Published on: 11 March 2016
Last Updated on: 02 June 2021
Maintenance of home devices is one way to keep them for a long period of time and make them energy-efficient devices to decrease electrical bills. There are various ways to maintain the air condition unit and this, we are going to discuss today.
Things you should do to maintain properly the AC condition unit:
The evaporator
The foil insulation in front of air duct junction should be removed first. If it is worn, replace it immediately. Then, the access plate should be cleaned as well. It is located behind the insulation and anchored with a few screws. Remove the screws and plates
Professional contractors who offer AC repair will recommend you to use a utility brush when cleaning the underside of the evaporator. Now, if the back area is unreachable, you just slide the evaporator a little bit.
Clean the tray now from the growth of fungus by pouring a tablespoon of chlorine bleach inside the tray. You can determine if there’s a clog on your tray, there’s water in it. Use the heavy wire in removing the clog.
Now, attach again the plate and tape the insulation back to the original place.
Switch on the AC unit and check for any air leakage. If there’s any, tape them with duct tape.
Maintain the Condenser
According to the professional technicians of HVAC companies, the condenser is always collecting dirt, dust and other debris from the outside environment. The fan inside the unit helps to circulate the air over the coil.
Any dirt, dust, debris like grass or vines should be removed from the condenser. This debris can affect the airflow.
Use a coil cleaner when cleaning the condenser. There is an instruction on the manual on how are you going to clean it. Flush some water on coil cleaner and let it dry.
Clean the fins using a brush. Remove the outer grill so you can reach the fins. Some of the professional contractors said that using the water hose to clean the fins may cause the dirt to clump then turning into mud. A fin comb can be used to get into the spaces of fins to clean it.
Inspecting the concrete pad is essential too. Make sure that the concrete pad is settled properly.
Use condenser cover for your unit to prevent ice damage or leaf blockage during winter months. A heavy plastic sheet with the sturdy cord can also secure your unit.
The maintenance of thermostat unit
Remove the grill and the control panel. Then, you must remove the thermostat carefully.
Test the thermostat using the VOM set into RX1 scale. You should attach the probes to the terminals then switch on the temperature controls to the coolest setting. Licensed HVAC technicians said that if the result is zero, it is functional then. But if the result is above zero, replace it right away.
Filter
The air conditioning filter must be changed once a month according to professional air condition technicians. But if the weather is extreme, change the filter twice a month.
Now, you don’t need to worry about your AC unit, these steps and tips shared by Wincrest will totally help you to do-it-yourself the AC cleaning and maintenance.
Lucia Patterson is the woman behind TheLegalGuides, a blog solely focused on legal guides, tips, and advice. Lucia loves essay writing and blogs at EssayWritingGuides from her college days.
When you start thinking about buying and installing a nice swimming pool, of course, you want to make sure that the installation process goes right. That means accounting for things like temperature and how busy the construction season is.
Summer is pool season, so many homeowners opt to try for a spring installation. But our pool builders in south Florida would caution homeowners that fall is actually the best time for a pool install.
8 Reasons to Build Your Pool in the Fall
You may be thinking that fall seems like an odd time to install a pool, but there are a few good reasons why it is a perfect time. Let’s take a look at 8 of them.
1. Construction Season
Spring and summer are the busiest seasons for construction workers and contractors, including pool companies. By waiting until fall, you are likely to enjoy a much shorter install time. With fewer jobs to bounce between, your pool installers are more likely to be able to devote their full attention to your build.
2. Temperature
Fall temperatures are mild and make it easier to work outside. This is especially true in places like Florida where summer temperatures can be scorching hot. In the fall, your pool construction team will be able to concentrate on the task at hand, rather than feeling overheated or worried about how long they have left in the day.
3. Landscaping
Think about what sort of weather you want to be working outside in. Once your pool is installed, you will likely want to do some landscaping, maybe place some furniture, or do some planting. Why not take advantage of the cooler temperatures and enjoy fall in your backyard with your new pool?
4. Pricing
At the end of the summer season – which is the height of pool season – you may be able to negotiate a better price on materials and labor. Often, pool companies have overstocked items or discontinued inventory that is less expensive. You may also be able to check out pre-owned items.
5. Weather Conditions
Pool construction during spring is often thwarted by rapidly changing weather conditions. This can mean delays in your pool installation. If you are hoping to have your pool installed by a certain month or date, spring storms can be a very real concern.
