Lettuce is one of those crops that can easily be damaged by insects. I would find that to be true, especially in the southern states.
There are a few tricks however, that I have found in growing greens organically. I hope to share a few with you and help keep you chemical free. You will find that I do not believe in any sort of pesticides or herbicides. Not even organic!!
Companion Plants for Organic Lettuce
The FIRST important step I've found is growing them in diverse conditions.
What this means is simply forgetting all about nice tidy rows of lettuce. Instead introduce a whole lot of companion plants to let them grow with.
The fun part about this is you can create a beautiful edible landscape in the process.
Garlic and Onions are fabulous companions for all the greens! Radishes are truly a fantastic trap crop to grow along with your greens.
What this means is that the insects will chew on your radish leaves instead of your lettuce, spinach and other greens in your garden.
The best part about this is that you still get radishes too!
Laying the stems and sticks of Rosemary after you've pruned them will help ward off everything from aphids to cabbage loopers. You will find that the addition of all kinds of different herbs growing in and around your lettuce is quite beneficial.
Lettuce grows very well with carrots too! The lettuce have very shallow roots and carrots are long. This works well for fitting more into your garden space as neither the lettuce or the carrots compete for nutrients in the soil.
The Best Soil for Growing the Organic Lettuce
Adding compost that is rich in organic matter will get all the greens growing rapidly and improve the texture and beneficial insects within the soil.
We have found that tilling is one of the worse things that one can do in an organic and natural garden. Layering constantly with compost and organic matter keeps all of the living organisms healthy and alive beneath the soil.
Mulching is imperative! We use a whole lot of hay, straw and mulched leaves. This helps keep the moisture in the ground as well as create healthy bacteria that will make your plants flourish.
All that is left that's needed is sunshine, healthy soil and some rain.
Are you planning to grow organic lettuce in your garden this year?
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Great post! I’m glad to see someone else feels the same about tilling as I do! I feel it’s important to leave that soil alone and build up those great soil born organisms. Tilling just wrecks all that hard work mother nature puts in!
Great article. Any natural solutions for growing worm free radishes?