From RareSeeds.com:
Burpee's Seed Company introduced this Chinese variety to U.S. gardeners in 1942, but despite its splashy advocacy campaign, Celtuce never caught on. If Celtuce was a veggie ahead of its time in America, we think it's back! The leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked, but it's the stem that is the real star here.
Showing posts with label Lettuce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lettuce. Show all posts
Lettuce varieties from Hawaii: Manoa and Anuenue
- Manoa lettuce. Green mignonette, commonly referred to as Manoa lettuce, is a local favorite in Hawaii. The University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources selected a variety named UH Manoa. This variety is desired for its semi head, buttery flavor and tolerance to heat, bolting and tip burn.
- Anuenue lettuce is another local favorite that can be grown at low elevations. Anuenue has smooth leaves and under the right conditions can produce larger heads than the UH Manoa variety.
Both UH Manoa and anuenue can be grown year round in Hawai'i, and the seeds are available at the UH Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center.
True head lettuce and romaine prefer cool climates and grow best at higher elevations.
UH Manoa and anuenue lettuce matures in 45 to 60 days, while true head lettuce and romaine varieties take 65 to 85 days.
Hawaiian Grown TV - Manoa Lettuce - Owen K. Kaneshiro's Farm
References:
Lettuces of several varieties grow in Islands | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper http://bit.ly/1t3lvvP
- Anuenue lettuce is another local favorite that can be grown at low elevations. Anuenue has smooth leaves and under the right conditions can produce larger heads than the UH Manoa variety.
Both UH Manoa and anuenue can be grown year round in Hawai'i, and the seeds are available at the UH Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center.
True head lettuce and romaine prefer cool climates and grow best at higher elevations.
UH Manoa and anuenue lettuce matures in 45 to 60 days, while true head lettuce and romaine varieties take 65 to 85 days.
Hawaiian Grown TV - Manoa Lettuce - Owen K. Kaneshiro's Farm
References:
Lettuces of several varieties grow in Islands | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper http://bit.ly/1t3lvvP
Tropical lettuce - Lactuca indica, Indian lettuce
Tropical lettuce, Lactuca indica, is also called Indian lettuce. Lactuca indica (Compositae) is an edible wild vegetable, used as a folk medicine in anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and other medications in Asia.
It grows well in both the hot, wet summer and the colder winter of southern Florida. During the summer it grows to about 8 feet (2.5 m) high. Winter size is about half that.
The large leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. It quite disease and insect resistant. It is more bitter than the popular lettuces of temperate regions, though after the first bite the bitterness is little noticed. After cooking or when served with vinegar the bitterness is not present.
References:
VEGETABLES AND SMALL FRUITS IN THE TROPICS - ECHO farm in Ft Myers http://bit.ly/1wV3HWx
Antioxidant properties and phytochemical characteristics of extracts from Lactuca indica. http://1.usa.gov/1wV3B16
Indian Leaf Lettuce "You Mai Cai" Vigorous Upright Plant | eBay http://buff.ly/1zjEzhb
It grows well in both the hot, wet summer and the colder winter of southern Florida. During the summer it grows to about 8 feet (2.5 m) high. Winter size is about half that.
The large leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. It quite disease and insect resistant. It is more bitter than the popular lettuces of temperate regions, though after the first bite the bitterness is little noticed. After cooking or when served with vinegar the bitterness is not present.
References:
VEGETABLES AND SMALL FRUITS IN THE TROPICS - ECHO farm in Ft Myers http://bit.ly/1wV3HWx
Antioxidant properties and phytochemical characteristics of extracts from Lactuca indica. http://1.usa.gov/1wV3B16
Indian Leaf Lettuce "You Mai Cai" Vigorous Upright Plant | eBay http://buff.ly/1zjEzhb
Salad Garden in Wheelbarrow (as a container garden)
Garden and lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith shows you an easy, creative way to grow lettuce and herbs -- in an old wheelbarrow!
Triple "L" Concept: Lettuce Lights Living room
3 vegetable growing systems based on living arrangement (click on the link for a larger image).
The triple "L" Concept is summarized by the expression "Lettuce Lights Living room". It means that a lamp in any room could be replaced by a desk lamp with a CFL daylight bulb (75W or 100W equivalent). The lamp illuminates an edible plant in:
- a Kratky Hydroponic container
- a sub-irrigated planter (SIP)
You can start the triple "L" concept ("Lettuce Lights Living room") using products from Amazon.
How to Grow Collard Greens (Collards)
What are collards?
Collard greens is the American English term for various loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group), the same species as cabbage and broccoli. The plant is grown for its large, dark-colored, edible leaves and as a garden ornamental. The name "collard" is a corrupted form of the word "colewort" (cabbage plant).
