Greenhouse lettuce

Lettuce is at its best in spring, although nowadays we can consume it all year round thanks to greenhouse crops.

It's the leafy vegetable we consume most. Its high water content and low calorie count make lettuce one of the star foods in weight loss programs at this time of year.

There are numerous varieties, many of them the result of hybridization. The four most common varieties are head lettuce, curly leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and stem lettuce.

But do we know how to grow this vegetable in greenhouses? At MSC Greenhouses Group, we'll tell you.

Climate needs

Lettuce grows best when temperatures range between:

14º and 18º C during the day

5º and 8ºC at night

During the heading stage, the ideal climatic requirements are:

10°-12°C during the day.

3°-5°C during the night.

Relative humidity, between 60% and 80%

Soil preparation

Proper soil preparation is essential for successful lettuce cultivation.

The aim is to loosen the soil and provide it with drainage, as it should not be excessively wet.

The soil should be broken up and loose. It should be smoothed, settled, and level, avoiding uneven areas and zones prone to waterlogging or difficult to irrigate.

Padding

For mulching lettuce, plastic sheeting of approximately 200 to 400 gauge thickness should be used. It should not flap in the wind.