Related Reads: Swimming Pool Cleaning and Maintenance: Cheap Online Pool Supplies
6. Ready-made Summer Fun
By installing your pool in the fall, you can start enjoying your pool as soon as the temperatures are warm enough for your liking. Or, any time of year if you opt for a heated pool. In Florida, temperatures start to warm up in early spring, and by having your pool installed the previous fall, you have more time to enjoy the warm weather and pool fun.
7. Why Not Add a Hot Tub?
Have you considered adding a hot tub to your pool installation? If so, think about how much you will enjoy the cooler fall and winter evenings in your new hot tub with the view of your new pool.
8. Tax Considerations
A pool is a major purchase and is considered a home improvement. It can also increase your property value. Home improvements like adding a pool can be claimed on your taxes. If you install your pool in the fall, you will be able to claim it on the taxes you file in early spring the following year. Imagine relaxing by your new pool enjoying the sun and the knowledge that you got tax benefits from your installation.
Of course, not everyone wants to miss this pool season in order to do a fall pool install. But these eight considerations are certainly worth considering before you hire your pool contractors. The best way to decide when is the best time is to contact a pool builder in your area.
Read Also:
What is the Right Age to Start Swimming Lessons?
All You Need to Know About Pool Maintenance Services
Risks of Imbalanced Swimming Pool Chemistry
If there is one thing that most people try to know after searching for the legalities of growing weed, it is about “how to harvest weed?”
If this is something that you are searching for, I have you covered!
You see, weed, or marijuana, is a controversial plant to talk about. You might want to grow it for medicinal and recreational purposes. But the “What if people...” thoughts might put you off! This is because harvesting or growing weed is not like harvesting potatoes. There are several other things associated with the same.
But don’t you worry, my friend! If you are trying to search for the best ways to harvest weed, both indoors and outdoors, you need to look no further! Keep on reading this blog till the end to learn more...
Is Growing Marijuana Legal?
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, weed, pot, or ganja, is a plant that contains several psychoactive compounds. It can alter one's mood, cognition, and perception. Marijuana has been used for several reasons and purposes for thousands of years, ranging from medicinal to spiritual.
But its legal status has been a matter of debate and controversy in many countries. So, is growing marijuana legal?
The answer depends on where you live, how much you grow, and what you use it for. In some countries, such as Canada, Uruguay, and South Africa, growing marijuana for personal use is legal or decriminalized as long as you follow certain rules and regulations.
In other countries, such as the United States, Australia, and the Netherlands, growing marijuana is legal or tolerated in some states or regions but illegal or restricted in others. In many countries, such as China, India, and Saudi Arabia, growing marijuana is illegal and punishable by harsh penalties, regardless of the amount or purpose.
Various factors, such as the potential benefits and harms of marijuana use, the social and cultural attitudes towards marijuana, the economic and political interests of different groups, and the international treaties and agreements on drug control influence the legal status of marijuana.
The legal status of growing marijuana is also subject to change as new laws and policies are enacted or revised and further research and evidence are presented.
Growing marijuana is a complex and controversial issue that has no simple or universal answer. The best way to find out if growing marijuana is legal in your area is to consult the relevant authorities and sources, and to be aware of the risks and consequences of your actions. Remember, just because something is legal, does not mean it is safe, ethical, or advisable.
When Should You Plant Weed?
Spring is here, and you know what that means: it's time to get your marijuana seeds ready for planting outdoors.
This is the most important crop of the year because you can get the biggest harvest of all.
Some old-timers like to plant their seeds on the first full moon of March. They say this way, the seeds get some light at night and don't grow too tall too fast.
But sometimes, it's still too chilly in March, and not everywhere has the same weather. If you live in a colder place, your plants will grow slower and suffer from the cold and the wind. They will be weaker and more likely to get bugs and diseases
So, what should you do in this case?
Well, you can wait a month or two longer. A seed that sprouts in a nice climate from April onwards will grow bigger and better than one that sprouts in March in the same place
But growing plants for so long is not easy.
