Group 10

Lettuce cultivation
Names and matt numbers
• Mariama Jobarteh: 221211015
• Kaddy Manneh: 221111054
• Sulayman Ceesay: 222111089
• Amadou Colley: 223211021
Lettuce family and types
• Family:compositea
• There are two types of lettuce.
Cabbage lettuce and coos lettuce.
Cabbage lettuce produces a flattish
rosette of leaves and the coos
lettuce has an erect habit, under
favourable climate and soil
conditions. The varieties grown in
the Gambia are tolerant to
temperatures. Optimum
temperature range for most
varieties is 15 degrees celsius to 20
degrees celsius.
Soil Requirements and pH
• Lettuce grows in fertile well
drained sandy loam with good
moisture retaining capacity and
high-level of organic materials
• Optimum pH range is 6-6.8
Lettuce Nursery and seed rate
• Seed rate for lettuce is 5grams
pet 10 beds of 5m×2m.
• The nursery should be well
worked and friable. Sow seeds in
drills. Lightly cover the seed with
soil immediately after sowing
and mulch them until seedlings
emerge. Take of the mulch as
soon as the seedlings germinate.
Lettuce Transplanting and spacing
• It can be done in 3-4 weeks.
Recommended planting distance
is 20cm between plants and
50cm between row.
Fertiliser application
• 200 grams of NPK as basal
dressing and 100 grams of urea
as a top dressing 2-3weeks after
transplanting, and 5-10kg of
compost manure for a 5×2m
bed.
Watering
• The crop had a high water
requirement throughout the
growing period, water stress will
hasten premature flowering.
Harvesting
• Harvesting can generally be
done at 30dayd from
transplanting depending on thr
variety. It should be done in the
morning or late in the evening to
avoid wilting and deterioration
of the quality of the produce.
• When harvesting the lettuce is
washed with water as a rinsing
and pre-cooling method.
Varieties
• Here are some varieties of
lettuce as follows
• Great lake
• Webs wonder
• Coos lettuce
• Butter crunch
• Iceberg
Economic importance of lettuce
• In the Gambia lettuce cultivation
is very lucrative among
gardeners this is because most
Gambians adore lettuce and in
the cool seasons heading
towards the Ramadan lettuce is
very profitable and mainly
grown. A lot gardeners even
grow lettuce all year run due to
its profitability.