If you don't have a garden, you don't have to go without fresh lettuce, because lettuce also thrives in pots. Find out below how to sow, care for and harvest lettuce in a pot.
How to grow lettuce in a pot?
To grow lettuce in a pot, choose a sunny location and a pot at least 20 cm in diameter. Sow the seeds from February in nutrient-rich soil, keep the substrate moist and give the plants about 25 cm of space.
The right location for lettuce in a pot
Lettuce needs a lot of light. It prefers full sun locations both in the garden and in pots. It thrives poorly in the shade and the nitrate content also increases. You should therefore place your lettuce in a pot in a location that is as sunny as possible on a balcony and terrace or on the windowsill of a south-facing window.
Which pot is the right one?
Lettuce does not form deep roots and therefore only needs space on the surface. Therefore, the planter for the lettuce does not have to be particularly large. A bucket with a diameter of 20cm is quite sufficient. However, only one lettuce can be planted per pot. If you choose a balcony box for cultivation, you can also plant several heads of lettuce. Maintain a distance of 25cm.
Sowing lettuce in a pot
Early lettuce varieties can be sown in pots from February onwards. If you want to save yourself pricking out, only sow one or two seeds per pot. If you want to be on the safe side or are not sure how good the germination of your seeds is - for example if you have collected seeds yourself - sow up to ten seeds or more. Proceed as follows:
- Fill your pot with nutrient-rich soil.
- Moisten the soil with water using a spray bottle (€6.00 on Amazon).
- Sow the seeds loosely on the soil.
- Cover the seeds with about half a centimeter of soil.
- Spray them with water again.
- Make sure that the substrate never dries out during germination!
Care for lettuce in the pot
Lettuce is relatively easy to care for.
Pricking lettuce
If you have sown more than one seed per pot, you should prick them out a week or two after sowing. To do this, pull the excess plants out of the pot and only leave the plants for which there is enough space even when fully grown. Each plant requires approximately 25cm2 of space. You can plant the plucked plants in other pots or eat them in a salad.
Watering lettuce
The substrate should always be kept moist during germination. You should also water the lettuce regularly later on. As always, waterlogging should be avoided.
Fertilize lettuce
Lettuce does not need to be fertilized. The nutrients in the potting soil are enough for him.
Tip
Here you can find out more about growing on the balcony and harvesting.
