The lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta) is a species belonging to the Valerianaceae family. It is a one-year, low plant, the edible part of which is a rosette of leaves. Brittle, delicate leaves with a nutty note contain a lot of carotene, vitamins C, B, and B2.
Contents:
- Rapunzel - position
- How to grow lamb's lettuce?
Rapunzel - position
Rapunzel prefers a warm, sheltered, sunny or semi-shaded position. Due to the shallow root system, it requires light, fertile, moist and neutral soil. It grows well in a variety of soil types, except in excessively moist and shaded areas. It is usually grown in the second year after the manure
Lamb's seeds can be sown all year round. Most often, however, lamb's lettuce is grown as a forecrop and aftercrop after plants leaving the field early.
How to grow lamb's lettuce?
We grow lamb's lettuce in the ground, but balcony owners will be able to enjoy its taste by growing it in pots. It also grows well in unheated greenhouses and frames. The seeds can be sown virtually all year round.
Due to its high frost resistance, Lamb's lettuce can also be grown for winter harvesting, then the seeds are sown in September. Plants withstand frosts down to -15 ° C, therefore we can harvest lamb's lettuce from plantings covered with agrotextile until spring.
Lettuce seeds for the forecrop are sown at the turn of March and April. They are sown to a depth of 1 cm, in rows 15-30 cm apart. Sprouts appear 8-12 days after sowing. After the plants have emerged, it is advisable to thin them out and leave the plants every 10-15 cm.
Plant care consists of loosening the soil, weeding and watering. With too little water, the lamb's lettuce leaves turn bitter. Due to the short vegetation period, lamb's lettuce does not require fertilization, but it responds well to feeding with organic fertilizers, e.g. decoctions, liquid manure or plant extracts.
Lamb's lettuce left in the ground for the winter should be covered with straw or agrotextile. You can also transplant some of the plants into pots and grow them in your home.
Harvesting takes place 2-3 months after sowing. We carry it out gradually, or at one time - cutting entire plants. We usually eat lamb's lettuce raw, as an addition to salads, omelettes or sandwiches. It can also be prepared like spinach.
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