LETTUCE SEED`S "Loose leaf lettuce" FAST GROWING .

Seedling ProductionAbout 150-200 g of seeds are required per hectare.Prepare five seedbeds measuring 1 x 10 m each. Pulverizethe soil, incorporate 1 kg fully decomposed chicken manureand 300 g carbonized rice hull/m2. Wet the seedbeds andmake shallow lines 7-10 cm apart. Soak the seeds in warmwater for hours, air dry, and sow thinly. Cover lightly withsoil and mulch with rice hull, chopped rice straw or coir fiber.Prick to nursery trays at two-leaf stage with vermicompostfor easier recovering of pricked seedlings. Water regularly.Provide partial shade during the dry season and rain shelterduring rainy season. Harden seedlings one week beforetransplanting by decreasing the frequency of watering andby exposing fully to sunlight to minimize transplant shock.Transplant at three weeks after pricking.Land PreparationPlow and harrow the field twice. Prepare raised beds 1mwide and 0.75 m apart. Incorporate1 kg fully decomposedchicken manure and 300 g carbonized rice hull or vermicompost fertilizer per square meter. Apply rice straw mulchor mulching film. Make holes using heated tin cans 7-10centimeter in diameter. The holes maybe spaced betweenhills 30-40 cm, 2 rows/bed for crisphead, and 3 rows/bedfor loose leaf types.TransplantingBring out soil from the prepared holes and replace withvermicompost organic fertilizer. Water the holes thoroughly.Transplant 1 seedling/hill, press the soil around the plantfor easier seedling recovery. During sunny days, transplantin the afternoon to minimize transplant shock. Replantmissing hills at once.FertilizationDuring transplanting, apply 10 g/hill 14-14-14 (completefertilizer) as basal fertilizer. At 15 and 30 days aftertransplanting, sidedress with a 1:1 mixture of 46-0-0 (Urea)and 0-0-60 (Muriate of Potash) at the rate of 5 g/ plantfor crisphead varieties. Loose leaf varieties need only onesidedressing of 46-0-0 at the rate of 5g/plant at 15 daysafter transplanting.Apply manure tea and fermented plant juice once aweek to increase plant vigor and resistance to pests andfungal diseases.To prepare manure tea soak ¾ sack dry (30 kg) of cowor horse manure in a plastic drum filled with 180 L waterfor seven days and use as foliar fertilizer or as soil drench.To prepare fermented plant juice, mix chopped activelygrowing plant parts with equal amounts of molasses orbrown sugar. After one week of fermentation, extract thejuice and apply as foliar fertilizer at 1 tbsp/3.785 L water.