You must watch out for all kinds of things: bugs, diseases, nutrients, transplanting, pruning, training... It's a six-month-long job requiring constant attention
Things to Keep in Mind
If you want a good quality and quantity of weed there are several things that you need to keep in mind. Want to know what they might be? I have you covered! Here are some of the things that you'll need:
Fertilizers for growth and flowering: You can choose whatever fertilizers you like, organic or chemical. Organic ones, like humus, guano, and flower boosters, will give you a tasty and aromatic weed, but less of it. Chemical ones, like those from specific brands, will give you more buds, but less flavor.
Insecticides for insects like whiteflies, mites, or thrips: It's better to use them as a prevention, so you don't get any nasty surprises.
An anti-fungal product that works well against powdery mildew: Propolix or other chemical products are good, but you have to use them from the beginning.
Bacillus Thuringiensis: This is for caterpillars and other worms. Use it as soon as the flowers start to show, which is when these critters start to show up. Around May/June.
Stakes or wires to support the branches during the flowering stage.
Soil and Other Conditions to Grow Weed or Marijuana
It's obvious that this is the most common grow medium, probably because it's easy to find and has some nutrients already in it. Weed grown in soil is also more delicious and fragrant. And, no, it's not hard to grow in soil – just plant your (favorite) strain in the soil, and you're good to go.
That's it. Of course, there are different kinds of soil, and some are better than others. High-quality potting soil will make your life easier and faster. You might also want to add some extra nutrients to make your weed grow better.
Or you can make your own super soil. If you decide to buy soil, we suggest you go for the best brands, or at least those with a good soil mix. They should have things like earthworm castings, alfalfa meal, humic acid, etc.
Can You Grow Weed Without Soil?
Want to try something different? Go soilless. You'll see some quicker growth (and bigger harvests). And, conveniently, growing weed in soilless mediums is pretty similar to growing it in soil. The only difference is that you'll have to give the nutrients yourself because soilless mediums don't have any. Some examples of soilless mediums are coco coir, vermiculite, perlite, etc.
What About Hydroponic Grows? Is it Complicated?
No, hydroponic growth is not complicated. It's as easy as picking your setup (hydroponic system), getting your nutrients, and sprouting your seeds. And you'll get some amazing benefits: super-fast growth, huge yields, and super-strong weed.
Sounds good, right? Don't believe everything you hear because some information can mess up your growth. But with the right setup and care, you can be sure of a plentiful harvest.
What It Needs to Survive and Thrive: How to Grow Weed Plant?
If you want to grow the best weed possible, you need to know your plant well. Here are some of the main things that a weed plant needs to thrive, and how it works.
Light
Light is the fuel that drives photosynthesis and growth in a weed plant. The fan leaves are like solar panels that absorb light. The more light you give your plants, the more buds they will produce.
But be careful not to give them too much light. If you grow indoors, keep your lights at a safe distance from your plants, or you might burn them and ruin your nugs. And if your plants get too hot, they will dry out faster and need more water and attention.
Weed plants usually need at least six hours of sunlight a day when they grow outdoors. This is called “full sun”. When they grow indoors, they usually get between 12 and 18 hours of artificial light a day, depending on their stage of growth.
Weed is a photoperiod plant, which means that the amount of light it gets every day affects when it flowers and makes buds. Outdoors, this happens when the days get shorter in the fall. Indoors, you can make this happen by changing the light cycle from 18 to 12 hours a day.
Water
Water is essential for all plants, including weed. Water provides hydrogen for photosynthesis, and also carries nutrients from the soil to the plant through the roots, and throughout the whole plant.
Water also helps the plant stay firm and flexible, by creating pressure on the cell walls. This allows the plant to bend with the wind or reach for more light.
Plants also lose water through their leaves, like humans sweat, to cool down. This is called transpiration, and you can see it as droplets on the leaf tips.
This may sound obvious, but you only need to water the soil or the medium where your weed plant grows, not the leaves or the plant itself. We suggest that you water a lot, but not too often, rather than a little, but more frequently. This way, the roots can dry out a bit and get more oxygen from the soil.
Nutrients
A marijuana plant needs several nutrients to grow and flower. The main nutrients it needs are:
Nitrogen: Nitrogen helps a weed plant grow during the vegetative phase, when it makes more mass, stems, branches, and leaves. It is part of chlorophyll, the green pigment that helps the plant use light for photosynthesis.
Phosphorus: Phosphorus is important for storing and using energy, as well as for root growth and bud development. It helps the plant take up nutrients and build its structure.
