Lettuce has no special nutritional requirements. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences depending on the variety. In order to harvest juicy and aromatic leaves, a little more attention should be paid to soil preparation in spring.
How should you properly fertilize lettuce?
In order to properly fertilize lettuce, we recommend improving the soil with compost before sowing, regular use of diluted plant manure, rock dust and horn meal, depending on the type of lettuce. Avoid over-fertilization and fresh manure.
What salad needs
Salads are generally considered undemanding and easy to care for. Since they hardly remove any nutrients from the soil, they are well suited for re-cultivation on beds that have already been harvested. Sowing between demanding crops is also possible in order to be able to harvest fresh greens at different times.
Varieties and their needs:
- Plucking lettuce: thrives splendidly in any soil and benefits from care in mixed cultures
- Lettuce: feels at home among demanding vegetables and requires hardly any nutrients
- Iceberg lettuce: is a little hungrier and thrives in humus-rich soils
- Chicory: likes nitrogen in low concentrations
Compost
In order to harvest juicy leaves, it is recommended to improve the soil before sowing. Enrich the substrate with compost and dig up the bed. In this way you promote mineralization and ensure that rainwater seeps away better.
Plant manure
Decoctions from nettle leaves strengthen the plants when used regularly. They become more resistant to pathogens and pests. Depending on the variety, we recommend watering with diluted plant manure (€16.00 on Amazon) every two to four weeks.
Rock flour
Slightly more demanding lettuce varieties are grateful for the administration of a mineral soil additive. Rock powder enriches the soil with valuable trace elements and minerals. Its effect develops over time, so you can apply the powder to the compost in the spring.
Horn meal
This nutrient supplier is a by-product of meat production and is used to supply plants with nitrogen. Horn meal is decomposed by microorganisms in the soil, which make the nutrients available to plants. Since the utilization process takes time, you should incorporate the flour into the soil at the beginning of the season. Regular watering promotes decomposition. It is suitable for salads that place greater emphasis on nutrient supply.
Avoid problems
Incorrect fertilization can be problematic for salads. Lettuce reacts sensitively to a supply of fresh manure and is susceptible to pest infestation. Growth depression quickly occurs on over-fertilized beds.
