Lamb's lettuce(Valerianella locusta) is a leaf vegetable with a slightly nutty flavor. Its leaves are a great source of vitamins and minerals that we miss so much in the autumn and winter season. It is worth appreciatingnutritional values of lamb's lettuce , the more thatgrowing lamb's lettuce on the plotis easy, and we get the ready-to-eat vegetable after about 8 weeks. Seewhen to sow lamb's lettuce seeds , what are its growing requirements andhow to use lamb's lettuce in the kitchento make it taste best.
Rapunzel (Valerianella locusta)
Fig. Maduixa, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Rapunzel - nutritional values
Lamb's leaves are rich in nutritional values such as: vitamin C, provitamin A, B vitamins and minerals of phosphorus, potassium and calcium. In addition,lamb's lettuce is a rich source of protein and fiberwhich positively affects digestion.
We can collect these valuable leaves throughout the winter, which is whylamb's lettuce will be perfect in the fall and winter period , when our body's need for vitamin C is huge!
Who else should eat lamb's lettuce?Certainly pregnant women, because this vegetable contains a large dose of iron, as well as weakened people, e.g. after an illness. Lamb's lettuce is a vitamin injection for our body!
Rapunzel - application
The use of lamb's lettuce can be found primarily in the kitchen. Fresh lamb's lettuce leaves are one of the favorite leaf vegetables eaten raw , as an addition to salads and salads, sometimes stewed. The leaves, previously washed, can also be blanched, just like spinach. Lamb's lettuce looks interesting as a decoration on a plate with a meat dish, or in a glass of a cold drink.
Lettuce containsessential oils that give the plant a pleasant, slightly nutty aroma. Lamb's lettuce is often served with cold, boiled beetroot or celery. It goes perfectly with a variety of salads, accompanied by blue cheeses and roasted pumpkin seeds. Then it tastes great!
Lamb's lettuce on a vegetable patch
Fig. depositphotos.com
Rapunzel - cultivation on the plot
The lamb's lettuce is an annual plantwith a shallow and poorly developed root system. The entire rim of the lamb's lettuce leaves are gathered in a round-ovoid rosette. If we decide to grow this vegetable, we can choose fromtwo types of lamb's lettuce varieties :
- one is characterized by a small rosette of dark leaves,
- the second produces larger plumes with long, wide, light green leaves.
Lamb's lettuce is an easy-to-grow vegetable with a short growing season (it takes only 60-90 days from sowing to harvesting), and high resistance to temperature drops.
Good to know!
Lamb's lettuce can also be grown in pots on the balcony or on the kitchen window sill. Then we sow it into pots filled with universal soil for vegetables and ensure the most sunny position.
Rapunzel has low climatic requirements . It is not sensitive to frost, so you can leave it in the field all winter. The plant is able to withstand temperatures down to -15 ° C.
Lamb's lettuce prefers soils that are not very light, rich in humus and calcium. FavorableThe pH of the soil for lamb's lettuce cultivation on the plot is 6.0-7.5 Lamb's lettuce grows abundantly in sheltered, sunny or slightly shaded positions. Tolerates most soils, but must not be waterlogged.
In home gardenslamb's lettuce is usually sown straight into the ground in three terms :
- At the turn of March and April - as a pre-crop for late spring harvest,
- From the end of July to the end of August - as an aftercrop for the autumn harvest,
- In September, for the winter and early spring harvest.
Lettuce seeds are sown in rows 15-20 cm apart. When the seedlings have risen, make an interruption, leaving the plants at a distance of 10-15 cm. The recommendedspacing for lamb's lettuceis therefore 10-15x15-20 cm.
The lamb's lettuce is good for growing after itself , although it is recommended to take annual breaks to avoid possible infection of the lamb's lettuce by fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
We do not need to perform many special care treatments while growing the lamb's lettuce on the plot . It is important that we take care of systematic removal of weeds and loosening of inter-row spaces, as well as watering, especially during drought. Prophylactically, in order to protect against diseases, plants can be sprayed with the biopreparation Biosept Active.
People looking for high-qualitylamb's lettuce seeds to grow in the garden and plot , we recommend the store of our guide. We sell lamb's lettuce which is resistant to diseases and unfavorable growing conditions. By sowing these seeds you will see how easy it can be to grow lamb's lettuce in your own garden :-) To see the seed offer, click on the image below.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