Potassium: Potassium helps with many of the plant’s metabolic activities, such as respiration, transpiration, and enzyme activation. It also helps the plant fight off diseases and pests.
Calcium: Calcium is a minor nutrient, but it still plays a role in keeping the plant’s cell walls intact, and helping the plant absorb other nutrients.
Magnesium: Magnesium is part of chlorophyll, and helps the plant make glucose from photosynthesis. Without it, the plant can’t turn light into energy.
CO2
Plants breathe in CO2 through tiny holes in their leaves called stomata. During photosynthesis, plants turn CO2 into glucose, which they use to grow and flower.
Some indoor growers use a “CO2 burner”, which is a device that adds a little bit of CO2 to the air, to make the plants grow faster and bigger. But this is usually too much for home growers.
Wind/airflow
Wind or airflow is good for your plants, because it brings fresh air and CO2, which they need to grow.
Airflow also prevents mold and diseases, by removing moisture from the inside of the plant, so it doesn’t get too wet. You can also use a technique called scragging, which spreads out the branches and lets more air in.
Wind or airflow also makes your plant stronger and healthier, by making its stalks and branches thicker and sturdier. When a plant bends with the wind, it produces a hormone called auxin, which stimulates growth.
What to Keep in Mind While Harvesting Weed?
You probably know that different strains of weed need different amounts of time and sun to grow well. Sativas, which come from places near the equator, like a long and sunny summer to get fully ripe.
Indicas, which come from colder and harsher places, are usually faster to finish. But there are exceptions, of course. Some indicas are slow and some sativas are quick.
The best time of day to cut down your outdoor plants is in the morning, before the sun gets too strong. You don't want them to be wet from dew, but you also don't want them to be exposed to too much sunlight, which can ruin their flavor.
You can also harvest at night when it's cooler, but the morning is better because the plants are fresher and haven't been under the sun all day.
1. Watch the weather
As your buds get bigger and heavier and the season changes from summer to fall, the weather can change too. Depending on where you live, you might get some cold snaps or rainstorms.
These are not the end of the world, but you do need to pay attention to the weather and maybe decide on the spot when to harvest your plants, balancing their ripeness with the risk of losing them.
2. Harvesting in Lower Temperatures
According to sources, most weed plants can handle a light freeze—28-32°F for up to three hours—without any problem. But a hard freeze, anything lower or longer, can be a disaster.
Frost can make ice crystals form in the plant cells, hurting them. The leaves will look droopy and then turn dark and crunchy. The worse the frost, the more damage to the plant.
Remember that plants in pots are more sensitive to temperature changes than plants in the ground, so they are more likely to get frost damage.
3. Rainy Harvests
Rain is not a big deal by itself, but it depends on how long and how hard it rains. If it's going to stop soon and dry up fast, you can leave your almost ready plants outside. But if the rain is going to stay, mold is waiting—better to harvest sooner than later.
Covering your plants can help, but the air will still be humid. You can use some tall stakes and a tarp to cover them, but make sure to take them off when the rain or cold is over. In this way, the plants can warm up and breathe.
When to Harvest Weed Plant?
The type of plant growing determines when to harvest cannabis. Sativa, hybrid, and indica are the three primary kinds of cannabis seeds. Are you curious about the best time to harvest marijuana?
Let me break it down for you!
Sativa strain plants typically take longer to mature and give off a stronger cerebral height. However, Indica plants yield larger blooms and a more sedative, paralyzing high.
When an Indica and a Sativa are crossed, hybrids that enable flowers to have both traits are created. While Sativa cultivars blossom in 10 to 16 weeks (about three and a half months), Indica varieties flower in 8 to 10 weeks (about two and a half months) on average.
The cannabis plant can be found in hybrid form halfway between the two main species. It is important to understand that flowering times might vary based on environmental factors like temperature and duration of day.
Thus, the questions of when and how to harvest cannabis remain unanswered. Knowing what you want to achieve with your cannabis plants can help you decide when to harvest them.
Let's say you are growing cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Is there a unique method for harvesting cannabis in this case? If so, it is imperative to harvest the plant at the height of its cannabinoid content.
But if you are cultivating cannabis seeds for fun purposes, then it is best to harvest marijuana at its peak maturity.
