your table are not transferred.

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3 Methods: Traditional Planting Method 2: Fast Method Transplanting Lettuce

Oddly enough, growing lettuce indoors is easy. The lettuce produces a short but bountiful harvest and requires minimal maintenance: regular soil for houseplants, water for irrigation and sunlight are all this plant needs. Lettuce is so easy to grow that you can even ditch the pots and containers and just plant the seeds in the soil in a plastic bag.

Method 1 Traditional fit

Preparation

1. 

   Choose a salad variety that is suitable for potting. Lettuce grows best at home, especially those varieties with the word "small" in the name.

2. Find a medium sized plastic container.

   The lettuce has a shallow root system, so there will be plenty of room for it in a small pot. Plastic is more suitable than clay because clay walls absorb moisture, taking it out of the soil, which makes it dry faster.

   • If you decide to use a ceramic pot, cover the walls with a plastic bag. Punch holes in the cellophane so that water can drain through them.
   • Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. When watering through them, excess water will drain into a saucer under the pot. This will also allow you to make a so-called watering tray, and this is the way of watering that suits the salad best.
3. 

   Clean the pot. Be especially careful if another plant has grown in this pot before, as bacteria and insect eggs from old soil can move onto the roots of the lettuce. It will be enough to wash the pot of soap with warm water, but you can mix 9 parts of water and 1 part of bleach and rinse the container with this mixture.

4. 

   Take all-purpose potting soil. Lettuce is a very unpretentious plant, so the most common soil is needed. But do not use garden soil, as bacteria and insects can live in it, which will pose a threat to the salad.

5. Fill the pot with soil. The earth should cover almost the entire pot, but not completely. Leave about 2.5 cm to the edge of the pot.

6. 

   Sprinkle some seeds in your left hand if you are right-handed, or in your right if you are left-handed. The lettuce seeds are very small, so the pinch will be small.

7. 

   Take the seeds with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand. You don't need to try to collect all the seeds at once - a small amount will be enough to start.

8. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Try to spread them evenly over the surface, but don't worry if they end up far apart.

9. Repeat the process until you have scattered all the seeds.

10. Cover the seeds with soil. The top layer should be no thicker than 5-8 millimeters. If you add too much soil, the seeds will not have enough sunlight, which they need in order to germinate.

11. Spray the seeds with water from a spray bottle. The soil should be moderately moist.

Care and harvest

1. 

   Sprinkle the seeds with water in the morning. The soil must be moist all the time, otherwise the seeds will not germinate. Germination should occur within 1 to 2 weeks after sowing.

2. Water the lettuce every other day to help maintain the moisture level in the soil.

   Depending on how warm and light your home is, lettuce may need to be watered more or less frequently. Check the soil regularly by immersing your finger in the ground 1.5 to 2 centimeters. If the ground feels dry, water the salad again.

   • Try placing the pot in a watering tray.Let water seep into the pot through the holes in the bottom and saturate the soil. This method of watering will prevent root rot and the spread of fungal infections.
3. 

   Place the salad in a cool place. This plant is best suited to room temperature (16 - 21 degrees Celsius). To simulate natural conditions, lower the temperature to 6 degrees at night.

4. 

   Place the seedling pot in the sunniest spot in your home. In order for the lettuce leaves to grow large and strong, the pot must spend at least 14-16 hours a day in the sun.

5. 

   Buy a fluorescent plant light. If the lettuce does not receive enough sunlight, place the pot under the lamp at a distance of 10 centimeters and leave it there for 14 hours daily. Remember to turn off the lamp after this time, because the plant should not be exposed to light 24 hours a day.

6. After the second bunch of lettuce has grown, pluck out the weakest sprouts.

   Leave about 7 centimeters between the remaining tufts to give them enough room to grow.

   • Do not throw away those sprouts that you uproot from the ground. Plant them in separate pots and keep growing or eat them. Small leaves taste almost indistinguishable from full-sized leaves.
7. 

