Iceberg salad belongs to the cabbage family and is one of the most valuable varieties. In terms of taste, it is not inferior to any other salad. Its sweet and neutral taste makes it an ideal addition to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Difficulties in growing should not arise: both open ground and a greenhouse or even a kitchen window sill are suitable for Iceberg.
The plant is not demanding on the soil, but it is desirable that the soil be fertilized in the fall. The best time to plant is in spring, but you can do it at other times. Lettuce is planted with seedlings or seeds. It is very important to soak the seeds in warm water before this procedure – this will give quick germination. It is recommended to use pelleted seeds.
Iceberg lettuce is grown in a sunlit area of the soil, and if the air temperature drops below 17 ° C, the plant must be covered with agrofibre
Planting lettuce seedlings is more common. For this, the seeds are sown in peat cubes. The containers are placed in a cool room with an air temperature of up to 17-18 ° C. After two days, the temperature must be changed by 15-25 ° C. When the stem reaches a height of 7-10 cm and releases a couple of leaves, hardening can be carried out. The essence of the procedure is that the containers are taken out of the room for 3-4 days. After 2 weeks, the seedlings can be planted in the ground.
Both seedlings and seeds are planted in rows with a distance of up to 40 cm between them
Bushes should be placed at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. If the decision is made to plant the seeds of the “Iceberg” directly into the ground, you need to sow them in shallow grooves every 30-40 cm. It is important to cover the bed with foil to provide them with sufficient moisture.
From time to time, you need to remove the film for a short time so as not to create favorable conditions for the development of powdery mildew. The film can be removed permanently when sprouts are formed.
Soil acidity is of particular importance for growing Iceberg lettuce. The plant will not take root in acidic soil. Sandy or loamy soil with a high percentage of humus is suitable. It is advisable to fertilize the soil before planting.
The salad is unpretentious to care for. Several recommendations should be followed in order to get a rich healthy harvest, namely:
- After 4-5 weeks, you should gently loosen the soil so as not to snag the roots that are close to the surface.
- “Iceberg” does not tolerate droughts, it must be watered abundantly until heads of cabbage form, after which the amount of water must be reduced.
- Weeds must be removed after each watering.
- To keep lettuce leaves juicy and crunchy, fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium should be applied.
When the harvest is ripe, you can cut the heads of cabbage, but it is better to do this in the morning – then the salad is the most juicy and fresh.
Iceberg salad is an amazing vegetable containing all vitamins and microelements necessary for humans. It does not take a lot of effort to grow it, and delicious leaves from your own garden will decorate any dishes.