How to Harvest Weed?
Once you've decided when to harvest your cannabis, it's critical to understand how to harvest cannabis plants correctly. It's simple to harvest cannabis; you just need to cut the stem off at the root. But it's best not to pull the branch out of the ground since this could damage it and reduce its yield.
It is crucial to properly dry the cannabis after harvesting it before stocking it. Hanging it upside down in a room with lots of ventilation and little light exposure is the best method to accomplish this, like a wardrobe. In order to efficiently dry cannabis, proper ventilation is necessary because it inhibits the growth of mold.
Before you proceed to store it, ensure that you let your cannabis rest for some time. This can range anywhere from three to seven days. This is a great way to ensure that the leaves are dried and ready for you to store.
Wrapping It Up!
In case you were searching for the best ways on how to harvest weed, I hope that this blog has been of help to you. If there are any other queries related to the same, please feel free to let me know. All that you need to do is scroll down till you reach the bottom of the page. Then leave your suggestions in the box below. And I will be there to answer them all for you!
More Resources:
Choosing a Medical Marijuana Dispensary
Marijuana Addiction Treatment: 5 Steps to Avoid Relapse
What Are Tarpenes? How Do They Work? – Cannabis Guide
Medical Marijuana Can Take New Dimensions in the Treatment of Pets
Since lettuce plants grow best in cool growing seasons, most lettuce varieties are classified as spring or fall greens. However, if the longer days are keeping your lettuce plant producing leaves well into the summer and it hasn't bolted yet, here are some excellent tips to follow to maximize your harvest.
Taking individual leaves off the plant is one way to increase its yield. Alternatively, you could sow in succession every two weeks in the early spring or fall to continue the harvest. To offer lettuces shade and protection from the hot summer sun and high temperatures, a third method is to interplant with a taller crop. Lastly, cultivators should seek out cultivars known for their slow bolting, like the looseleaf varieties "Slobolt" and "Sierra."
Here is how to harvest lettuce so you can eat some leaves right away and encourage the plant to continue growing more.
How To Harvest Lettuce?
If you want to harvest lettuce and do not know how to go about it, here are all the details. Follow the steps closely to get the healthiest and crispiest lettuce for your salads and sandwiches.
Plant Looseleaf Varieties
Your lettuce variety should be ready to harvest in 35 days, according to the seed packet, which means you should have large enough leaves to pick a little more than a month after planting. By regularly picking the outer leaves, you may be able to extend the harvest until late June if you sow seeds in March or April.
Begin Harvesting Early in The Season
Young lettuce plants will be harmed by light frost, but mature plants can withstand it. If you live in an area where there is no winter frost, you can plant early and begin harvesting the outer leaves when they get to be 4 or 6 inches long. Your harvest can last up to 30 days longer if you plant and harvest early.
Pick Lettuce in The Morning
It is ideal to harvest lettuce early in the day to avoid the leaves wilting due to the intense heat. The leaves are crispest and flavorful in the morning because they contain the most water.
Look For Plants with Large Outer Leaves
The center of the crown is where the new growth starts on the lettuce. You must remove the largest, oldest leaves that are about 4-6 inches long. You will find these leaves on the outside of the plant.
Cut or Pinch The Outer Leaves
At 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the base, pinch off each outer leaf. To break the leaf off the crown, apply just enough pressure with your thumb and forefinger. Another option is to use a sterile, sharp scissor or snipping tool, though there is disagreement about whether doing so accelerates the browning of cut edges.
Harvest Until it Flowers
When older, mature leaves are consistently removed, the lettuce plant is encouraged to grow new leaves in their place. Harvesting individual leaves is possible until the plant produces a flower stalk, which indicates that it is ready to bolt and set seed. Lettuce turns bitter once it bolts.
When to Harvest Lettuce?
As soon as the lettuce is large enough to pick, it can be harvested. A seed packet will typically tell you how many days it will take to harvest. For the "cut and come again" method of harvesting loose leaves, standard-size varieties are the most effective. When outer leaves are 4 to 6 inches tall, that's the best time to begin harvesting.
