Salad crops contain many useful properties, in addition, they are used for the preparation of many dishes and decorations. It can be grown not only in the sowing season, but also in the cold season in the greenhouse. You can even make good money on this, since the plant does not require a lot of attention.
Content
Characteristics
The salad belongs to annual crops, in just one season they harvest both crops and seeds. It is eaten fresh in food, often combined with vegetables. Salad leaves are seasoned with vegetable or olive oil, ordinary or balsamic vinegar, soy sauce. It can be eaten for dinner or used as a side dish for meat or fish dishes. Green salads are often included in the diet with diets, they are not high-calorie, but they will saturate the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
The composition of the salad includes acids important for the human body, as well as minerals and organic substances. The ripening periods in most varieties are short, mostly fresh leaves can be cut a month after planting.
Common varieties of salad:
- head of lettuce - tolerates cold and ripens quickly. Harvested in the spring, it is believed that at this time a large amount of fiber and vitamins are concentrated in the leaves;
- leaf lettuce - can be cultivated both in spring and in winter. However, it has its drawbacks, it is impossible to store it for a long time, since it will deteriorate. The culture does not tolerate transportation quite well. It is also important not to miss the collection period, otherwise the leaves overripe and become coarse;
- romaine - is a loose head, and it is artificially formed. To do this, the foliage is tied in the middle of the plant. Seeds are sown during warming, and in order to accelerate the harvest, a seedling method is used. This variety of lettuce does not have prolonged keeping quality, so they dig out the heads of cabbage along with the roots and a small lump of soil;
- asparagus salad - before use in food, it is subject to heat treatment. The stalk of the plant reaches a meter height. Before eating the stems, they are first cleaned, and then boiled or steamed. Then they are fried in batter. To increase the shelf life, the plant is dug up with roots and placed in a dry, dark and cool room;
The privileges and difficulties of growing lettuce for sale
Many gardeners, gaining experience, think about making a profit from the garden economy. Greens are one of the most demanding care crops. It grows very quickly and does not require the introduction of a large number of fertilizers. It is rarely attacked by pests and diseases. If you analyze the market, you can understand that greens are in demand throughout the year, and this guarantees its sale.
Growing salads in small volumes is not so profitable, given the costs of purchasing seeds, fertilizing, the amount of water for irrigation and the organization of heating in the cold season. The idea of industrial production is profitable. But only if there is a possibility of marketing products wholesale or retail. Otherwise, the crop, which wasted effort and money invested, simply disappears.
Nowadays, not many people are selling lettuce in a greenhouse in winter for sale. Therefore, the competition will be small, and the price of vegetables in winter is much higher than in summer. Payback will be higher in regions with a warmer climate, because the cost of heating the greenhouse will be much less. It is possible to sell products not only in the field of cultivation, but then you need to take into account the cost of transportation and choose bedridden and transportable varieties. After all, the presentation of the salad should be attractive.
Knowing the cost of wholesale sales of products and approximate costs of maintaining a greenhouse, as well as the purchase of consumables, you can calculate the approximate profit. But it can be either less or more, for example, during a harsh winter, heating costs will increase and naturally this will reduce profits. And if spring is early, then income will increase on the contrary. Often, the payback of a green business is higher than with the cultivation of vegetables and can range from twenty to thirty percent. After all, what to do in your home in the winters, no matter how the generation and implementation of new ideas.
Greenhouse requirements
If summer for growing lettuce suitable open groundthen in winter you can’t do without a solid greenhouse. This is the largest investment in the first stages, but it is one-time. After the payback of the cost of the greenhouse, you can get a net profit.
Frame and coating
In order for the greenhouse to keep warm in winter, a reliable design is needed, and you can not do without pouring the foundation. First you need to think about size, a small greenhouse will not bring noticeable income, and a large one without established sales will not pay off soon. On average, crop yields range from 1,500 to 2,000 grams per square meter. If you plan to sell the salad at retail or in small wholesale, then enough from 8 to 10 square meters. Thus, the optimal length of the greenhouse is 5 m, and the width is 2 m. In the future, when establishing sales, it can be increased.
To choose the material you need to learn more about each. There are three varieties of greenhouses:
- film;
- polycarbonate;
- glazed;
The film is one of the inexpensive materials, but it can tear, does not retain heat well enough in the winter and needs to be replaced every 3 years. Of course, you can buy frost-resistant or reinforced film, their quality is much better than normal, but they are also more expensive. But if the budget is limited, then you can build a film structure, in the future it can be replaced.
Glass holds heat better and is much stronger, individual sections can be replaced if damaged. The cost of building a glass greenhouse will be higher, but installation takes more time. But you can save money, many after replacing windows will gladly sell the old cheaper.
Polycarbonate is a relatively new material for greenhouses; it is highly durable and durable. It weighs quite a bit, so you can build a greenhouse from it yourself, but it won’t take much time. The material retains heat well, and this will reduce heating costs. But the cost of polycarbonate is high, so it is used only on an industrial scale.
The frame is often made of wood, because the metal cools very quickly and lowers the temperature in the greenhouse. Bars made of wood retain heat better, but before mounting they need to be coated with impregnation, which will protect the structure from rotting and drying out.
Heating
In any case, heating is necessary for the greenhouse, for this it is most convenient to use infrared heaters, they quickly warm the soil and maintain the temperature in the shelter. Everything is convenient to carry and installation does not require special knowledge. The disadvantages of this heating include current expenses, since they work from electricity.
You can also build a wood-burning stove, pipes are laid in the greenhouse, they are heated with the smoke passing through them. Carbon monoxide exits through them through the chimney, and the air in the shelter is heated.Of course it is cheaper, but it requires constant attention, you need to throw firewood every 4 hours.
