peat pots that are 3–4 inches deep. A good soil mixture contains two parts loam, one part sand, and one part organic matter. Thoroughly mix the soil in a wheelbarrow with a shovel and sift it through a ¼-inch mesh screen. Premixed soil mixtures are available at garden centers.
Growing Salad Vegetable Crops
Lettuce, endive, celery, and parsley are the most popular salad vegetables. There are three types of lettuce: looseleaf, head or semi-head, and upright. Leaf lettuce grows quickly and is the easiest type of lettuce to grow. Endive is available in finely curled and broad-leaved varieties. The broad-leaved variety is often called escarole. Celery is not usually grown in the home garden. It requires a long growing season, and it does not grow well in hot, dry summer weather. Parsley is used for garnishing and flavoring. A few plants will produce enough for the average family.
The salad crops provide vitamins as well as needed bulk. They are usually eaten without cooking.
Preparing the Soil and Fertilizing
Proper soil preparation is very important for success with the salad crops. They have small root systems and are poor foragers, so there needs to be a good supply of nutrients in the surface soil. The soil should be well drained and moisture retentive. Deeply plow or till the soil, then pulverize and smooth the surface. Incorporate well-rotted manure, other organic matter, compost, and a complete fertilizer such as a 10–10–10, at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet into the soil before planting. In the midseason you should apply a side dressing of the same fertilizer at a rate of 1 pound for each 25 feet of row. Do not use a combination of fertilizer and herbicide on vegetables. They contain weed killers that will kill vegetable plants.
The optimum pH range for salad crops is between 5.5 and 6.5. Liming will raise the pH of acid soils. Use a soil test to determine if any special fertilization or liming is required.
Transplanting
Transplant in late afternoon or on a cool, cloudy, calm day. Water plants well before transplanting. Cut the soil between the plants with a knife so each plant can separate easily with a substantial root ball attached. Seedlings grown in separate containers can be transplanted without disturbing the roots. If seedlings are transplanted in peat pots, make sure the top edge of the peat pot is not exposed above the soil surface or the peat pot will act like a wick and rapidly draw the moisture from the root ball, stressing the plant.
Scrape the dry surface soil from the planting area. With a hand shovel, make a hole large enough to easily receive the root ball of the transplant. Firm the soil around the roots and water with the starter fertilizer solution. Apply ½ cup per plant at planting time.
Transplanted crops may be set out in the garden a week or two before it would otherwise be safe if hot caps are used. Remove the caps after the air temperatures get real warm during the day. If paper hot caps are used, punch ventilation holes in the tops. High temperatures within the hot cap can kill young plants. |