   Apply a mild fertilizer if desired. The lettuce can grow without additional support, but if you mix the fertilizer in half with water to reduce concentration and apply to the soil, the yield will exceed your expectations. Apply fertilizer to seedlings every 7 days for three weeks and then discontinue use.

8. Cut the leaves as needed, or all at once.

   Small leaves taste almost the same as large ones and can be safely eaten.

   • Once the leaves have grown to the size you want, start cutting them from the outside. Leave the inner leaves to ripen.
   • If you want to cut large leaves, the ripening time will take 4 to 6 weeks. Cut or pluck the leaves one at a time, starting with the outer ones. Lettuce that reaches its maximum ripening point produces seeds, so it is important to cut it before this happens to prevent the lettuce from becoming bitter.

Method 2 Method 2: Fast way

1. 

   Cut the corners in a large plastic bag and punch a few holes in it. The holes should be small enough to keep soil from spilling out of the bag, but large enough to allow excess water to drain out.

2. 

   Fill the bag with soil about three quarters. Moisten the soil beforehand.

3. 

   Place the bag on a stand or plate. Excess soil and water can escape through the holes in the bag, and this will stain the windowsill if you choose to place the bag directly on top of it. Make a special tray to avoid dirt.

4. 

   Take a few dozen seeds in your left hand if you are right-handed and in your right if you are left-handed. Then, using the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, start sprinkling the soil with seeds.

5. 

   Cover the seeds with soil. This layer should not be thicker than 5 millimeters, as otherwise the seeds will not have enough sunlight.

6. 

   Spray the soil with water. There should not be too much moisture, as otherwise the seeds will float in a puddle, and water mixed with the earth will start pouring out of the holes.

7. 

   Cover the package. If you leave it open, heat and moisture will come out, but if you close it tightly, the air inside will become musty. Leave a small air hole on one side and close the bag completely on the other.

8. 

   Leave the bag on the window, where there is always a lot of sun. Artificial light can be used by placing a fluorescent lamp over the bag. Even if you are growing the lettuce in a bag, the plant still needs 14-16 hours of sunshine daily.

9. 

   Open the bag after the seeds begin to germinate. The sprouts should appear within a week. Continue to spray the soil with water and provide enough light for the sprouts.

10. 

    Pull off the leaves as they grow. The salad will reach full size in just a few weeks. Cut off the outer leaves first, and then move on to those on the inside. Do not wait for the leaves to grow very large - this method of growing does not involve the same leaf size as a normal planting.

Method 3 Transplant lettuce

1. 

   After picking off all the leaves you are going to eat, place the rest of the plant in a glass mold and add a little water there (just a couple of centimeters of water at the bottom will be enough).

2. 

   Place the dish where the lettuce can receive enough sunlight (on a windowsill or under a lamp). New leaves will begin to grow within a few days.

3. 

   Change the water every other day.

4. 

   Cut the leaves as needed. Of course, you won't grow a whole bush, but the new leaves will be enough for one serving of vegetable salad or sandwich.

Advice

• If you have children, plant a salad with them. It is so easy to grow this plant that a child can cope with it with a little help from parents. You can start with the second method as this will make the salad grow faster and will be easier to plant.

Warnings

• When adding fertilizer to the soil, do not accidentally fall on the leaves. Apply the solution to the soil only.
• Rinse all home grown vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating.

What do you need

• Lettuce seeds
• Plastic container or pot
• The soil
• Plastic bag with clasp
• Scissors
• Spray
• Unconcentrated fertilizer
• Lamp for plants
• Garden knife or scissors

Article Information

This page has been viewed 58,578 times.

Was this helpful?

The salad contains a huge amount of nutrients. Therefore, many lovers of this greenery want to grow it not only in their summer cottage, but also at home. Is it possible to grow lettuce from seeds on a windowsill at home? This will be discussed further.

Is it possible to grow lettuce on a windowsill

Lettuce can be grown at home as well. Both in winter and summer. But this plant at home requires a lot of attention.