The cultivar group name Acephala ("without a head" in Greek) refers to the fact that this variety of B. oleracea does not have the usual close-knit core of leaves (a "head") like cabbage.
Collards are also known as tree-cabbage or non-heading cabbage. Collards look like loose cabbage, without the rounded head in the middle. They are similar to kale in growing habits and taste.
Georgia is the most popular variety. Cooked collard greens is a dish often associates with the American South, however, collard is a cool weather plant that grows better in the fall.
Botanical Name: Brassica 'Creole'. Collards are from the cabbage family.
Collards grow 2 to 3 feet tall with rosettes of large, non-heading, waxy leaves growing on sturdy stems. Collard is a kind of kale and a primitive member of the cabbage family.
Grow, Pick and Cook your own Collard Greens (video):
How to grow collards?
Start from seed
You can grow collard greens as either a spring or fall crop. They are more flavorful and sweeter when grown in the cool autumn. Collards are usually sown right into the garden when the danger of frost had passed.
Days to germination: 5 to 10 days
Days to harvest: 85 days to maturity, harvest at 40 days
Light requirements: Full sun or light shading
Water requirements: Regularly and frequently
Soil: Tolerates all soils, extra nitrogen is helpful
Container: Suitable
The plants grow quickly, reaching a spread of up to 2 feet at maturity.
Collards are one of the most cold-hardy of all vegetables, able to withstand temperatures as low as 10 F to 20 F. In Zone 8 and southward, collards often provide a harvest through the entire winter. Collards are a cool-weather crop and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20°F. Collards are more tolerant of heat than cabbage.
Collards are considered to be “heavy-feeders”. Plant a few seeds every 2 feet, and thin them down to 1 plant after they sprout. Seeds should be planted just a 1/4 inch under the surface.
Pinch out the growing tips of the collard greens to encourage side branching. You can eat the leafs you cut off.
If you want to start harvesting young greens earlier, you can not bother with the specific spacing and just sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Cover them over with a thin layer of soil. As the plants begin to grow, you can pick the young ones for eating, until you are left with larger plants with at least 2 feet of spacing between them.
How to fertilize?
Apply a high-nitrogen blend of fertilizer to boost leaf production. Collards like to be fed. Choose a fertilizer high in nitrogen (because you're promoting leaves, not flowers). Try Dynamite Organic All-Purpose (10-2-8). Water regularly.
The secret to tender, succulent collard greens is rapid, even growth. Keep soil moisture consistent. Add a complete organic fertilizer before planting and side-dress with fish emulsion monthly to provide the nitrogen needed for quick growth.
Collards need fertile, well-drained soil with a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8 to discourage clubroot disease.
Can I grow collards in containers?
Yes. However, collards grow larger than most other greens, so you will have to have one plant per 10-inch pot. Larger containers are fine with 2 plants as long as you can provide at least 18 to 20 inches between their main stalks. Keep them well-watered and well-fed with fertilizer.
Use a 3- to 4-gallon pot that's about 10 to 12 inches in diameter for a single collard plant. A pot this size provides enough soil depth for the collards to produce healthy roots. The roots grow deep, so make sure the container is about foot deep.
Can I grow collards indoors, in containers?
Yes. Hang a fluorescent light that you can raise it up and down. Lower the light until it is 1/4 inch from the seedlings. This distance prevents collards from growing spindly. Raise the light as the seedlings grow. Plug the light into a timer, set for 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light.
When to harvest collards?
You can start harvesting leaves 4-6 weeks after you planted the seeds.
You can pick the leaves as the plant grows, by cutting off the ones at the bottom of the plant. As the inner stalk continues to grow upwards and produce more leaves, your collard plant will eventually look like a little tree with a bare stem at the bottom and leaves on the top.
What parasites affect collards?
Cabbage worms grow in the soil and kill collards. Collards may be attacked by cabbage family pests: cutworms, cabbage loopers (preceded by small yellow and white moths), and imported cabbage worms. Handpick these pests or spray plants with Bacillus thuringiensis. Deter collard-loving caterpillars, especially in spring, with a biological insecticide such as DiPel or Thuricide containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).
Otherwise, collards have no serious disease problems.
