The first fresh leaves, crunchy and so sweet. Can’t wait for them too? And wouldn’t it be possible to plant the seedlings in the greenhouse now, at the end of February? “In this case, the greenhouse effect plays into your hands,” says Jana Bucharová, a garden expert, in the podcast. And you only have to watch them a little.
You can find the podcast consultation in the audio version right here:
In the end, it doesn’t really matter if spring is dominated by the desire for a healthy lifestyle, the joy of an experienced grower after a long winter break, or just an aesthete whose eyes will be delighted by the first true spring green of his own harvest. Lettuce is usually the first thing you can harvest in the season. And if you have a good greenhouse, you will see it really soon. Well before the first day of spring.
Wait for the sun
That is the clear first condition. So you can start transplanting the seedlings into the greenhouse when sunny days prevail over cloudy ones. “After all, the sun is what protects the salads in the greenhouse,” adds Jana Bucharová, garden expert of Receptář magazine. “It will heat up the space in the greenhouse and the salads will grow because of it.”
So early, however, he recommends choosing varieties a little with regard to their growth and hardiness. Salad variants suitable for cutting leaves are better, after all, longer time and better conditions are needed to develop the head. But it does not mean that you will lose a lot of taste. Leaf salads in particular offer a lot of options, including Asian varieties, which tend to be particularly hardy.
Hardy leaves
You usually don’t have to worry about hardiness even with more traditional salad varieties. Nevertheless, the expert recommends keeping an eye out if by chance it starts to freeze more. “Lettuce can usually handle the cold, in short they just stop growing and wait until it gets better again. But small seedlings can be more sensitive,” he describes.
And at the same time recommends first aid. If you’re really worried about the salads, cover them overnight with a white non-woven fabric. Feel free to use several layers, which will then easily protect them from freezing damage. Just don’t forget to sweep them away again during the day.
