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Lettuce "Grazer Krauthäuptel 2"

Louisa Louisa
11/05/2022 · 4 minutes reading time

Help your May plant grow big and strong.


Here´s what´s ahead:


Getting Started

The rather rare lettuce variety 'Grazer Krauthäuptel 2' is originally from Austria. Besides its crunchy bite, this head of lettuce is also a feast for the eyes – it has a beautiful reddish colouring at the edges of the leaves.

The most important information at a glance:

  • Seed depth: 1 cm (light germination)

  • Germination temperature: 10 - 16 °C

  • Germination period: 6 - 14 days

  • Sowing indoors: February - March

  • Relocate outdoors: from March

  • Direct sowing outdoors: March-August

  • Harvest leaves/seeds: May - October/in 1st year

  • Plant spacing: 30 cm

  • Root depth: 15 cm

  • Location: sunny

  • Nutrient requirements: high


Sowing

Sowing indoors:

  • From February to March

  • Fill your seed trays or pots with soil.

  • Take the seed paper out of your calendar and tear it into small pieces.

  • Poke holes in the soil (1 cm deep, 2 cm apart) and spread the pieces of paper in the holes.

  • Cover the seeds with soil and place the tray or pots on a bright window sill.

  • Keep the seeds evenly moist until germination.

Direct sowing outdoors:

  • From March to August, you can also sow the seeds directly outside.

  • Make grooves about 30 cm apart and 1 cm deep.

  • Tear the seed paper into small pieces and distribute the seeds in the grooves.

  • You can sow a little closer together and separate the plants later, or leave about 30 cm between the seeds.

  • Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil (about 1 cm).

  • Keep them evenly moist until germination.

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Transplanting

  • If you have sown your seedlings indoors in small pots or trays, you should prick them out after 2 to 3 weeks.

  • Fill new larger pots with all-purpose soil.

  • Take a pricking stick or spoon handle, carefully lift the seedlings out of their old pots and place them one by one in the new ones.

  • You can plant them a little deeper at this stage.

  • From March onwards you can relocate the seedlings outdoors, either in a bed, a balcony box or in pots (one plant per pot, pot depth 20 cm).

  • The final planting distance should be 30 cm.


Location

  • Sunny

  • Soil: loose, well-drained and rich in nutrients.

  • It's best to work some humus into the soil.

  • Good neighbours: bean, pea, strawberry, fennel, kale, cucumber, carrot, garlic, radish, turnip, celery, spinach, tomato, and onion.

  • Bad neighbours: lavender, parsley, celery, and rue


Care

  • Water regularly, preferably not from above, otherwise, water can accumulate in the lettuce heads - and that leads to mould.

  • If you have worked humus into the soil before sowing, fertilising is no longer necessary. If you fertilise too much, nitrate can accumulate in the leaves.

Pests

  • Slugs and snails: Collect slugs and snails and release them far away. As a preventive measure, you can put up snail fences or cultivation nets.

  • Tip: Water your plants in the morning; moisture in the evening attracts slugs.

  • Aphids can be controlled with a solution of water and neem oil.


Harvest & Storage

  • The lettuce can be harvested about 8 weeks after sowing.

  • It is best to harvest in the afternoon, as the nitrate levels in the leaves are lowest then.

  • Take a knife and cut off the whole head of lettuce.

  • Before using it, you should clean it and remove all dirt and soil.

  • It is best to use the lettuce fresh, it can be kept in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks.


Enjoy

  • Slightly sweet taste with a firm bite

  • Rich in vitamin C (especially in the outer leaves)

  • Pairs well with pumpkin seed oil and apple cider vinegar