Qualtivate ™ Organic Little Gem Lettuce Seeds(375 Seeds) Seed  (375 per packet)

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS To promote good germination for your Lettuce, prepare the sowing bed by tilling well before sowing the seeds. The soil on your seedbed must be loose and well-draining and not too soggy. Directly sowing the seeds in the soil about half an inch deep and cover them with ¼ to ½ inches of soil. You also plant chives or garlic as companion plants for Lettuce to keep the pests at bay. Make sure that the soil remains moist but well-drained or root rot & bolting may damage your plants. GROWING REQUIREMENTS PESTS Aphids are the most common pests that are likely to damage the Lettuce. They can suck the water and nutrients away from the lettuce leaves and cause them to wilt. This can also cause the plant to have molding issues. Organic neem spray or oil is your best bet against aphids. Moreover snails, slugs and caterpillars can also damage your lettuce plant and timely removing them from the plant is the most effective way to protect your plant. SOIL Ensure fertile, well-drained, moist soil for lettuce with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The Lettuce grows best in loose soil. Lettuce is sensitive to acidic soil so maintain a pH above 6. SPOT Lettuce grows best in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade as well. TEMPERATURE Ideal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C (50-72°F). If the weather is too hot, the plant may go straight to seeding instead of producing optimum leaves. WATERING Water the lettuce plant lightly and frequently to keep the soil moist to promote leaf growth instead of root growth. HOW TO HARVEST Start harvesting Lettuce from outside of the lettuce head, leaving the central bud to grow more leaves. Harvesting lettuce leaves in the morning will give you the best flavor. Too mature lettuce leaves may go bitter or woody in taste, so keep a check on your lettuce bed every day to harvest ready-to-use leaves on time. Keep the lettuce in a covered in a paper towel in the crisper section of the refrigerator to keep them fresh for 7 to 10 days after harvesting.