For his growth needs a lot of sunshine... On short winter days, it needs additional lighting. If there is not enough light, it begins to bloom early. Does not tolerate drought, heat. In this case, the leaves become bitter. Beginners should not take up the cultivation of head forms in an apartment. They are very moody.

This is an early maturing culture. To constantly have greens at home, it must be planted 1 time in 10 - 14 days.

The best varieties of lettuce to grow at home

Batavia is the most suitable salad variety for an apartment

The most suitable variety for an apartment is considered Batavia... In grocery stores, it is most often sold.

It grows even without additional illumination. Can withstand short-term drought, high air temperatures.

The most famous varieties for cultivation on the windowsill:

• Lollo rossa
• Emerald lace
• New Year
• Lollo bionda
• Vitamin

Lolla rossa is distinguished by its brown head, curly light green leaves. Counts the most vitamin... Delicate in taste.

Lolla bionda - the most beautiful... The leaves are wavy. Yellow-green color. The taste is pleasant, bitter with a nutty flavor.

The apartment also grows watercress... This is a moisture-loving plant. The best varieties for the windowsill:

• curly;
• pepper;
• broadleaf;
• ordinary.

Broadleaf watercress

Choosing a container for sowing and preparing the soil

Lettuce roots do not go deep into the soil. Large containers are not needed to grow it. Better to choose a plastic pot. The capacity should be volume of 1-2 liters... Depth - 10 - 35 cm. Depending on the variety. There should be holes at the bottom of the container.

The soil can be purchased at the store or used garden soil. Acidic soil is not suitable for planting. Better option - a mixture of sod land, humus, sand... Another option is garden soil, coconut fiber, vermicompost. The ratio of the latter two is 2: 1.

For sowing, it is necessary to use drainage: pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick, small stones.

When using garden soil, the soil should be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil is filled into the pot, not reaching the edges of 2.5 - 3 cm.

Some varieties can be grown without soil... One of them is watercress. For cultivation, they use such improvised materials as a sponge, cotton wool, paper.

Some lettuce varieties can be grown without soil - on paper or cotton wool

Sowing seeds

• Before sowing, seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. Time - 2-3 hours.
• A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot.
• The drainage is covered with earth. Watering.
• Make a groove. Depth - 5 mm... Distance between rows - 10 cm.
• Seeds are placed in the groove. Fall asleep with a small amount of earth. Slightly compacted.
• Cover the container with a bag - create a greenhouse effect.
• They are placed in a dark place.
• When the first shoots appear, the bag is removed. Transferred to the windowsill.

The first shoots can be seen after 4 - 5 days... You need to protect it from direct sunlight. On bright sunny days it is necessary to shade it - the leaves can burn.

The salad loves warmth. For its good growth, a temperature of 17-21 degrees is required. During a strong drop in temperatures outside, the container with plants should be removed from the windowsill.

Culture needs thinning... This is done 2 times:

1. After 1 week, as the first shoots appear; Leave a distance of 1–2 cm between them.
2. When 2 true leaves are formed; Distance - 4-5 cm.

If the lettuce grows thickly, you will not be able to get a good harvest.

Lettuce needs to be thinned twice

Watering

Watering should be abundant... With insufficient soil moisture, arrows begin to form earlier than usual. Watered with settled water 1 time in 1 - 2 days.

If the container is on the south side, more often. Less often in winter. Do not overly moisten the soil - the roots and lower leaves will begin to rot. The air in the room should be humidified. The leaves are sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

Top dressing

Feed Once every 1.5-2 weeks... Fertilizers are suitable for indoor plants. It is a fast growing culture. If fertile soil was chosen for planting, it grows well without them.

You cannot apply a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers - lettuce is capable of accumulating nitrates. If you use a potassium iodide-based top dressing, you can get a plant with a lot of iodine in the composition.

Lighting

Light-loving plant. In winter, in short autumn - spring days, you need to use additional lighting - fluorescent lamps. They need to be turned on for 2 - 5 hours. Hang it at a height of 50 - 60 cm above the plant.

