If you don't have a garden, you don't have to do without fresh lettuce, because lettuce also thrives in pots. Learn how to sow, care for and harvest lettuce in pots below.

Potted lettuce needs a sunny spot

The right location for the lettuce in the pot

Lettuce needs a lot of light. It prefers full sun both in the garden and in the pot. It thrives poorly in the shade and the nitrate content also increases. You should therefore put your lettuce in a pot in a sunny spot on the balcony and terrace or on the window sill of a south-facing window.

Which pot is the right one?

Lettuce does not form deep roots and therefore only needs space on the surface. Therefore, the planter for the lettuce does not have to be particularly large. A bucket with a diameter of 20cm is quite sufficient. However, only one lettuce can be planted per pot. If you choose a balcony box for the cultivation, you can also plant several heads of lettuce. Keep a distance of 25cm.

Sow lettuce in the pot

Early lettuce varieties can be sown in pots as early as February. If you want to save yourself the pricking out, sow only one or two seeds per pot. If you want to be on the safe side or you are not sure how good the germination capacity of your seeds is - for example with seeds you have collected yourself - sow up to ten seeds or more.
Proceed as follows:

  • Fill your pot with nutrient-rich soil.
  • Dampen the soil with water using a spray bottle.
  • Sow the seeds loosely on the ground.
  • Cover the seeds with about half an inch of soil.
  • Spray them again with water.
  • Make sure that the substrate never dries out during germination!

Caring for lettuce in the pot

Lettuce is relatively easy to care for.

prick lettuce

If you have sown more than one seed per pot, prick them out a week or two after sowing. To do this, pull the excess plants out of the pot and only leave the plants that have enough space for them when they are fully grown. Each plant needs about 25cm2 of space. You can plant the plucked out plants in other pots or eat them in a salad.

pour lettuce

The substrate should always be kept moist during germination. You should also water the lettuce regularly later on. Waterlogging is - as always - to be avoided.

Fertilize lettuce

Lettuce does not need to be fertilized. The nutrients in the potting soil are enough for him.

tips

Here you can find out more about growing on the balcony and harvesting.

Category:

Vegetable garden