References:
Collards from Lowe’s Plant Guide http://low.es/X1Imt0 -- There is more info at Lowe's plant guide available at http://lowes.com/plants
How to Grow Collard Greens | Backyard Gardening Blog http://bit.ly/X1IqsB
Growing Collards - Bonnie Plants http://bit.ly/X1Ip8a
Can Collard Greens Be Grown in Containers? | eHow.com http://bit.ly/X1IpVH
How to Grow Collards | Harvest to Table http://bit.ly/X1Iskr
Grown Your Own Collard Greens - Southern Living http://bit.ly/X1Iwk9
Collards - Vegetable Directory - Watch Your Garden Grow - University of Illinois Extension http://bit.ly/X1IwR6
Collard greens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://bit.ly/X1Ix7I
Collards - Plant Care Guides - National Gardening Association http://bit.ly/X1Iys7
Container Vegetable Gardening, HYG-1647-00 http://bit.ly/X1IzMS
How to Grow Collard Greens Indoors | eHow.com http://bit.ly/X1IBV1
Collards Are the New Kale | Whole Foods Market http://buff.ly/1crSCQO
From Amazon:
Collard greens is the American English term for various loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group), the same species as cabbage and broccoli. The plant is grown for its large, dark-colored, edible leaves and as a garden ornamental. The name "collard" is a corrupted form of the word "colewort" (cabbage plant).
The cultivar group name Acephala ("without a head" in Greek) refers to the fact that this variety of B. oleracea does not have the usual close-knit core of leaves (a "head") like cabbage.
Collards are also known as tree-cabbage or non-heading cabbage. Collards look like loose cabbage, without the rounded head in the middle. They are similar to kale in growing habits and taste.
Georgia is the most popular variety. Cooked collard greens is a dish often associates with the American South, however, collard is a cool weather plant that grows better in the fall.
Botanical Name: Brassica 'Creole'. Collards are from the cabbage family.
Collards grow 2 to 3 feet tall with rosettes of large, non-heading, waxy leaves growing on sturdy stems. Collard is a kind of kale and a primitive member of the cabbage family.
Grow, Pick and Cook your own Collard Greens (video):
How to grow collards?
Start from seed
You can grow collard greens as either a spring or fall crop. They are more flavorful and sweeter when grown in the cool autumn. Collards are usually sown right into the garden when the danger of frost had passed.
Days to germination: 5 to 10 days
Days to harvest: 85 days to maturity, harvest at 40 days
Light requirements: Full sun or light shading
Water requirements: Regularly and frequently
Soil: Tolerates all soils, extra nitrogen is helpful
Container: Suitable
The plants grow quickly, reaching a spread of up to 2 feet at maturity.
Collards are one of the most cold-hardy of all vegetables, able to withstand temperatures as low as 10 F to 20 F. In Zone 8 and southward, collards often provide a harvest through the entire winter. Collards are a cool-weather crop and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20°F. Collards are more tolerant of heat than cabbage.
Collards are considered to be “heavy-feeders”. Plant a few seeds every 2 feet, and thin them down to 1 plant after they sprout. Seeds should be planted just a 1/4 inch under the surface.
Pinch out the growing tips of the collard greens to encourage side branching. You can eat the leafs you cut off.
If you want to start harvesting young greens earlier, you can not bother with the specific spacing and just sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Cover them over with a thin layer of soil. As the plants begin to grow, you can pick the young ones for eating, until you are left with larger plants with at least 2 feet of spacing between them.
How to fertilize?
Apply a high-nitrogen blend of fertilizer to boost leaf production. Collards like to be fed. Choose a fertilizer high in nitrogen (because you're promoting leaves, not flowers). Try Dynamite Organic All-Purpose (10-2-8). Water regularly.
The secret to tender, succulent collard greens is rapid, even growth. Keep soil moisture consistent. Add a complete organic fertilizer before planting and side-dress with fish emulsion monthly to provide the nitrogen needed for quick growth.
Collards need fertile, well-drained soil with a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8 to discourage clubroot disease.
Can I grow collards in containers?
Yes. However, collards grow larger than most other greens, so you will have to have one plant per 10-inch pot. Larger containers are fine with 2 plants as long as you can provide at least 18 to 20 inches between their main stalks. Keep them well-watered and well-fed with fertilizer.
Use a 3- to 4-gallon pot that's about 10 to 12 inches in diameter for a single collard plant. A pot this size provides enough soil depth for the collards to produce healthy roots. The roots grow deep, so make sure the container is about foot deep.
Can I grow collards indoors, in containers?
Yes. Hang a fluorescent light that you can raise it up and down. Lower the light until it is 1/4 inch from the seedlings. This distance prevents collards from growing spindly. Raise the light as the seedlings grow. Plug the light into a timer, set for 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light.
When to harvest collards?
You can start harvesting leaves 4-6 weeks after you planted the seeds.
You can pick the leaves as the plant grows, by cutting off the ones at the bottom of the plant. As the inner stalk continues to grow upwards and produce more leaves, your collard plant will eventually look like a little tree with a bare stem at the bottom and leaves on the top.
What parasites affect collards?
Cabbage worms grow in the soil and kill collards. Collards may be attacked by cabbage family pests: cutworms, cabbage loopers (preceded by small yellow and white moths), and imported cabbage worms. Handpick these pests or spray plants with Bacillus thuringiensis. Deter collard-loving caterpillars, especially in spring, with a biological insecticide such as DiPel or Thuricide containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).
