You may be wondering what you can do wrong when watering salad. The answer is: quite a lot! Whether in the amount or the way of watering - if you want to harvest lettuce successfully, you should give watering a high priority.
How should you water salad correctly?
When watering lettuce, it is important to water regularly and evenly, use tap water, do not wet the leaves and water preferably in the morning to avoid rot and burns from sunlight.
What problems can arise?
Lettuce is a shallow-rooted plant that is densely branched in the upper part of the soil. The roots usually only extend up to 20 cm deep into the soil. For this reason, the salad depends on a regular supply of water from above.
For example, if there is drought in summer and you forget to water, the lettuce will start to sprout. It develops a long stem on which flowers emerge in no time. If this is the case, the individual lettuce leaves become hard and bitter in taste. In addition, the nitrate content in the lettuce leaves increases significantly, which can also be dangerous for dogs.
What should be important from the outset?
When planting the lettuce, you should attach importance to suitable soil. The lettuce needs well-drained soil that prevents excess moisture from accumulating. Furthermore, the soil should be slightly clayey so that water is retained.
Beware of burns and rot
All types of lettuce do not like their leaves to be wetted with water and the risk of burns from sunlight increases. In principle, lettuce should no longer be watered from above with a watering can when it is more mature. Lettuce heads in particular should be watered in the root area. The water can therefore immediately penetrate to the roots and the leaves do not rot due to the wetness.
Thirst never fades
Salad is the thirstiest of vegetables. Regardless of when it was planted and when its season is, it needs regular watering. Please note the following information when watering:
- water regularly and evenly
- preferably use tap water
- Do not wet the leaves with water
- ideal time: morning (water on the leaves can dry quickly)
Tips & Tricks
You are welcome to add nettle tea to the water. It naturally and gently fertilizes the soil for the salad.
