Knotty lettuce has a lighter and crunchier flavor compared to regular lettuce, making it ideal for salads and serving with burgers. In recent years the planting area of knotty lettuce is getting bigger and bigger, so how to plant knotty lettuce? What are the high-yield growing techniques for knotty lettuce? Let's take a look!

Ball lettuce high-yield planting techniques

01 seedling

(1) ground preparation: seedling should be fine ground preparation, per square meter of rotting organic fertilizer 2 kilograms, 100 grams of composite fertilizer, and can be added to a small amount of potassium phosphate mixing, so that the soil is fine, flat, fertilizer.

(2) sowing: the sowing cycle is calculated according to the harvest and growing period. In Kunming and central Yunnan area can be sown almost all year round, but the quality is good from October to April and the yield is high. Early-maturing varieties are sown in spring and summer, and late-maturing varieties are sown in fall and winter. Before sowing, water the soles of the feet, then sprinkle a layer of 0.5 cm of fine soil. Dry seeds are sown with 2 grams of seeds per square meter. For even sowing, seeds can be sprinkled twice with sand, then covered with 0.5 cm of fine soil to make a tight cover. Cover with a straw curtain to moisturize. After the seedlings emerge for 5-7 days, the cover should be removed gradually and care should be taken to protect them from heavy rain and sunlight.

(3)Seedling management:From sowing to emergence, the soil should be kept moist. When the seedlings grow 10-15 days later with two leaves, no matter seedling or direct seeding, should be inter-seeded. A single application of diluted human feces should be applied after dilution. Lettuce is sensitive to phosphorus fertilizer, and a certain amount of phosphorus fertilizer should be added when fertilizing to promote seedling growth. Seedling control of downy mildew, 75% Chlorothalonil 600 times liquid or 70% Metribuzin 1500 times liquid can be sprayed 1-2 times. Seedlings grow to 4-5 true leaves can be planted.

02colonization

(1)Land preparation and fertilization:Immediately after the harvest of the previous crop, the soil should be y dried and ripened. Before planting, each mu of bottom fertilizer, farmyard manure 2000 kg, 30-40 kg of calcium superphosphate, 7-10 kg of potassium sulfate, 10-15 kg of urea, mix well. In the rainy season, the width of the ridge is 1 meter, the height is 20-25 cm, and it is planted in two rows. In the dry season, the width of the ridge is 2-3 meters, 6-9 rows.

(2) seedling planting: planting the best staggered rows of planting. Planting nectar varies according to variety and sowing period. Early maturing species slightly dense, slightly sparse in late maturing species. Density is 30×40 cm, planting 5300-5500 plants per mu. In general, sowing can be delayed for 5-6 days after sowing.

03Site management

(1)Watering and fertilization:Keep the soil moist from planting to seedling restoration. Generally planting water should be filled up, and then again in about seven days, and then cultivate to keep the soil moisture. Later, you can flexibly control watering according to plant growth and soil moisture to keep the soil dry and wet. Lettuce needs a lot of water during the germination stage and the early stages of bagging, so keep it moist frequently. If the balls are already knotted, keep water under control to prevent ball cracking and heart rot. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied once with water during the rosette stage, 15-20 kg of ammonium sulfate or 10-15 kg of urea per mu. When covering the core, 7 kilograms of potassium sulfate should be applied per mu. You can also use 0.2% urea or 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

(2)Interplanting and weeding:Water 2-3 times after planting. In order to promote the development of the root system, should be timely plowing, so that the top loose, increase permeability. The third mesoculture should be carried out before sealing, and weeding should be carried out in time. Intercultivation should not be too deep.

04 Harvest

High yield and good quality after compaction. The leaf ball of raw vegetables is moderately tight, and it can be slightly borne by pressing from above to below with the hand. If it is too loose the yield is too tight and it is easy to crack the ball and rot. When harvesting, isolate from the ground and keep 2-3 outer old leaves out of the ground for long distance transportation. Knotting lettuce is susceptible to aphids, cabbage greenfly, cotton bollworm, downy mildew, soft rot, top burner and other pests and diseases during the growth process. To do a good job of preventive measures in advance, the use of efficient and low-toxicity pesticides, timely harvesting of lettuce loose and tight.

Knotty lettuce is a low-sugar, low-fat, rich in vitamins, minerals and organic matter and other vegetables. It has the effect of appetizer, pain relief, lowering cholesterol, opening the chest and diaphragm, moving the qi, strengthening the bones and muscles, removing bad breath, whitening the teeth, brightening the eyes, breast milk, sedative, hypnotic, dispersing the cold, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, for the treatment of anemia and neurasthenia. It is suitable for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, anemia, and weakness, and is not suitable for people with eye diseases.