Otherwise, collards have no serious disease problems.
References:
Collards from Lowe’s Plant Guide http://low.es/X1Imt0 -- There is more info at Lowe's plant guide available at http://lowes.com/plants
How to Grow Collard Greens | Backyard Gardening Blog http://bit.ly/X1IqsB
Growing Collards - Bonnie Plants http://bit.ly/X1Ip8a
Can Collard Greens Be Grown in Containers? | eHow.com http://bit.ly/X1IpVH
How to Grow Collards | Harvest to Table http://bit.ly/X1Iskr
Grown Your Own Collard Greens - Southern Living http://bit.ly/X1Iwk9
Collards - Vegetable Directory - Watch Your Garden Grow - University of Illinois Extension http://bit.ly/X1IwR6
Collard greens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://bit.ly/X1Ix7I
Collards - Plant Care Guides - National Gardening Association http://bit.ly/X1Iys7
Container Vegetable Gardening, HYG-1647-00 http://bit.ly/X1IzMS
How to Grow Collard Greens Indoors | eHow.com http://bit.ly/X1IBV1
Collards Are the New Kale | Whole Foods Market http://buff.ly/1crSCQO
From Amazon:
Make a list of those Gorgeous Greens and work your way through
Add a new green to your menu today. Here’s a list to work your way through:
Collards
Kale
Bok Choy
Broccoli Rabe
Napa cabbage
Dandelion
Swiss chard
Mustards
Beet greens and turnip greens
Spinach
Watercress
Arugula
Lettuce varieties
Lettuce, chard and spinach are mild in flavor while other greens — like arugula, dandelion and mustards — are sharp, peppery and bitter.
This Introduction to Kale 101 video showcases local farmers as well as the king of greens:
Here is another video about the same farmers: Andrea Crawford, founder of Kenter Canyon Farms, followed her passion for food down an unexpected path and built a life growing organic herbs and lettuces in Ventura, CA with her husband Robert.
References:
Oh, Those Gorgeous Greens! http://buff.ly/UvzlIN
Collards
Kale
Bok Choy
Broccoli Rabe
Napa cabbage
Dandelion
Swiss chard
Mustards
Beet greens and turnip greens
Spinach
Watercress
Arugula
Lettuce varieties
Lettuce, chard and spinach are mild in flavor while other greens — like arugula, dandelion and mustards — are sharp, peppery and bitter.
This Introduction to Kale 101 video showcases local farmers as well as the king of greens:
Here is another video about the same farmers: Andrea Crawford, founder of Kenter Canyon Farms, followed her passion for food down an unexpected path and built a life growing organic herbs and lettuces in Ventura, CA with her husband Robert.
References:
Oh, Those Gorgeous Greens! http://buff.ly/UvzlIN
Container Gardening: Growing Salad Bowls (video)
"Local farmers Joan and Ron Baune make these Salad Bowls to sell at the Portland Farmers Market for those folks who don't have the space to grow their own. In this video Joan shows you how to do it and Ron talks about how easy they are to care for and harvest. BTW, they make great gifts, too!"
What are the best plants to grow indoors under lights in the winter?
The best plants to grow indoors under lights are greens. They require only basic daylight white bulbs. Fruiting plants such as tomato, pepper and cucumber required special, warmer spectrum, high-output lights that stimulate flowering.
Here is a list of the best plants to grow indoors under lights in the winter:
- leafy vegetables such lettuce, spinach, chard
- herbs such as basil, oregano and parsley
I use indoor grow lights from Hydrofarm available from Amazon for $59. The containers are Growums SIPs. The best lights are high-output daylight white at 6500K. Hydrofarm JumpStart 4 feet system has 50W, 6500 K bulb.
The lights must be on for 12-16 hours every day. I typically switch them on immediately after I come home from work in the evening and switch them off just before I leave for work in the morning.
AeroGarden is a simple aeroponics system with CFLs. There is no soil, potting mix or hydroponics. However, the container size is small and the system is relatively expensive at $140.