There are many varieties of lettuce seeds available, including blends and mesclun mixes. The best varieties to plant for a continuous harvest are called bi-colored, spotted, or loose-leaf lettuces in green and red or burgundy tones. The following are some varieties you might want to try:
Black Seeded Simpson
Green Salad Bowl
Freckles
Lolla Rossa
Gourmet Mesclun Blend
Deer Tongue
Garden Leaf Blend
Loose leaf lettuce varieties yield the best results from the cut-and-come-again method. Red, green, and oak leaf lettuce are a few examples. Additionally, you can wait to pick until a full head has matured or harvest early leaves from loose-heading varieties like butterhead and romaine.
When and How to Gather Lettuce Heads
The growth habit of head lettuce is akin to that of cabbage. In order to form a dense, rounded, or clumped shape, younger leaves emerge from the center, and older leaves form layers. There are two types of head lettuce: loosehead (similar to romaine) and crisphead (like iceberg).
Let the crisphead varieties mature for a single harvest and keep an eye on them in accordance with the days to harvest specified on the seed packet. When the heads are dense and the appropriate size, they are ready to be picked.
If you remove the outer leaves once or twice, loosehead lettuces will still head. However, the size of the fully mature head may decrease as a result. These lettuces can produce a head of looser layering or wrapping leaves (butterhead) or a clump of tall, straight leaves (romaine).
Remove crispheads by chopping off the stem just below the center. Loose heads can be trimmed similarly or removed, with roots and subterranean stems cut back to the leaf base, depending on size.
What Happens If a Flower Stalk Bolts
A lettuce plant will eventually shoot up a flower stalk in the center, a sign that it has reached the end of its life and is ready to bolt, or bloom, and set seed. Though they might still be edible, the lettuce leaves are starting to get tough and bitter. There is no stopping flowering once this process has begun. Throw away the plant and plant again if the weather permits.
Types of Lettuce
There are four types of lettuce you can choose from when choosing which to grow: leaf, butterhead (loosehead), romaine, and head lettuce.
When it comes to cultivation and harvesting, the main distinction is that leaf lettuce crops yield several harvests, whereas head lettuce varieties, such as iceberg, romaine, and butterhead, only yield one harvest. Leaf lettuces are, therefore, a favorite among home gardeners since you can grow them in raised beds, on the ground, or in patio containers.
Keep in mind that lettuce is a cool-season crop, so you should schedule your harvest for the spring when the temperature is still cool. Such temperatures are usually around 70 degrees. Find out when the first frost occurs in your area each fall and plant appropriately. Starting fall crops from seed indoors and moving them outside as the weather cools down may be the best option.
Seek out head lettuce cultivars such as Crisphead and Iceberg that you can grow from seed. In roughly six weeks, the lettuce will reach maturity and be ready for harvest after the seeds have germinated in 10 to 21 days.
One loose butterhead variety that you can grow from seed or seed tape is called Buttercrunch. It takes 65 days to be ready for harvest.
Vivian is one of the romaine varieties that yields soft, flavorful leaves. Directly sow seeds in the garden in the spring. Start seeds indoors in the fall and transplant them to your garden.
Varieties of loose-leaf lettuce grow quickly and are enjoyable to experiment with in salads, sandwiches, and other culinary creations. Look for mesclun mixes and heirloom cultivars such as "Black Seeded Simpson." Many come in simple-to-grow seed tapes that can be harvested in roughly seven weeks.
How to Harvest Leaf Lettuce?
When the weather gets chilly, you can harvest salad from a leaf lettuce crop in your home garden whenever you're ready to eat. You can harvest an entire crop of lettuce at once by waiting for it to mature. However, cutting fresh lettuce leaves off as they grow is the easiest way to prepare them for consumption at any time.
Depending on the variety, lettuce leaves should be harvested when they reach a length of 3 to 6 inches. Gather leaves continuously until the lettuce plant "bolts." This indicates that the plant has focused its energy on developing seeds and flowers, and as a result, the leaves typically develop tough stems and a bitter taste.
How to Harvest a Full Head of Lettuce?
A lettuce plant can continue to grow until it produces a full head of leaves. Use the "one and done" approach when harvesting head lettuce. Just make a clean, above-soil knife cut across the entire head of lettuce at the base of the plant. For this, a harvest knife comes in handy.
Remember the seed packet and note the maturity or harvesting days. As your plants get bigger, keep an eye out for indicators of maturity, which are typically firm, full heads. Harvest in the spring before it gets too hot, usually when the daytime highs hit 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The bitter taste of the leaves and the mushy head of lettuce can result from warm weather.