Daylight hours when growing lettuce should last 12-14 hours

In total, daylight hours should last 12-14 hours... It is impossible to highlight during the day. The greens must rest.

If it is not possible to add additional lighting to the plant, it is best to plant it at the end of winter.

Loosening

Lettuce has very fragile, superficial roots. Loosen the ground under the seedlings it is forbidden.

Harvesting

Greens grow quickly. It can be harvested over a period of several weeks. Tear up by the roots or tear off the outer leaves... Arrows form after 3 to 5 weeks. The plant is removed. Other seeds are sown in its place.

Experienced gardeners plant salad every 10 days... 40-50 grams of greens are obtained from one plant. But it all depends on the variety.

Lettuce can be grown both outdoors and at home.But when planting it in an apartment, you need to remember that it requires daily care.

1. This is a moisture-loving plant. The soil should always be slightly damp. But excess moisture can kill him.
2. The best place is a windowsill on the south, southeast side. It is impossible to grow it without enough light at home.

Growing fast. Doesn't take up much space. But you need to choose the right variety for the pot.

In recent years, the demand for greens has increased dramatically at any time of the year, primarily due to trends in a healthy lifestyle and the struggle for your body. Moreover, growing greenery on the window when snow is flying outside the window and frosts are not so difficult as it seems at first glance. One of these plants can be a salad, which will provide you with the vitamins and minerals you need during the winter. The vegetable belonging to the Aster family is widespread in all corners of the planet, having many varieties and varieties. How to grow salad at home? We will talk about this in our article.

We decide on lighting and temperature

The place where the lettuce will be grown should be well lit, but it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. If the lighting seems to be insufficient, then it is best to organize the backlighting with fluorescent lamps. Their height should be at least 50-60 centimeters from the container with plants.

If this happens in the off-season, then it is necessary to transfer the salad to the loggia, where there is a lot of fresh air. Landings will easily transfer the temperature regime of 8-10 degrees above zero.

The optimum temperature for growing lettuce is 18-20 degrees, if it is higher, then the plant will start to go "in the arrow", so in the hot summer months it should be shaded.

to the content ↑ Capacity for growing lettuce

The best container for planting at home will be a box with a depth of at least 12 centimeters, and the dimensions should be more than half a meter.

Such a capacity will not allow the soil to dry out quickly. The plant is very fond of moisture, if its deficiency begins, then the salad becomes sluggish and gives very little greenery, flower stalks grow, and the leaves become bitter and become tough.

It is best to lay the bottom of the box with a landscape cloth to keep moisture better when watering. The tank must be supplemented with high-quality drainage. For this, the bottom is laid out with small pebbles or shards from a broken clay pot. If there are several large boxes, then it is recommended to place a tray under them so that the moisture does not go away too quickly. The best material for a planting container at home will be a plastic product, due to the fact that after watering terracotta loses moisture too quickly and the plant begins to dry out.

to the content ↑ Soil and fertilizer for plants

When planting a salad at home, a number of rules must be followed. One of them: the soil must be nutritious and thoroughly mixed. Such a mixture is usually prepared from sand, peat and humus. The first two components are taken in single proportions, and there should be twice as much humus. You can purchase specially adapted soils, for example "Biogrunt" or "Universal".

To ensure an uninterrupted harvest, it is best to sow the plant at intervals of 10-14 days. Removing all the greens, the plant is simply pulled out, loosened and water the soil in order to grow the next batch of green salad.

Usually the growing lettuce is not additionally fertilized. But after harvesting the first crop and planting the next, you need to feed the soil with ammonium nitrate. You can also use mineral fertilizers, the main thing is that the root system does not get burned.

to the content ↑ Selection of seeds

This plant can only be grown from seeds. You can buy them at specialized kiosks or through the online store. An important condition will be to choose the right variety for planting.

