Head lettuce, also known as romaine lettuce or butterhead lettuce, is a popular vegetable variety grown in many regions. So, how can we achieve high yields when growing head lettuce? Let's explore the techniques for high-yield management of head lettuce.
1. Transplanting
It's best to plan the transplanting of seedlings to ensure continuous planting. Sandy loam and loamy soil are ideal for planting. When transplanting seedlings, leaving some base soil can improve survival rates. After transplanting, water thoroughly to ensure the plants establish roots firmly. During hot summer and autumn seasons, it's preferable to set up shading sheds in the morning and transplant in the evening. In cooler spring and winter seasons, use plastic film coverings when transplanting seedlings.
2. Irrigation
After transplanting head lettuce, irrigate promptly and cultivate when soil moisture is moderate. Avoid watering during the last 7-10 days before heading to promote leaf expansion, which is beneficial for head development. In the later stage of heading, it's advisable to control water to prevent cracking and disease. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged during this period, avoiding excessive watering or drought.
3. Cultivation and Weeding
After watering head lettuce transplants 2-3 times, loosen the soil through cultivation to promote root development. If weeds are found during cultivation, remove them promptly to prevent competition for soil nutrients. After cultivation, water again. For unplowed vegetable plots, secondary cultivation is necessary, keeping it shallow to avoid root damage. When cultivating, try to mound soil around the base of the plants to promote rooting at the stem base and prevent lodging and deformed heads.
4. Fertilization
Fertilization for head lettuce should mainly focus on nitrogen, but phosphorus and potassium should also be applied appropriately. Phosphorus deficiency during seedling stage results in dark green leaves and stunted growth, while potassium deficiency affects head formation during heading, reducing quality. Calcium deficiency in head lettuce can lead to tipburn and rotting of leaf heads, especially during the spring season. Pay attention to supplementing calcium fertilizer, such as calcium polysaccharide and amino acid calcium, with high absorption rates, through foliar spraying.
5. Disease Prevention and Control
The main disease affecting head lettuce is downy mildew. Spray pesticides at the early stage of disease onset. You can use 70% methyl thiophanate wettable powder at a dilution of 600 times or 40% downy mildew net wettable powder at a dilution of 500 times for good results. Spray at intervals of 7 to 10 days.
Above are the techniques for high-yield management of head lettuce. In summary, head lettuce is relatively easy to grow, and with proper management, high yields can be achieved.
