Lettuce (Lamb's lettuce)

Plant family

Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Seeding distance

10 cm

Row spacing

10 cm

Seeding depth

2 cm

Instructions

End of July

Sowing

Beginning of August

Thinning

Description

Lamb's lettuce is a valerian plant and is also called Rapunzel, Nüssli, Vogerl or field lettuce. It is a relatively undemanding, annual, (mostly) hardy crop with a short growing season. There are different varieties that differ in leaf shape, color and cold tolerance. Some of them can tolerate temperatures as low as -15°C. Lamb's lettuce is a long-day plant, which means that it forms flowers quickly when there are many hours of sunlight. So for a rich harvest of leaves, sow it from July, when the days start to get shorter again.

Growing tips

This leafy vegetable is particularly suitable for early spring and autumn and winter cultivation. At low temperatures (5°C) the germination period is about 20 days. In dry weather, regular watering is necessary during germination, but not too much, otherwise the risk of fungal diseases increases. Lamb's lettuce prefers medium to heavy soils and is sensitive to salt. When harvesting, cut the leaf rosette just above the root with a knife. When doing so, the leaves should still be together.