Often, novice gardeners do not lend themselves to cultivating a plant because of the wrong variety. The best option for growing at home would be fast-ripening leafy varieties. For example, you can buy salad "Amanda", "Noran", "Quick", "Yellow". Such varieties of it are not too picky about light, watering, soil. They grow quickly, producing lush greens that can be eaten three weeks after planting in the ground. But head lettuce, on the other hand, is very picky about light, temperature and the distance between plantings. If he doesn’t like something, he may not tie himself into heads of cabbage at all.

Often, watercress is also taken for planting. It is unpretentious and grows in almost any soil, it can be grown in minimal light. Its most optimal varieties are "Curly", "Pepper".

back to content ↑ Growing salad from seeds

In order to sow seeds, it is necessary to water the soil abundantly, ramming it and plant it at a short distance from each other. Planting in rows is also possible, it is enough to make a distance of 12-15 centimeters between them (watercress), a little less for lettuce 6-8 centimeters.

After sowing, the seeds are covered with a minimum layer of soil (about a centimeter) and sprayed with a spray bottle with warm, but not hot water. Watering of plantings is done on average in three days. And when the first shoots sprout, the boxes are placed under the lamps for better lighting.

After that, the salad does not require careful maintenance. It is only necessary to loosen the soil after watering and water it so that the earth does not dry out. You should not expose the temperature in the room to changes, the plant does not like this. It should be noted that for all the love for moisture, the salad does not tolerate waterlogging, in such conditions the root system rots. Usually the plants are watered every two to three days, if the heat is not on the street, then this is quite enough. If it is more than 30 degrees outside, then the plant must be sprayed every day, and the room must be often ventilated.

When a plant produces two leaves, it must be thinned out so that the distance between them varies from eight to ten centimeters.

On average, lettuce can build up its green mass in two to three weeks. The ready-to-eat lettuce leaves are then cut and used to add salads, snacks and sandwiches.

After the green mass has fully ripened, the old seedlings are uprooted and new ones are sown in their place.
Salad is usually harvested after about eight leaves appear, otherwise the late greens become coarse and tough, and lose their taste.

It is best to pluck the green mass when there is a minimum of moisture in the air, otherwise it quickly begins to rot. If it is stored outdoors for no more than 24 hours, and in the refrigerator for no more than half a month. It is important to remember to rinse it out before doing this. Only the leaves are washed without touching the roots, otherwise the roots will rot. It is not necessary to pluck the entire plant completely, you can simply cut off the green mass. In this case, new leaves grow in place of old leaves and lettuce gives fresh leaves longer.

back to content ↑ Salad and its types

• Leaf lettuce. The taste of this salad is fresh, the plant has curly leaves that wither quickly and have delicate juicy greens. It is usually used fresh in cooking.
• Cabbage lettuce. Visually similar to leaf lettuce, and on the veil are collected in heads of cabbage. Greens have a delicate texture, so it is better not to tear them and lay them whole on a dish when serving.
• Ice salad. Visually similar to cabbage heads, its leaves are light green. Crunches well. The taste is bland, ideally needs to be added to salads with herbs. The name comes from American farmers. He was sprinkled with ice so that he would not sluggish on the way.

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Every year more and more people are switching to a healthy diet.And any proper raw food or vegetarian diet is impossible without fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs. Salad is one of the irreplaceable products containing a huge amount of vitamins, microelements, salts, organic acids and many other useful elements. Green vegetables are of great benefit for the whole body, and in particular for the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Lettuce leaves are a medicinal and dietary product that is recommended by experienced nutritionists to people suffering from obesity and diabetes. For example, Lactuca sativa salad is a biennial vegetable that can be grown indoors and have fresh herbs on the table throughout the year.

The correct choice of variety

Among the huge number of types and varieties of salads, not everyone can bring the expected harvest on a window bed. It is recommended for inexperienced gardeners to choose the right varieties for growing on the windowsill. Early maturing varieties are most suitable for such conditions. You can buy varieties "Curly", "Yellow", Amanda "," Ordinary "," Pepper "(domestic) or" Ostinata "," Quick "," Noran "(foreign), as well as watercress.

