September is ideal for planting vegetables in Germany. When the summer heat is finally over, home gardeners can enjoy gardening to the fullest - they still have time to plant their vegetable gardens with fast-growing vegetables like spinach, lettuce and other varieties that are ready to harvest until the first frost and beyond .
Sowing in the spring doesn't mean you can't grow something in the fall. Fall is a good time to grow certain vegetables, especially those with deep taproots and leafy greens - best of all, you can also plant lettuce in September. There are different types of lettuce that are good for fall. Read on to find out more about it.
Planting lettuce in September – varieties and tips
Fall is an ideal time to grow lettuce for several reasons: cool-season plants tolerate light frost, do well with short daylight hours, and like moderate temperatures. In cooler weather the probability isthat the lettuce bloomsand becomes bitter, lower than in the summer months. Another benefit of growing lettuce in the fall is the bountiful yield that gardeners can achieve when they select the right varieties and adjust their growing techniques.
Tipp:If you want to grow your own vegetables, you can either sow seeds or get seedlings from garden centers.
The right location for autumn salad
Fall lettuce can be grown either outdoors or in sheltered spaces such as cold frames or greenhouses. When sowing young, early lettuce plants, a distance of at least 25 cm is required. This gives the lettuce the light it needs to develop its full potential. As the leaves mature, they become significantly larger and less bitter. You should then wait 6 – 8 weeks to harvest the lettuce varieties.
Healthy seedlings for cultivation
Choose young plants that are sturdy and in good condition. In order to protect the plants from frost, good cold protection is essential. Although lettuce can tolerate temperatures near freezing, it needs to adapt to the cold.
Which types of lettuce are suitable for autumn cultivation?
Autumn is ideal for growing endives and frisée lettuce, but traditional leaf salads such as lamb's lettuce and lettuce also thrive at this time of year.
- Endivie: This type of lettuce tolerates cooler temperatures and can be planted until around mid-September.
- Lettuce:Types of salad likeBataviasalatare just as suitable. They can withstand low temperatures both indoors and outdoors.
- Lamb's lettuce:Since it thrives well in colder weather, lamb's lettuce is best sown in September.
- Cut salad: Since it can be harvested continuously, cut lettuce is ideal for late sowing.
- Sugar Loaf:This strain is ideal for fall growing because of its sugary taste.
- Chicory:This is another fall plant that produces good yields.
- Winter salads: 'Brown Winter' and 'Zimska Salata Zupanja' are two varieties that do well when planted in the fall.
- Asian salads such as pak choi, mizuna etc.:The one from AsiaPak Choiis not only nutritious and tasty, but is also ideal for fall cultivation. If you are growing bok choy outdoors, it is ideal to do it in August or early September, when the heat of the day has passed. Temperatures that are too high cause Asian vegetables to germinate quickly. The Pak Choi is ready to harvest just six to eight weeks after sowing.
- Also, try different varieties likeArugula and winter purslaneto grow.
Also read:Cutting berry bushes in autumn – this is how to do it right
Cover image: TheCorgi/Shutterstock
