Guide to Soil Cultivation of Lettuce in Greenhouses in Winter
As a high-value food crop, lettuce occupies an extremely important position in the global leafy vegetable field, and its key role in the agricultural economy is self-evident. With the continuous expansion of the lettuce market scale, commercial lettuce greenhouse cultivation has become a core solution to ensure the stable annual supply of lettuce. However, when winter comes, the problems of low temperature and insufficient light pose severe challenges to lettuce growers.
As the winter of 2025 is approaching, how can greenhouse lettuce growers skillfully overcome these difficulties? Next, let's explore the key points related to soil cultivation lettuce greenhouse of lettuce in lettuce greenhouse in winter in depth.
1. Advantages and Challenges of Soil Cultivation of lettuce greenhouse in Winter
In winter,lettuce greenhouse soil cultivation has become the preferred planting method for many farmers due to its cost-effectiveness and strong adaptability. However, to successfully overcome many obstacles such as low temperature, lettuce greenhouse frost and insufficient light, it is crucial to scientifically and reasonably manage and optimize the growth environment of lettuce. Below, we will detail a series of key strategies for winter lettuce planting, covering everything from the selection of suitable varieties to the precise control of temperature and the improvement of soil conditions.
2. Selecting Suitable Winter Lettuce Varieties
When planting lettuce in winter, selecting varieties with strong cold resistance, good disease resistance and a wide adaptability range is the first key step to achieve high and stable yields. Varieties such as leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, lamb's lettuce and red lettuce can all show good growth performance in low-temperature environments and are worthy of priority consideration by growers. These varieties can not only resist cold, but also reduce the invasion of diseases and pests to a certain extent, laying a solid foundation for the healthy growth of lettuce.
3. Winter Temperature and Heating Management
One of the significant advantages of growing lettuce in greenhouses in winter is the effective resistance to frost. The optimal temperature range for lettuce growth is 15 - 25°C. Within this temperature range, all physiological functions of lettuce can operate normally, and the growth rate is relatively ideal. Lettuce seeds have the best germination rate and germination potential in an environment of 15 - 20°C. Therefore, after sowing, the seedbed temperature should be carefully maintained between 20 - 25°C to create favorable conditions for the smooth germination of china greenhouse seeds.
If the local winter temperature is extremely low, installing a heating system becomes a necessary measure to ensure the ideal growth conditions for lettuce. Through the heating system, the temperature in the china greenhouse can be accurately adjusted to keep it within the suitable range for lettuce growth. In areas where the winter temperature is relatively mild and no heating system is needed, growers can skillfully use ground coverings such as plastic mulch. These coverings can effectively retain the heat in the soil, create a warm growth environment for the roots of lettuce, and help china greenhouse's lettuce thrive.
Considering that most china greenhouse adopt a single-layer structure, which has certain limitations in thermal insulation performance, many growers will take the method of adding additional covering layers to strengthen the thermal insulation effect of the china greenhouse. For example, laying plastic sheets or installing climate screens reasonably inside and outside the china greenhouse can effectively reduce heat loss, significantly improve the thermal efficiency of the china greenhouse, and provide a more stable temperature guarantee for winter lettuce planting.
4. Soil Requirements and Light Needs
Lettuce prefers to grow in a slightly acidic soil environment with a pH value of approximately 6.0. This soil pH can promote the effective absorption of various nutrients by lettuce, which is conducive to its healthy growth. At the same time, the soil should have a loose and porous structure to ensure good air permeability and drainage, china greenhouse and avoid root rot caused by water accumulation. In addition, soil rich in organic matter can continuously provide rich nutrients for lettuce greenhouse to meet its various needs during the growth process china greenhouse.
In terms of light, lettuce needs to receive at least 10 - 12 hours of light every day to ensure that the plants can carry out sufficient photosynthesis and thus achieve healthy growth. Sufficient light can not only make the lettuce greenhouse leaves green and the plants strong, but also effectively improve the quality and yield of lettuce greenhouse. Therefore, when the light time is short in winter, growers can try to increase the light duration and light intensity for lettuce greenhouse by reasonably adjusting the orientation of the china greenhouse and selecting covering materials with good light transmittance. If necessary, artificial supplementary lighting measures can also be considered to meet the light needs of lettuce.