You can use additional heating. At night, the walls can be hung with agrofiber. Mulch is well maintained at the soil temperature from the remains of vegetation with the addition of manure or droppings; when decomposed, they emit a large amount of heat.
Watering
Without regular watering, a salad cannot grow and develop well; only clean and warm water is used. The most optimal way of watering is considered drip. It is not difficult to organize it, in the shelter you need to install a large barrel, a pump is attached to it, and porous hoses are placed on the beds, they are attached to the pump. To supply water to the tank, pipes are laid from the water supply, be sure to insulate them, otherwise the water may freeze in the cold.
How to grow salad crops in the winter in the greenhouse
Caring for a crop is not time-consuming, if there is a desire and a heated greenhouse suitable for this, it is not difficult to grow a salad. There is another important condition for the salad - this is a sufficient amount of light, so in some regions it will be necessary to install additional lighting. Seeds are sown in greenhouses in September, and until December inclusive, you can harvest. You can also sow work in January, in this case fresh leaves are harvested until March, the rest of the time the salad can be grown in the garden. Demand for salad is very high, as many adhere to proper nutrition. And for the New Year holidays, orders for this vegetable will be enough.
On an industrial scale, lettuce is grown hydroponically. At the initial stages, you need to buy automation that controls humidity, temperature and lighting. Seeds are planted in special containers of 2-3 pieces in one. Then a mixture is poured into them for active plant growth. Below on capacities there are openings for germination of roots. When the roots sprout, the containers are placed in a special groove in one row. After the gutter serves water enriched with vitamins and nutrients. The composition is controlled by sensors. With this method of growing, lettuce growth is very fast, and the leaves are healthy and have high commercial qualities.
Growing lettuce with other crops
One salad is usually grown during the first turn of greenhouses or greenhouses. The culture is growing rapidly, practically does not require investments and gives excellent crops. At the same time, lettuce has a positive effect on the soil, after which it will grow perfectly tomatoes and cucumbers.
You can also grow lettuce and at the same time they are sown in rows between rows in order to compact the soil. In order not to delay the planting of other plants, it is recommended to choose leafy varieties of culture, since they differ in rapid germination and short growing season. Aisles are planted every 20-30 days and while tomatoes and cucumbers emerge and germinate, you can earn money by selling lettuce.
Salad Features
For beginning gardeners, unpretentious leafy varieties with fast growth are perfect. These include:
- cress;
- oak-leaved;
- frieze;
Having gained experience, you can go to more exotic varieties, for example, Iceberg or arugula. They are certainly more difficult to care for, but their cost is also higher. The iceberg has a fresh aroma and a pleasant taste; its leaves contain a high content of fiber and minerals. It is suitable for eating by those who adhere to a diet, or with special nutrition, in connection with diseases. But it is worth considering that:
- the growing season is a little longer;
- the variety is demanding on lighting and soil composition;
- in order for the head to form, the temperature in the greenhouse should be 20-25 degrees, both the lowered and the higher indicators the Iceberg reacts poorly;
Arugula is also suitable for low-calorie diets and contains fiber. She is less whimsical. The leaves have a taste of refreshing, with a slight bitterness.It is used not only to decorate dishes and to prepare salads, but also added to hot dishes. The main conditions for the growth of arugula:
- regular watering;
- nutritious, moisture-intensive soil;
- the presence of mineral dressings;
- temperature regime of 18-20 degrees Celsius.
Seed selection and sowing
If the greenhouse is already ready, it remains to choose seeds for sowing. It is better to choose leaf varieties with short ripening times. Perfect for this:
- Lola Rossa;
- "Grandee";
- “Gourmet”;
- "Kitezh";
- "Firebird";
You can also study the market in more detail and choose any other variety for sowing. The amount of seed mainly depends on the size of the greenhouse and the frequency of sowing. Sowing rules are quite simple:
- the soil should be moist and loose;
- for leaf varieties, the row spacing should be at least 20 cm, and for cabbage 35-45 centimeters;
- deepen the seeds when sowing 5-6 cm;
- after emergence of planting appears, it is necessary to water regularly, and monitor the microclimate in the greenhouse;
Crop care
A large number of procedures for the care of salad crops do not need. Each variety, of course, has its own characteristics, on the package recommendations are given on the temperature regime, lighting. Watering is carried out at first 1-2 times a week, as the number of waterings increases. Do not allow moisture to get on the leaves.
You also need to pay attention to lighting, with its lack of plants are drawn. If daylight hours are very short, fluorescent lamps must be used. For most varieties, the daily temperature in the greenhouse should be from 15 to 20 degrees, at night I lower it to 8-10 degrees Celsius. Top dressing is carried out 1-2 times for the entire growth period, for this use:
- urea 15 g / m2;
- ammonium nitrate 10 g / m2;
- potassium chloride 15 g / m2;
Rowing of row-spacings is carried out once or twice for the entire period of growth. Harvested 3-4 weeks after sowing, when the soil dries after watering, lettuce leaves by this time should reach 7-10 cm.
Diseases and Pests
Most salad crops are susceptible to fungal diseases, which in turn arise when the irrigation regime is not followed and the use of contaminated material (soil, seeds) is used. Moreover, young seedlings are more prone to them. As for pests, most often lettuce attacks aphids - specially developed remedies will help get rid of it. In order to protect yourself from diseases and insects, it is necessary to observe agricultural technology and carry out preventive measures.
Conclusion
You can grow lettuce in a greenhouse all year round, the main thing is to create suitable conditions for the culture and provide it with proper care. By growing green leaves you can make good money, especially before the holidays. After all, salad is an indispensable ingredient for many both ordinary and stand-up meals.