Top Tips for Indoor Herb Gardening - About.com YouTube http://bit.ly/16UYL4R
Best Herbs to Grow Indoors from About.com -- Certain herbs are more likely than others to survive in indoor herb gardens. This video will show you just a few of the best herbs to consider growing indoors:
References:
Setup Indoor Grow Lights and Grow Winter Vegetables http://bit.ly/PZi2Ll
How To Plant Vegetables Indoors http://bit.ly/PZiZTS
Growing Vegetables Indoors | The Gateway Gardener http://bit.ly/PZjw8r
Growing Indoor Plants with Success | CAES Publications | UGA http://bit.ly/PZk8L4
Parsley, sage, cilantro, basil, thyme, chives, and mint are some of the best container herbs - Whole Foods Market http://bit.ly/16Qlcxf
Grow Herbs Indoors in Winter » Harvest to Table http://bit.ly/1aN0hJ1
Best Herbs for Container Growing » Harvest to Table http://buff.ly/RMMWhU
Here is a list of the best plants to grow indoors under lights in the winter:
- leafy vegetables such lettuce, spinach, chard
- herbs such as basil, oregano and parsley
I use indoor grow lights from Hydrofarm available from Amazon for $59. The containers are Growums SIPs. The best lights are high-output daylight white at 6500K. Hydrofarm JumpStart 4 feet system has 50W, 6500 K bulb.
The lights must be on for 12-16 hours every day. I typically switch them on immediately after I come home from work in the evening and switch them off just before I leave for work in the morning.
AeroGarden is a simple aeroponics system with CFLs. There is no soil, potting mix or hydroponics. However, the container size is small and the system is relatively expensive at $140.
Top Tips for Indoor Herb Gardening - About.com YouTube http://bit.ly/16UYL4R
Best Herbs to Grow Indoors from About.com -- Certain herbs are more likely than others to survive in indoor herb gardens. This video will show you just a few of the best herbs to consider growing indoors:
References:
Setup Indoor Grow Lights and Grow Winter Vegetables http://bit.ly/PZi2Ll
How To Plant Vegetables Indoors http://bit.ly/PZiZTS
Growing Vegetables Indoors | The Gateway Gardener http://bit.ly/PZjw8r
Growing Indoor Plants with Success | CAES Publications | UGA http://bit.ly/PZk8L4
Parsley, sage, cilantro, basil, thyme, chives, and mint are some of the best container herbs - Whole Foods Market http://bit.ly/16Qlcxf
Grow Herbs Indoors in Winter » Harvest to Table http://bit.ly/1aN0hJ1
Best Herbs for Container Growing » Harvest to Table http://buff.ly/RMMWhU
Materials for DIY sub-irrigated planter (SIP) for lettuce, green onions and garlic and many other vegetables
Here is a list of materials for DIY sub-irrigated planter (SIP) for lettuce, green onions and garlic, and many other vegetables:
- a bucket or plastic storage box. Use BPA-free plastic. For example, Dollar Tree offers large "Sure Fresh" plastic containers for $1. There are 9-qt (2.2-gallon) plastic buckets at Dollar Tree that can be used as planters.
- water/air reservoir. Many plastic containers, for example, a plastic bowl for takeout food can be used for this. Drill multiple holes. Alternatively, the holes can be poked with a knife.
- draining tube. The same tube can be used to pour the water in the reservoir. You may need a funnel. A food example is 1/2-Inch Diameter Vinyl Tubing that is available for 27 cents per foot at Lowe's. Amazon offers a similar product: Watts SVIG20 Pre-Cut 1/2-Inch Diameter by 3/8-Inch Clear Vinyl Tubing, 20-Foot Length.
Significant benefits of SIP gardens over traditional "drench and drain" gardens include:
- Water savings in the range of 70-80%
- No runoff of water and nutrients
- Increased productivity of edible plants
- Sustainability - no more short life plants due to uneven watering
This bubble SIP design is an insert for any watertight container. The reservoirs are made from a wide variety of recycled food containers. Most of the bubble reservoirs can be made from round 48 oz Glad type food containers. The fill tubes are recycled water bottles. Cut the bottoms off and they sleeve together to make fill tubes for containers of varying depths. The overflow drain valves are made from readily available vinyl tubing.
The tools are simple but caution is advised when using a wood burning pen or box cutter. The wood-burning pen works well in making both the small holes (approx 1/8”) and the hole for the overflow drain valve. Push the pen tip through to the heated barrel and it will make a ½” hole for the tubing.
All of the plastic and resin planters (without drain holes) shown at the URL link below are widely available at modest prices from stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Dollar Tree. They are readily adaptable to sub-irrigation using the “bubble SIP” design. The bubble metaphor reflects on the need for an online supply of both water and oxygen…just like a bubble.
Plants benefit by the fact that their root system resides right over an immediate supply of water and oxygen with no need for an electric pump. The principle of ebb and flow is modeled after systems used in modern greenhouse production. As the water rises by capillary action and used by the plant, additional air flows into the reservoir. There is always a balance of both water and air in the reservoir. Sub-irrigation like this is, in fact, a simple form of hydroponics.
Related:
Inside Urban Green: A Sub-irrigated "Bubble SIP" Water Conservation Test Garden http://bit.ly/1DuuvBL
- a bucket or plastic storage box. Use BPA-free plastic. For example, Dollar Tree offers large "Sure Fresh" plastic containers for $1. There are 9-qt (2.2-gallon) plastic buckets at Dollar Tree that can be used as planters.
