How to grow a lettuce leaf at home?

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 variety of lettuce that is suitable for growing in pots. 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 make it possible 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 seedlings 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 has reached 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 flow out 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 your 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 the puddle, and the 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 grow 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, 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

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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 on growing 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 in garden soil. Acidic soil is not suitable for planting. Better option - a mixture of turf, 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 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 need to 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 root 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.

Garden greens are rich in vitamins and various nutrients. It is used in various salads, in first and second courses, as well as to decorate festive dishes. But, if in summer there are no problems with where to get fresh greens, then in winter it is much more difficult to get greens. And the prices in stores in winter "bite".

Unfortunately, lettuce, unlike, for example, parsley or dill, is not stored frozen. But this plant lends itself well to growing at home. It does not require much effort and cost.

Choosing a salad variety

In order to get greens at home in winter, it is best to choose its leafy varieties. Lettuce on the windowsill can grow even at low above zero temperatures, and it does not require very deep containers, since it has a superficial root system. Before planting a salad at home, you need to purchase its seeds of a suitable variety. Early ripening varieties are especially good choices for growing houses on the balcony. When choosing a variety of lettuce to grow at home, it is also worth noting varieties that are resistant to lack of light. Below are examples of lettuce varieties suitable for growing in the winter at home on the balcony.

We advise you to read

Early ripening varieties of lettuce:

• Snowflake;
• excitement;
• golden ball;
• zorepad;
• the ball is crimson.

Lettuce varieties that are resistant to lack of light:

• ballet;
• emerald lace NK;
• celtic.

Containers or pots?

To use this growing technology, plant seeds are needed that can be grown in pots. Watercress on the windowsill is the best option, since this particular type of plant is well suited for growing at home. You can use other lettuce salads as well. It is best if the word "small" is present in the salad variety.

The root system of the lettuce does not penetrate deeply into the soil, so lettuce can be grown in shallow plastic containers or pots. It is best to choose plastic pots and containers, as clay products absorb moisture, thereby draining the soil and causing the surface to dry quickly.

How to grow salad in ceramic pots?

Just as in plastic, only the walls of ceramic products need to be covered with plastic bags, in which holes are made in advance to allow water to drain. Drainage holes are required at the bottom of the pot or container.When watering is carried out, excess moisture flows into the saucer, which creates optimal conditions for the life of plants.

Planting lettuce seeds at home

Buy a standard soil mix for your plants. You can, of course, use a mixture of garden soil with humus, turf and sand, but if you want to grow salad without fuss, you do not need to fantasize, coming up with ways to disinfect such soil. Avoid using soil directly from your garden, as it always contains bacteria and insects that can damage your crops.

Fill the pot with soil high, but not all the way to the top. You should leave approximately 2.5-3 cm of empty space between the soil surface and the edge of the container.

Articles about indoor and ornamental plants

Sprinkle the seeds on top - with a pinch, as if salt it. Try not to plant too much in one place, but you don't need to worry too much about how far apart the seeds are. Subsequently, the seedlings will still have to be thinned out. You can, if the size of the container allows, poke holes in half a centimeter with your finger and throw seeds into them, or make even grooves - do as you like.

Sprinkle soil on top, covering the seeds with a layer of 0.5-0.7 cm. If you use more soil, the seeds will not be able to get the light they need to germinate.

Salad care at home

In the future, the care of crops consists in maintaining soil moisture and controlling the temperature in the room. At the same time, please note that the moisture content of the soil should not turn into waterlogging, otherwise the plants will begin to rot. Watering should be carried out by sprinkling every 2 or 3 days, it depends on the ambient temperature. The optimum temperature for the growth of lettuce is considered to be 16 - 20 ° C, although on a loggia during spring (mid-April) sowing, plants can ripen perfectly at 6 - 7 ° C. The elevated temperature and dry air of apartments have a negative effect on the culture, and therefore it is recommended to periodically spray lettuce leaves and more often arrange ventilation for crops on the windowsills. In the phase of 2 leaves, the seedlings are thinned at a distance of at least 8 cm. The torn seedlings can be planted around the edges of containers with tomato or cucumber seedlings, using the lettuce as a sealant plant.

Lettuce grows rather quickly under suitable conditions, building up a ready-to-eat leaf mass within 2 to 3 weeks. Ripe leaves of watercress are cut and used for food, they grow again after root feeding with mineral fertilizers. Other lettuce salads are uprooted, shaken off the ground and stacked vertically in boxes or baskets in one layer for storage. It is recommended to store them before use under a film in a dark place at a temperature of 1 - 2 ° C ..

How to grow watercress on a windowsill using soil or sawdust?

In a room, you can grow watercress in the usual way using commercially available greenhouse potting mix or sawdust. Since the root system of watercress is relatively small, for planting, use dishes no more than 7 cm high.The dish is filled with soil or sawdust (it is advisable to pre-steam them in a water bath), the seeds are sown to a depth of about 0.5 cm, the distance between the rows should be about 10 cm, moisturize well. After the first shoots appear, the container is transferred to the windowsill, the temperature is maintained at + 8, and when shoots appear, it is increased to + 10 ° C. Seedlings need to be thinned, the distance between rows should be at least 5 cm.

Watercress is a moisture-loving culture, so it needs to be watered often, but without fanaticism, excess moisture also harms the plant, like overdrying the soil.When the first pair of leaves appears on the plant, it is time for feeding: dilute 2.5 g of urea in 1 liter of water, pour the watercress with this solution. After 14 days, the plant is fed a second time: take superphosphate - 2 g, ammonium sulfate - 1 g, potassium salt - 1.5 g, dilute it all in a liter of water.

The first harvest of lettuce can be cut after 10 days, the bulk of the leaves ripen about 18 days after sowing. Watercress is usually cut 2 times. After the plant reaches a height of 10-15 cm, it is removed. In this way, you can grow watercress even in winter, for this you just need to stock up on seeds.

Check also our articles

How to grow salad at home video

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 to the whole body, and in particular to 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 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, maintains 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 high 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 crop of watercress is harvested. 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)