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Lactuca sativa var. capitata

leaf lettuce

Common names: butter lettuce, butterhead lettuce

leaf lettuce

This description was machine-translated.

Description

Leaf lettuce is the classic garden salad: soft, delicate leaves that close around a firm heart. It has a mild, buttery flavor and is the quintessential summer salad, thriving from spring through autumn in multiple plantings.

Care instructions

Plant seedlings shallow so the heart stays above the soil, planting too deep causes rotting. Keep the soil consistently moist; dryness makes the lettuce bolt and taste bitter. Water at the root in the morning rather than on the leaves. Sow a small transplant every two to three weeks to maintain a continuous supply throughout the summer.

Soil & site

Soil pH

4.0pH 6–6.88.0

Soil type

humus-rich, loamy, well-drained, nutrient-rich

LightFull sun
HardinessFrost-sensitive
Crop rotationComposites
Water needHigh

Feeding

Medium feeder

Companion planting

Good neighbors

carrot family (Apiaceae)

Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.

For example Carrot fennelCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery)CarawayFennelparsley root and 15 more species in the catalogue

Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)

Rather not

nightshade family (Solanaceae)

Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.

For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 9 more species in the catalogue

Source: basic crop-rotation rule

Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.

Some of these explanations were machine-translated.

Diseases & pests

4 relevant

From the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.

DiseasehighJun–Sep
False Mildew

Peronosporaceae

You will find that the False Mildew is not a true fungus, but an oomycete that comes from the underside of the leaf, unlike the True Mildew.

More on False Mildew
PesthighApr–Oct
Spanish slug

Arion vulgaris

The Spanish slug is the most feared omnivore in the vegetable bed. It feeds at night and in damp weather, eating irregular holes into leaves, and often clears young lettuces or seedlings completely.

More on Spanish slug
DiseasehighMay–Sep
White mould (sclerotinia)

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

White mould is caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and attacks many vegetable crops, especially lettuces and beans.

More on White mould (sclerotinia)
DiseasehighMay–Oct
White mould (Sclerotinia rot)

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

White mould, also called Sclerotinia rot, is a fungal disease with a broad host range that attacks lettuce, beans and many other crops.

More on White mould (Sclerotinia rot)

Notes from real gardens

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