- water/air reservoir. Many plastic containers, for example, a plastic bowl for takeout food can be used for this. Drill multiple holes. Alternatively, the holes can be poked with a knife.
- draining tube. The same tube can be used to pour the water in the reservoir. You may need a funnel. A food example is 1/2-Inch Diameter Vinyl Tubing that is available for 27 cents per foot at Lowe's. Amazon offers a similar product: Watts SVIG20 Pre-Cut 1/2-Inch Diameter by 3/8-Inch Clear Vinyl Tubing, 20-Foot Length.
Significant benefits of SIP gardens over traditional "drench and drain" gardens include:
- Water savings in the range of 70-80%
- No runoff of water and nutrients
- Increased productivity of edible plants
- Sustainability - no more short life plants due to uneven watering
This bubble SIP design is an insert for any watertight container. The reservoirs are made from a wide variety of recycled food containers. Most of the bubble reservoirs can be made from round 48 oz Glad type food containers. The fill tubes are recycled water bottles. Cut the bottoms off and they sleeve together to make fill tubes for containers of varying depths. The overflow drain valves are made from readily available vinyl tubing.
The tools are simple but caution is advised when using a wood burning pen or box cutter. The wood-burning pen works well in making both the small holes (approx 1/8”) and the hole for the overflow drain valve. Push the pen tip through to the heated barrel and it will make a ½” hole for the tubing.
All of the plastic and resin planters (without drain holes) shown at the URL link below are widely available at modest prices from stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Dollar Tree. They are readily adaptable to sub-irrigation using the “bubble SIP” design. The bubble metaphor reflects on the need for an online supply of both water and oxygen…just like a bubble.
Plants benefit by the fact that their root system resides right over an immediate supply of water and oxygen with no need for an electric pump. The principle of ebb and flow is modeled after systems used in modern greenhouse production. As the water rises by capillary action and used by the plant, additional air flows into the reservoir. There is always a balance of both water and air in the reservoir. Sub-irrigation like this is, in fact, a simple form of hydroponics.
Related:
Inside Urban Green: A Sub-irrigated "Bubble SIP" Water Conservation Test Garden http://bit.ly/1DuuvBL
How To Plant and Grow Lettuce
Lettuce is a Cool Season Vegetable (Salad Greens, Lactuca sativa from Asteraceae Family). Not native to North America - Mediterranean origin. Was cultivated by Egyptians 6,500 years ago.
With the variety of colors, shapes and flavors available, your salads may never be the same. Lettuce is adapatable to many growing conditions, but likes it cool - around 60 F to 65 F. Grow in spring and fall, and slow bolting by shading summer crops.
Sunlight: Yields best in full sun. Part shade helpful when it’s hot. Will withstand light to moderate frost.
Lettuce grows great indoors, or outdoors, in simple Kratky hydroponic containers.
Black Seeded Simpson lettuce in SIP.
How to plant
Propagate by seed. Best germination is below 70 F. Days to emergence: 7 to 14. Germinates in about a week at 50 F, 2 days at 70 F. It may fail to germinate if above 85 F.
Direct seed or transplant in early spring, as soon as you can work the soil.
Direct-seeding: Sow seed 1/8 inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. When plants have two or three true leaves, thin to 12-inch spacings for crisphead varieties, 6 to 10 inches for other types.
Seeds need light to germinate, so do not plant too deep. Make succession plantings every week or two.
Lettuce has a shallow root system. Keep soil moist to keep plants growing continuously.
Window box turned into a SIP for growing lettuce
Fertilizing Greens
The nutrients your leafy greens need are available in:
- commercial fertilizers such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10
- organic fertilizers like bonemeal, bloodmeal and dehydrated manures
The numbers 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 refer to the percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the bag of fertilizer. They are always listed in that order, too: N-P-K.
Plants need more than just 3 major plant nutrients to grow normally. Secondary plant nutrients, such as magnesium, zinc and iron, are also important, but usually needed only in small quantities. Most soils contain these minor elements, but mixing compost or other organic matter, such as composted manure, into the soil helps to insure their presence. Alternatively, you can add rockdust or Azomite.
Toss the fertilizer over an area as evenly as possible. You don't want to get a lot of the commercial fertilizer or dried manure in one place. Always mix the fertilizer into the top two to three inches of soil before planting.
“Up, Down and All-Around” is another way to think about NPK and the numbering system for fertilizers. Your lawn needs nitrogen for the leaves’ color and growth, phosphorous for strong roots, and potassium for overall health. Source: Home Depot.