How to Store Lettuce?
When the lettuce is inside, you can use a colander to wash the leaves and thick cotton towels to dry them so you can use them in salads and sandwiches. In case you cultivate a lot of lettuce, investing in a salad spinner would be wise. It helps dry and wash Lettuce quickly.
Lettuce leaves without water should be refrigerated. For most greens, store the leaves in a loose plastic bag for approximately a week. When the salad greens are ready to be eaten, give them a good rinse in several runs of cold water and then pat dry.
How to Harvest Lettuce Microgreens?
Microgreens are incredibly simple to harvest! When the first true leaves appear, after ten to fifteen days of planting the seeds, they will be ready. When the microgreens are two to three inches long, harvest them if you are measuring them by height.
Investigating the flavor profiles of the microgreens at various heights is enjoyable. Cut the entire plant ½ inch above the soil line with a pair of scissors or grass shears. If you need more inspiration, check out our many other interesting gardening tips for growing microgreens, like growing lettuce microgreens!
How to Harvest Romaine Lettuce?
The leaves of romaine lettuce (also known as cos) have the perfect amount of crunch or crispness. The lettuce plant's outer leaves can be harvested as it grows. The leaves can be chopped off one to two inches above the ground. Gathering these tender green leaves now will give the lettuce more time to ripen before full plants can be harvested.
Before Romaine lettuce reaches maturity, it can take 55–70 days to grow from seed. To determine when the lettuce is ripe, examine it directly. When the romaine lettuce leaves are 6 to 8 inches tall, the ribs are firm and juicy, and the leaves have formed a tightly compacted head, the lettuce is ready for harvesting. To test if the lettuce head is firm, squeeze it.
Overripe head lettuce will be tough, while young head lettuce will be soft. Harvest by making a cut an inch above the ground, saving the crown for a subsequent harvest. You can harvest the lettuce head by digging up the entire plant if it is nearing the end of its garden lifespan.
Read More: Everything You Need To Know About Harvesting Basil!
Loose Leaf lettuce
The harvest window for leaf lettuce varieties is quite broad. After planting, the young, baby lettuce leaves can be harvested 25 days later, and the plant will mature fully in 50–60 days. Make sure your crop is harvested prior to it bolting.
Since you can harvest loose-leaf lettuce more than once during the growing season, it's ideal for repeated harvesting. You can chop the entire lettuce plant 1-2" above the soil line once the leaves reach 4". In 10 to 15 days, fresh leaves that have sprouted from the base will be ready for harvesting again if the crown is left intact. Try spreading out your seed sowings and doing multiple sowings to ensure a consistent harvest all season long.
If you want to preserve the crisp flavor of the young baby greens, you should sow them again. Another method of harvesting involves leaving the inner leaves to grow while pruning the young leaves on the outside of the head for greens. When the plants are 4 inches tall, you can begin harvesting lettuce by cutting them just above the soil line.
Crisphead Lettuce
When grown locally, crisphead or iceberg lettuce makes for incredibly tasty salad greens. You might not get a whole head of lettuce, but this can be a cut-and-come-again harvest. A single harvest is more appropriate for this green lettuce. After planting, there is a 50 to 75-day window for harvest.
Iceberg lettuce can be harvested as soon as the head appears before the outer leaves turn brown and as soon as the center feels firm, and the leaves are compacted tightly. Before the crisp lettuce starts to open and the seed stalk starts to form, harvest it. More importantly, if you see the lettuce beginning to bolt—a common issue in hot weather—or the seed stalk, harvest it right away.
Harvesting iceberg lettuce is best done by digging up the entire plant and then cutting off the stalk. Because of its thick stem, this lettuce plant can be challenging to harvest while it is still in the ground. If you decide to harvest the lettuce while it's still in the ground, please take care not to harm it. You can cut the stem just below the leaves by lifting the lettuce upwards.
Wrapping Up
Nothing compares to the sheer satisfaction of harvesting and regrowing fresh, new lettuce from the same plant. You are far superior to other lettuce owners if you can figure out how to harvest lettuce correctly so that it keeps growing.
Thus, if you want to become a rich lettuce farmer, make sure you constantly and meticulously follow all the above steps! If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about how to harvest lettuce, then please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.
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