Lettuce "Grazer Krauthäuptel 2"

Here´s what´s ahead:

• Getting Started

• Sowing

• Transplanting

• Location

• Care

• Harvest & Storage

• Enjoy

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.

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