These specimens are unpretentious and undemanding to soil, lighting and moisture. They grow very quickly and within 20-25 days after germination, the first harvest can be obtained.

Cabbage varieties of lettuce are not suitable for home conditions, as they are very demanding on growing conditions. For them, a constant air temperature, level of illumination and humidity are of great importance. If at least one of the conditions of detention is not observed, the formation of an ovary may not occur.

How to grow a salad at home

Location and lighting

The growing area must be properly lit for all twelve months. In summer, green spaces need to be protected from sunlight, and in winter, with short daylight hours, you can use additional lighting. It is recommended to hang fluorescent lamps above the planting boxes at a height of at least 50 cm. Lack of light will negatively affect the development and growth of the lettuce.

Temperature

In the hot summer months, green spaces need to be shaded. In the autumn and spring season, containers with vegetables can be taken out into the open air or on a balcony (loggia), provided that this area is well ventilated. Plants perfectly tolerate cool weather with a temperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius.

Planting containers

The optimal size of the planting boxes is a square container with a side of 60 cm and a depth of at least 10-12 cm. It is very important for a salad that the soil in the box does not dry out, but, on the contrary, retains the necessary moisture for a long time. Therefore, small containers are not suitable for growing this crop.

Watering and moisture levels

Lettuce is very picky about the increased moisture level in the soil. Untimely watering, which leads to overdrying of the earthen coma, or an increased air temperature in the room, which leads to overheating of the soil mixture, contributes to the appearance of negative changes in the development of the plant. Very little greenery is formed and its external and taste qualities are very low. Lettuce leaves become bitter and fibrous.

The soil

The potting mix should be very nutritious. In special shops for gardeners and florists, you can buy "Universal" or "Vegetable" mixture, which is perfect for growing lettuce, as well as "Biogrunt". The soil mixture is prepared independently from the following components: two parts of humus or humus earth and one part of peat and river sand. It is recommended to mix thoroughly before use.

Top dressing and fertilizers

Mineral dressing is applied to the soil only after the first harvest of watercress. Fertilizers are not applied during the growing season.

Growing lettuce from seeds

Sowing seeds

Sowing of seed is carried out randomly into moist and lightly compacted soil in planting containers. For every 10 square centimeters, 2 grams of lettuce seeds are enough. When planting seeds in rows, it is recommended to adhere to a certain distance. Row spacing: for salad - 6-8 cm, for watercress - 10-12 cm.Seeds are covered with a small layer (no more than 1 cm) of loose soil, then sprayed with settled water at a temperature of at least 30 degrees Celsius and transferred to a cool a darkened room with a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees Celsius for 7 days. The treatment consists of regular moisturizing - at least 3-4 times a week. Planting boxes are transferred to the windowsill with the appearance of seedlings.

The simultaneous growing of lettuce in several containers with an interval of planting seeds of 1.5-2 weeks will allow you to get greens of lettuce constantly.

Crop care

Watering is carried out every other day. The soil should remain moderately moist, without excess moisture. Spraying is used only in dry indoor air.

Favorable temperature - from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. Ventilation is recommended at higher temperatures.

Thinning of plants is carried out after the appearance of two leaves. The distance between shoots is about 8 cm. The removed seedlings can be planted in planting containers in which tomato or cucumber seedlings are grown.

Harvesting and storage

Lettuce must be pulled out of the ground along with the root part, after which the roots must be freed from the soil. You can store the crop in wooden or plastic boxes in an upright position under a transparent film in a darkened room, where the air temperature is kept at around 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

Watercress can give several yields if ripe leaves are carefully cut off, and the soil with the remaining root part of the plant is fed with mineral fertilizers. After this additional nutrition, the watercress again builds up the leafy part.

With proper care and creating favorable conditions, about 50 grams of lettuce can be grown on a windowsill from one square decimeter of land.

How to grow salad at home (video)