Sowing and Growing

Sowing and Growing:

Great Lakes 118 lettuce prefers well-draining soil and partial to full sun. Choose a site that receives at least 4-6 hours of sun per day.

Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a relatively new variety of lettuce that was developed in the United States in the 1980s. It is a cool-weather crop that grows best in mild temperatures between 60-65°F (15-18°C). It can be grown in a variety of settings, including in gardens, containers, and hydroponic systems.

Home Growing

The plant goes through several stages during its growth, as it completes its cultivation through seeds.

Great Lakes 118 lettuce prefers well-draining soil and partial to full sun. Choose a site that receives at least 4-6 hours of sun per day.

Seeding and growing

  Germination directly in the soil:

1. Prepare the soil mixture and plant the seeds at a depth of 1 cm in the soil, where the seeds must be covered with soil for the success of the germination process (Mixture of: 70% cocopeat – 10% vermiculite – 5% perlite – 15% plant compost is preferred. It can be Increasing the proportion of compost to 30% when the plant grows and add amount of organic fertilizer to the soil when planting lettuce so that the roots do better into the soil.

1. Spray the soil and seeds with water using a spray bottle or a spray bottle and cover them with a plastic box or a plastic bag to speed up the germination process, and do not forget to make holes in the plastic box so that the seeds can breathe. Germination takes about 3 to 15 days.

1. Examine the seeds once every 3 days and make sure that the soil has sufficient moisture for the seeds until germination. After germination, the plastic bag is removed and the plant is placed in a sunny place, don’t forget to water them well.

Germination in seedling trays or small containers:

It is preferable to plant in this way to achieve the highest rates of growth and to provide the appropriate conditions for seed germination in a better way, and this also encourages the seeds to grow better.

1. Prepare the soil mix and plant the seeds at a depth of 1 cm in the soil, where the seeds must be covered with soil for the success of the germination process (a mixture of: 70% cocopeat – 10% vermiculite – 5% perlite – 15% plant compost is preferred). By adding amount of organic fertilizer to the soil when planting Lettuce so that the roots grow better into the soil.
2. Spray the soil and seeds with water using a sprayer and cover them with a plastic box or a plastic bag to speed up the germination process, and do not forget to make holes in the plastic box so that the seeds can breathe. Germination takes about 3 to 15 days.
3. Examine the seeds once every 3 days and make sure that the soil has sufficient moisture for the seeds until germination. After germination, the plastic bag is removed and the plant is placed in a sunny place, paying attention to watering well.
4. After 4 leaves appear, so that there are 3 real leaves, the plant can be moved to larger containers so that there is more space for the seeds to grow and mature.

Growth stage:

It takes about 60 days for lettuce to reach maturity, and during this stage, lettuce needs some important factors affecting their growth. 

Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that the soil is rich in various nutrients, such as vegetable compost.

Some Plant Needs:

• Type: Suitable for cultivation in greenhouses as well as open fields.
• Maturity Days: 60 days
• Planting: Jan – March
• Preferred Soil When Transplanting: 80% cocopeat, 10% vermiculite – 10% Treated vegetable compost
• Preferred Soil When Planting: 70% cocopeat, 10% vermiculite, 15% treated vegetable compost – 5% Perlite
• Planting Depth: 1 cm
• Plant Distances: 10 – 30 cm
• Light: Bright Sun
• pH Range: 5.5 – 6.5
• Electrical Conductivity: 0.8 to 1.2
• Total Dissolved Salts: 512 – 768
• Color: Green

Harvesting:

• Great Lakes 118 lettuce can be harvested quickly as a batch by cutting the whole head.
• You can harvest the entire plant including the roots and you should keep it in cold temperatures, just above freezing (above 0º C) is ideal, this way lettuce can stay fresh for up to three weeks.
• Don’t let the lettuce freeze, if frozen, the leaf will wilt quickly.
• Lettuce requires humidity to avoid drying out, but condensation or heavy moisture on the leaves is detrimental.  
• The best thing that producers can do to avoid condensation is to keep temperatures very consistent and to process lettuce as little as possible.