Every spring, our body is deficient in vitamins. They can be replenished using early vegetable crops, for example, Kucheriavets Odessa salad, the cultivation of which will not be difficult. Read more about this plant in the article.
Salad Odessa kucheryavets: description
Latuc Kucheryavets Odessa belongs to the mid-early semi-headed varieties. You will be able to get a crop of tender leaves with a neat wavy edge 65–75 days after planting. Its greens are juicy, a little crunchy and has a great taste. During the growing season, a rosette with light green leaves grows from the seeds, the diameter of which reaches 35 cm. A single vegetable weighs from 180 to 210 grams. Kucheriavets Odessa salad has several advantages:
- lack of characteristic bitterness;
- fast growth;
- disease resistance;
- the possibility of sowing, regardless of the season;
- not afraid of frost;
- the crop is stored for a long time.
Gardeners have long noticed the neat appearance of a leaf outlet. Many plant Odessa salad Kucheryavets (photo is in the article), not only to enjoy delicious herbs, but also to decorate their site.
Useful properties of lettuce
Among his brothers Odessa Kucheryavets stands out for its high content of mineral salts. Lettuce contains a lot of nutrients. The plant is especially rich in iron, therefore doctors recommend the inclusion of lettuce in the diet to combat anemia. No less important are “building materials” for cells - calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur. Zinc, manganese, cobalt and copper have an antioxidant effect, promote skin rejuvenation and the removal of free radicals from the body. Potassium is responsible for maintaining the salt balance. Soft dietary fiber contained in lettuce stimulates the work of all parts of the intestine. Vitamins A, C, PP and folic acid are not produced by the body on their own, but you can use Odessa Kucheriavets salad to replenish them.
In addition, its leaves are used to lower cholesterol, to combat hypertension and diabetes. Useful herbs have a diuretic, sedative and lactogon effect.
Cultivation methods
There are several ways to cultivate this wonderful vegetable:
- planting in a greenhouse;
- sowing in open ground;
- growing on the balcony, windowsill.
Each method has its own advantages. So, with home cultivation, you can enjoy delicate greens year-round. Using a greenhouse, you will achieve an early harvest. Even a novice gardener can cope with breeding in the open ground .
Planting Dates
Since Odessa Kucheriavets salad can tolerate small frosts, it is sown as soon as the soil warms up a little. This can be done already in mid-April. In order for healthy greens to be constantly available, plantings are carried out with an interval of two weeks. For early cultivation, lettuce is planted in the greenhouse from March 1.
Cold resistance of the crop allows sowing in the winter. For this, landing work is carried out in early November. So that seedlings do not appear, the soil is properly mulched with peat. With the onset of spring, seeds will germinate and delight you with an early harvest.
At home, cultivation can be carried out at any time of the year.
Bed preparation
Kucheriavets Odessa salad, the cultivation of which takes place in the open field, prefers scattered sunlight. With direct exposure to light, the bush will necessarily produce a peduncle. After its appearance, the leaves are not suitable for food, they become too much bitterness. However, too shaded plantings contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in the green mass.
The soil for sowing needs to be enriched with organic matter. It is advisable to apply fertilizer at the rate of 1 square meter bucket in the fall. The substrate must be porous, have a neutral environment. The prepared bed is not dug up, it is enough to loosen the soil well enough.
Open sowing technology, care, harvest
Seed disinfection is the key to a healthy harvest. To do this, they need to withstand 15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. At the end of the procedure, the seeds are thoroughly washed and slightly dried.
Furrows are made in the prepared area with a step of 20 cm. The seeds are deepened by 1-2 cm. You can plant them in a continuous row, then you will need to thin out the thickened plantings. If sowing is carried out in increments of 15-20 cm, the outlet develops better.
The basis of care are:
- weeding;
- loosening the soil;
- moderate watering regime.
With proper preparation of the substrate, you can grow Odessa Kucheriavets salad without dressing. As you head out, you can harvest. This is done early in the morning. The cut-off socket does not need to be washed: it will deteriorate quickly. You can store the salad in the refrigerator, having previously wrapped it in a film. The product will remain fresh for a week and a half.
Useful greenery on the balcony
Greens grown at home will make up for the spring shortage of vitamins. The process itself is very simple. You can successfully use flower pots with a height of more than 10 cm as a planting capacity. To make the substrate, mix humus or peat, sand, garden soil in equal proportions. Do not forget about the drainage layer, the size of which should be at least 3 cm. Depressions are made in the filled tank with a step of 2-3 cm. Place 1-2 seeds in each hole, cover them with soil and pour plenty of water.
After a week timid shoots will hatch. For optimal growth and development, maintain the temperature no higher than 20 degrees. Watering is carried out as necessary, only in the root zone. It is not necessary to use top dressing in the cultivation of such a crop as Odessa Kucheriavets salad. The photo of a stunning crop obtained in an apartment environment speaks for itself.
Reviews and advice of experienced gardeners
The Kucheriavets Odessa salad won great popularity among gardeners. Reviews of this precocious crop suggest that it is very unpretentious in cultivation. The ability to quickly get a crisp vitamin crop is very attractive. When cultivating on depleted soils, experienced gardeners recommend using natural organic matter - mullein, compost, biohumus as top dressing. If the soil around the bush is mulched, you can forget about drying out the top layer and weeds. For home cultivation in the winter, lighting with special lamps is required.
Choosing this kind of salad, you will get an excellent crop in a short time. And the high decorativeness of the plant will make it the decoration of your table.