Lettuces It is one of the easiest vegetables to achieve in a garden. Rarely do we find people with gardens that do not have at least some planted. It is a resistant plantwhich is hardly damaged by diseases or pests, and with the exception of snails or slugs, few problems usually present. One of the questions that is mostly raised is knowing when to tie the lettuce.
In this article you will learn when it is important to tie them, and for what reasons it is done. Also, how easy it is to carry out the production of the different lettuces. Also its production is usually obtained between 40 to 150 days after planting, depending on the variety and time of year. What makes it an indispensable of the orchards.
Why are lettuces tied?
First of all, and it may surprise you, lettuce does not need to be tied. It is done for a matter of taste. Yes, you read it right. If you are one of those who have come this far because you have never tied them and you thought you were doing it wrong, not at all. Lettuce is particularly tied to whiten its interior, its head, to give it some shape, and to make it more beautiful when serving it at the table. Being this reason purely personal and tastes.
The main reason why many professionals end up doing it is because the market prefers it. Also for this reason the market pays them better. So it makes sense that in order to get a better economic return on production, many farmers lean towards this option. It is not so much knowing when the lettuce is tied, but for what reason it is tied.
What is the best time to tie lettuce?
When there are few days left to be collected. For a general, just do it about 4 or 6 days before being collected. This will make the interior whiten enough to be more attractive later.
It may be that during that period, it coincides with a period of rain. It is something to watch out for. If rain is anticipated, it is better not to do itor do it before and collect them before if we have been able to anticipate it many days ahead. The reason is that excess water inside can end up rotting and spoiling the lettuce. Being tied, water drainage is practically non-existent and it is easy for them to spoil.
The most common lettuce to be tied is long lettuce, also known as romaine. Another one that is interesting to bleach is the endive, although it presents some greater difficulties due to the type of plant. And finally we have some like the Oak Leaf that, due to the color that is pursued, is not usually sought to be tied. There are many types of varieties of lettuce.
How to tie lettuce?
It can be done with some rope, but for more practicality, a “chicken rubber” is often used. It is enough to pick up the leaves and hug them with your hand, and then insert the rubber in the form of a ring. Just be careful not to damage the leaves, with practice, you will see that it takes time to tie them.
In the case of the escarole, due to its tougher, long and narrow leaves, and its width, it is the most complicated. The difference with the other lettuces is that you will have to have more patience and delicacy, but it can still be tied even if at first it seems that it cannot be.
Related article:
Advantages and disadvantages of tying them
It is a matter of taste more than palate. Tying them allows us to have a more whitish color and yellow inside the lettuce. Served as a salad, it gives them a fresher look.
Furthermore, not tying them allows a better development of the lettuce and colorful, which also provides a little more nutrients.
Particularly, if I had to dedicate myself professionally, I would prefer to tie them as long as the market financially compensated that work. Being more valued, I would look for a higher return. But in my garden, contrary to what the market seeks, I am not one to tie them. I like to not worry, let the lettuce grow with its normal development, and give me very green leaves. In the end, especially in the garden, you will see that taste is more important than knowing when to tie the lettuce.
Tie the lettuces so they don’t spike? Nope
It is something that I have sometimes heard, tie the lettuce so that it does not spike or spike later. It has nothing to do with itIt is part of its natural cycle. When the plant is ready for flowering, that is, reproduction, it will spike whether it is tied or not.
In summer, it usually spikes early, thanks to the temperatures, since the plant has developed faster. It is enough to keep this detail in mind, that the hotter it is, the sooner it will spike, to be able to harvest it sooner. Otherwise, with the bolting the taste of the lettuce becomes more bitter.
Lettuce consumption advice for orchards
A distinguishing feature as consumers is that we eat with our eyes. This also happens when going to buy the vegetables to sow or make them germinate. In the case of lettuce, as with cauliflowers or others, once ready to pick, the plant cannot last many more days because it begins to spike. To always have lettuces ready and not waste anything, just know how much we are going to consume. If we have animals and we have to feed them, it is always good to do more, for family consumption only with a few is worth it.
In the case of summer, it is enough to know how many lettuces we can consume per week, two or three, they are not usually more. Since growth at this time of year is fast, we can sow 2 or 3 a week, so we will always have fresh and ready lettuces with minimal waste. By winter, growth slows down a lot, even seems to stagnate. As we get closer to it, we will increase the amount planted. As winter ends, we will gradually reduce the quantities, so that all the lettuce does not come all at once.
Related article:
How to plant lettuce?