Learn how to plant and grow lettuce from Burpee's expert horticulturist:
Here are some Burpee lettuce seeds I planted this year. There were available for $1.00 each at Home Depot:
Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce
HEIRLOOM. Even after 150 years it's one of the most tender leaf lettuces. Hugely popular for over 150 years, it's one of the most tender and delicately flavored leaf lettuces ever bred. The ruffled leaves are large with an appealing green color. 'Simpson' is well adapted to a wide range of climates and is still the best for early spring sowing.
Days to Maturity: 45 days
Sun: Full Sun
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Spread: 6 inches
Height: 9-15 inches
Thinning: 8 inches
Gourmet Blend Lettuce
Burpee Exclusive, popular looseleaf blend, selected for a long harvest. Fast-growing, tender, colorful, and tolerant of hot weather. Grows best in cool weather. Can also be grown as a fall crop. Protect from heat with shade cloth. Likes fertile soil, ample water. Best when picked minutes before your meal. Space lettuce plants 8" apart. 500 seeds per packet, will plant about 30 ft of row; one oz. sows 400 ft. Grows best in full sun.
Days to Maturity: 45-50 days
Sun: Full Sun
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Spread: 6 inches
Height: 9-15 inches
Thinning: 8 inches
Varieties
There are 5 types of lettuce:
- Looseleaf (var. crispa) - Easy to grow. Matures quickly. You can start harvesting leaves as soon as 4 weeks after planting. Great for early-season plantings. Wide variety of leaf shapes and colors. 45 to 60 days to full maturity.
- Butterhead (bib, loosehead, Boston) - Exceptionally good flavor and quality. Forms loose heads with oily leaves. 55 to 75 days to maturity.
- Romaine (Cos, var. longfolia) - Upright, elongated heads. (Some grow nearly 2 feet tall.) More tolerant of warm weather and less likely to bolt than other lettuce types. Red varieties as well as traditional light green. Most take about 70 days to mature.
- French (summer crisp) - Midway between butterhead and crisphead. You can harvest early like leaf lettuce or wait until heads form. 50 to 75 days.
- Crisphead (iceberg, var. capitata) - The familiar spherical heads found in grocery stores. Most difficult varieties to grow. Requires long cool season. Will bolt quickly in response to stress. 75 or more days.
Recommended varieties:
Looseleaf:
Black Seeded Simpson
Green Ice
Ibis
Lollo Rossa
New Red Fire
Oak Leaf
Prizehead
Red Sails
Ruby
Salad Bowl
Slobolt
Romaine:
Cosmo Savoy
Green Towers
Little Gem
Parris Island
Valmaine (a.k.a Paris White or Valmaine Savoy)
Butterhead:
Buttercrunch
Esmerelda
Four Seasons
Sangria
Winter Density
Container Garden Raised Bed Square Foot Gardening (video):
Here is his recipe for success: There are 6 holes drilled in the bottom of this storage container ($4-8 at Walmart/Target, etc.), each about half inch wide. Water on once a day at 6 pm. Sometimes lift the container to get an idea of how much water is in the soil. Water with fertilizer solution once every 7-10 days, e.g. fish emulsion fertilizer 5-1-1 mixed 1 tablespoon per gallon.
Related:
Vegetables for a Fall Garden in the Midwest
Four Season Garden #4: Planting Lettuce in an EarthBox - YouTube http://goo.gl/AhNzE
Four Season Garden #3: Starting Seeds - YouTube - http://goo.gl/RUz9s
Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide http://goo.gl/at6J0
Solving Lettuce Problems - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/zLZXB
Growing Salad Greens in Window Boxes - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/jlTJt
Lettuce Essentials - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/Sr1xg
Plant Lettuce Now for Winter Greens - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/SGGXh
With the variety of colors, shapes and flavors available, your salads may never be the same. Lettuce is adapatable to many growing conditions, but likes it cool - around 60 F to 65 F. Grow in spring and fall, and slow bolting by shading summer crops.
Sunlight: Yields best in full sun. Part shade helpful when it’s hot. Will withstand light to moderate frost.
Lettuce grows great indoors, or outdoors, in simple Kratky hydroponic containers.
Black Seeded Simpson lettuce in SIP.
How to plant
Propagate by seed. Best germination is below 70 F. Days to emergence: 7 to 14. Germinates in about a week at 50 F, 2 days at 70 F. It may fail to germinate if above 85 F.
Direct seed or transplant in early spring, as soon as you can work the soil.
Direct-seeding: Sow seed 1/8 inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. When plants have two or three true leaves, thin to 12-inch spacings for crisphead varieties, 6 to 10 inches for other types.
Seeds need light to germinate, so do not plant too deep. Make succession plantings every week or two.
Lettuce has a shallow root system. Keep soil moist to keep plants growing continuously.
