Iceberg lettuce: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow iceberg lettuce under cover?
For sowing iceberg lettuce under cover, choose a variety suited to the season. An early sowing can bring the harvest forward, but a summer variety is not automatically suitable for overwintering. Check the packet and prepare small successive batches so that all the heads do not mature together.
Use a clean module tray or small pots with drainage holes. Fill them with fine, free-draining seed compost, preferably peat-free. Moisten it before sowing, distribute seeds without crowding them and cover lightly according to the supplier's instructions. Water gently to avoid displacing seeds and label the variety and date.
Put the containers in a bright place at a moderate temperature. Follow the germination range on the packet: excessive warmth can prevent some lettuces from sprouting. Ventilate and maintain even moisture without standing water. After emergence, provide enough light to avoid long, weak seedlings.
Once seedlings have a few true leaves and are sturdy enough to handle, move crowded ones into individual modules. A height of 5–7 cm alone is not sufficient for deciding to plant outdoors. Wait for a rooted plug, gradually harden plants off and check the weather before moving them to their final position.
How do you sow iceberg lettuce outdoors?
How do you plant iceberg lettuce?
How to care for this plant
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Thin seedlings
If your lettuces are crowded and you want whole heads, thin gradually to about 15–30 cm according to the variety. Keep closer spacing for promptly harvested baby leaves. In a module, select the seedling you want to keep.
How do you harvest iceberg lettuce?
