LETTUCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1937, Page 35

LETTUCES

Lettuces are much in demand; in the summer and those gathered ' direct from the garden are infinitely superior to those bought. N ' ' ' ' • To get' good lettuces the seed should be sown or the plants set out on soil which does not dry out quickly and which contains a fair amount of nourishment. Should the soil be of a light porous nature plenty of cow or farmyard manure should be added and the beds be frequently watered and hoed. In ordinary soils lettuces will grow readily with no other, help than that of a good_complete fertiliser. Although most crops do best when, sown on a firm seedbed, the. reverse is the case with lettuces, because the. plants invariably do best in a loose, medium!

Heavy land should be hoed frequently for that reason, and care' taken

not to ■ consolidate it either., before or after sowing. Bad germination so often complained of is due in most instances to failure to work the soil into a fine tilth-before the. seed 'is sown. After the young plants, are. put out and have started into growth, generally in about a fortnight, a dose of nitrate of soda, loz in a gallon of water, will act as a stimulant and encourage strong gr9wth. During warm weather it will be found preferable to sow the seeds in rows where the plants are to ( growand thin out the resultant seedlirigs. Seedlings transplanted during the summer/ months have a tendency to run up to seed quickly. This does not occur so frequently when the plants arp allowed to grow without transplanting.