Discover the new Growable Calendars
salat

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.

salat

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

Beetnachbarn

Good Neighbours and Bad Neighbours

Jude Jude
· March

Diversity? Heck yes! We'll show you which plants go perfectly together, and which ones are better not to sow next to each other.

Read here
Laub als Winterschutz und Mulch nutzen

Don't blow those leaves away!

Jude Jude
· November

Autumn leaves on the ground?! This free layer of mulch serves as winter protection for plants and as food for soil organisms. Let's go!

Read here
Licht fällt in einen Garten

Light: So Important It Is For Your Plants!

Melanie Melanie
· October

We love the sun – and plants love it even more! Here you can find out why gardening indoors and outdoors really doesn't work without light.

Read here
Mischkultur aus Zwiebeln und Möhren

Creating a Mixed Culture in Your Garden

Jude Jude
· March

There are some perfect dream partners in the garden. You too can build a colourful mixed culture of healthy plants by following this guide!

Read here

Ideen & DIYs

Pflanzenwissen

Licht fällt in einen Garten

Light: So Important It Is For Your Plants!

Melanie Melanie
· October

We love the sun – and plants love it even more! Here you can find out why gardening indoors and outdoors really doesn't work without light.

Read here
Erbsenpflanze

Heavy-Feeders, Moderate-Feeders and Weak-Feeders

Jude Jude
· March

Do you know how much food your plants need? It is important to attend to their nutrient needs, and we've got some tips to help you!

Read here
Metall-Gießkanne wird zum Gießen eines Beetes genutzt

Quick Tips for Watering Your Plants

Jude Jude
· June

Wondering what to consider when watering your plants? Whether on your balcony or in your garden, here are some simple rules for the summer.

Read here
Bärlauch ist ein Kaltkeimer.

4 Easy Ways to Sow in Winter

Jude Jude
· January

Nature knows how it's done: Sow in autumn and let them germinate in spring. We'll show you how you can sow these so-called "cold germs".

Read here
diagram for a vegetable garden bed plan

Planning Your Vegetable Bed

Jude Jude
· April

Healthy vegetables and high yields: simple with proper planning. Take a look at our instructions, and use our sample bed plan as your guide!

Read here
garten

Summer Plant Care

Jude Jude
· June

Water, fertiliser, sunburn – we'll walk you through everything you need to consider when caring for your plants this summer.

Read here