Early lettuce varieties can be grown at home on the windowsill from February onwards. The plants then have to be pricked out after a few weeks. The same is also necessary outdoors if you sow lettuce densely.
When and how should you prick lettuce?
Lettuce is pricked to prevent plants from hindering each other's growth. This happens one to two weeks after sowing, when the plants have developed a second pair of leaves. One or two plants should be left per cultivation tray; in the open field, a planting distance of at least 25cm is recommended.
Why does lettuce have to be pricked?
Lettuce is always pricked out when it is sown too densely. This is especially done if you are unsure about how well the seeds will germinate. Seeds from specialist retailers usually have very good germination and you can be sure that almost all seeds will sprout. However, if you have harvested the seeds yourself, it is advisable to sow several seeds per seed tray to ensure that at least two per tray germinate. If more sprout, they must be removed so that the plants do not hinder each other's growth.
When should lettuce be pricked?
Lettuce can be transplanted one week or two weeks after germination as soon as it has developed a second pair of leaves. The plants are then about two centimeters high.
How is lettuce pricked?
To prick lettuce, you only need one thing: a steady hand. Select the plants that should remain and remove the rest. If you plant plants in seed trays, one or two plants can be left in each tray. If you prick outdoors, you should only leave one plant every 25cm. The actual pricking is very easy: grab the head of the plant you want to remove and carefully pull it out, including the roots. Done.
What to do with the pricked plants?
Does it hurt you to simply throw away the plucked plants? Repotting them into another pot may work if you do it as quickly as possible. Another variant is to wash the plants and eat them in a salad as a sprout replacement. Young seedlings contain a particularly high amount of nutrients.
Avoid pricking
If you want to save yourself the work, you can only plant two seeds per seed tray or, when sowing directly outdoors, maintain a planting distance of 25 to 30cm from the outset.
The most important things at a glance
- Prick out one to two weeks after sowing
- leave one or two plants per seed tray
- maintain a planting distance of at least 25cm outdoors
- use removed plants in salad