Window box turned into a SIP for growing lettuce
Fertilizing Greens
The nutrients your leafy greens need are available in:
- commercial fertilizers such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10
- organic fertilizers like bonemeal, bloodmeal and dehydrated manures
The numbers 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 refer to the percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the bag of fertilizer. They are always listed in that order, too: N-P-K.
Plants need more than just 3 major plant nutrients to grow normally. Secondary plant nutrients, such as magnesium, zinc and iron, are also important, but usually needed only in small quantities. Most soils contain these minor elements, but mixing compost or other organic matter, such as composted manure, into the soil helps to insure their presence. Alternatively, you can add rockdust or Azomite.
Toss the fertilizer over an area as evenly as possible. You don't want to get a lot of the commercial fertilizer or dried manure in one place. Always mix the fertilizer into the top two to three inches of soil before planting.
“Up, Down and All-Around” is another way to think about NPK and the numbering system for fertilizers. Your lawn needs nitrogen for the leaves’ color and growth, phosphorous for strong roots, and potassium for overall health. Source: Home Depot.
Learn how to plant and grow lettuce from Burpee's expert horticulturist:
Here are some Burpee lettuce seeds I planted this year. There were available for $1.00 each at Home Depot:
Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce
HEIRLOOM. Even after 150 years it's one of the most tender leaf lettuces. Hugely popular for over 150 years, it's one of the most tender and delicately flavored leaf lettuces ever bred. The ruffled leaves are large with an appealing green color. 'Simpson' is well adapted to a wide range of climates and is still the best for early spring sowing.
Days to Maturity: 45 days
Sun: Full Sun
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Spread: 6 inches
Height: 9-15 inches
Thinning: 8 inches
Gourmet Blend Lettuce
Burpee Exclusive, popular looseleaf blend, selected for a long harvest. Fast-growing, tender, colorful, and tolerant of hot weather. Grows best in cool weather. Can also be grown as a fall crop. Protect from heat with shade cloth. Likes fertile soil, ample water. Best when picked minutes before your meal. Space lettuce plants 8" apart. 500 seeds per packet, will plant about 30 ft of row; one oz. sows 400 ft. Grows best in full sun.
Days to Maturity: 45-50 days
Sun: Full Sun
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Spread: 6 inches
Height: 9-15 inches
Thinning: 8 inches
Varieties
There are 5 types of lettuce:
- Looseleaf (var. crispa) - Easy to grow. Matures quickly. You can start harvesting leaves as soon as 4 weeks after planting. Great for early-season plantings. Wide variety of leaf shapes and colors. 45 to 60 days to full maturity.
- Butterhead (bib, loosehead, Boston) - Exceptionally good flavor and quality. Forms loose heads with oily leaves. 55 to 75 days to maturity.
- Romaine (Cos, var. longfolia) - Upright, elongated heads. (Some grow nearly 2 feet tall.) More tolerant of warm weather and less likely to bolt than other lettuce types. Red varieties as well as traditional light green. Most take about 70 days to mature.
- French (summer crisp) - Midway between butterhead and crisphead. You can harvest early like leaf lettuce or wait until heads form. 50 to 75 days.
- Crisphead (iceberg, var. capitata) - The familiar spherical heads found in grocery stores. Most difficult varieties to grow. Requires long cool season. Will bolt quickly in response to stress. 75 or more days.
Recommended varieties:
Looseleaf:
Black Seeded Simpson
Green Ice
Ibis
Lollo Rossa
New Red Fire
Oak Leaf
Prizehead
Red Sails
Ruby
Salad Bowl
Slobolt
Romaine:
Cosmo Savoy
Green Towers
Little Gem
Parris Island
Valmaine (a.k.a Paris White or Valmaine Savoy)
Butterhead:
Buttercrunch
Esmerelda
Four Seasons
Sangria
Winter Density
Container Garden Raised Bed Square Foot Gardening (video):
Here is his recipe for success: There are 6 holes drilled in the bottom of this storage container ($4-8 at Walmart/Target, etc.), each about half inch wide. Water on once a day at 6 pm. Sometimes lift the container to get an idea of how much water is in the soil. Water with fertilizer solution once every 7-10 days, e.g. fish emulsion fertilizer 5-1-1 mixed 1 tablespoon per gallon.
Related:
Vegetables for a Fall Garden in the Midwest
Four Season Garden #4: Planting Lettuce in an EarthBox - YouTube http://goo.gl/AhNzE
Four Season Garden #3: Starting Seeds - YouTube - http://goo.gl/RUz9s
Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide http://goo.gl/at6J0
Solving Lettuce Problems - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/zLZXB
Growing Salad Greens in Window Boxes - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/jlTJt
Lettuce Essentials - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/Sr1xg
Plant Lettuce Now for Winter Greens - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/SGGXh
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