In the era of proper nutrition and he alth care, more and more people are trying to grow their own vegetables in order to avoid chemical impurities in the finished product and not endanger their bodies. In this article, you will read about leaf lettuce - a true friend of any self-care person.
Benefit or harm
Lettuce grown in a pot will bring exceptional benefits to the body. Which one?
Due to the low calorie content (12 kcal per 100 g), lettuce grown in a pot will not increase weight, it can be safely eaten in large quantities. Many nutritionists advise juicy leaves to be consumed in combination with other products. After all, a salad in its pure form does not cause a feeling of satiety.
The rich vitamin and mineral composition of the salad cannot be ignored. It contains vitamins of group B, C, as well as potassium, calcium, sulfur, iodine, phosphorus.
Also, the useful properties of the product include:
- digestion improvement;
- normalization of bowel function;
- cleansing the body of toxins;
- lower cholesterol;
- improve the condition of hair and nails;
- improvementskin, memory, vision;
- prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
However, there are contraindications. It is not recommended to use lettuce for people with gout, colitis and kidney problems.
How to plant lettuce
To plant lettuce in a pot, choose plastic containers. Be sure to place a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay on the bottom. It will help the water not to stagnate and protect the roots from rotting.
Use a special store mix. It is free of pests and enriched with nutrients needed for lettuce growth.
Garden soil can be infested with pests.
Sowing rules
Lettuce in a pot is planted in compliance with some rules:
- The distance between rows is at least 10 cm.
- Sowing depth - no more than 0.5 cm.
- The soil must be thoroughly moistened before sowing.
- There should be a distance of 2-3 cm between the seeds.
- The pot is placed in a dark place and covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect.
- When sprouts appear, the pot is exposed to light.
Care
Lettuce in a pot is easy to grow. It does not require special care. However, it is important to follow some points in order to get a bountiful and he althy harvest.
- Lighting. Windows facing southwest and southeast are the best choice. After all, a salad in a pot needs a lot of sun. in winteradditional artificial lighting is needed. The light day required for the proper formation of leaves is 9-14 hours. What can be done? You can use fluorescent lamps, placing them above the plants at a height of half a meter. If there is not enough light for the salad, the plant will stretch and turn white.
- Water. It is necessary to moisten the earth as it dries. For irrigation, use tap water, but do not forget to let it stand for at least a day. Watering frequency increases as lettuce grows.
- Temperature. Room conditions are quite suitable for a salad. In winter, you should not leave the salad in a pot on the windowsill, the temperature is always lower near the windows. Try to keep the temperature at 15-20 degrees, the plants will feel comfortable. Do not let the thermometer drop below 5 degrees, otherwise the salad will freeze.
Salad on foam rubber
If you do not want to mess with the ground, there is an option to grow watercress. This species can be grown on foam rubber.
You will need deep pallets, not lower than 5 cm. A 3 cm sheet of foam rubber is laid on the bottom, paper towels are placed on top. Be sure to soak all contents with water. Seeds are poured into paper. Lettuce in a pot is ready and will grow no worse than in an earthen substrate.
After harvesting, the paper is removed, the foam is washed, and you can use it again and again.
The main condition: to grow lettuce in a pot in this way, the entire contents of the pallet must be constantly moistened.
Feeding
The life span of lettuce is short enough not to require mineral fertilizers. Organic methods of feeding in the apartment are not the best solution due to the characteristic smell. The maximum can be added humate when watering. It is odor free and chemical free.
Harvest
It would seem that it is easier than picking a ready-made salad? But with proper collection, the bush will last a long time.
Ready to eat lettuce one month after planting. Reaches 10 cm at home.
Lettuce is constantly growing, and to get as many leaves as possible, follow these simple rules:
- Collect leaves early in the morning when the plant is saturated with moisture. So the bush will grow he althy, and the collected leaves will remain strong and fresh longer.
- Cut not the middle. Harvest only the outer lettuce leaves in the pot. This way the lettuce will continue to grow and produce new leaves for several months.
- Pick every 2 weeks to give the plant time to recover.
Lettuce leaves are perfectly stored in the refrigerator for 5-8 days, retaining their beneficial properties. Frozen product loses its taste when defrosted. This storage method is not recommended.
By sowing seeds once every 1-2 weeks, you can provide the whole family with greens. Easy to care for and very he althy salad in a pot deserves its place on the windowsill in your apartment.
And given that, in addition toundoubted benefits in nutrition, the salad is also beautiful, there is no doubt about "plant or not plant"
Growing an organic product, as you can see from the article, is not at all difficult. And it can grow all year round. Lettuce in a pot is a great option for people who do not have a home garden, but want to eat he althy food.
