Wild Lettuce

Lactuca virosa

Min qty 0.5g

Wild lettuce is a plant that is native to Europe and Asia. It is a tall, herbaceous plant that can grow up to 6 feet in height and has long, narrow leaves and small, yellow flowers. The history of wild lettuce can be traced back to ancient times, where it was used by many cultures for its medicinal properties. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all used wild lettuce for its pain-relieving and sedative effects. It was also used by traditional cultures in Europe and Asia for the same purposes. In the 1800s, wild lettuce began to be used in Western medicine as a treatment for insomnia and anxiety. It was also used to treat a variety of other ailments, including asthma, coughs, and rheumatism.

1. Choose a location with well-draining soil and partial shade for planting your wild lettuce. The soil should have a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8.

2. Wild lettuce can be started from seeds or seedlings. For starting from seeds, sow them in seed trays or pots filled with seed compost and cover them with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Keep the seed trays or pots in a propagator or cover them with a plastic bag to maintain humidity.

3. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into pots and grow them on in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill until all risk of frost has passed.

4. When the weather has warmed up and all danger of frost has passed, you can transplant the wild lettuce seedlings into the garden. Space them about 12 inches apart in rows that are about 18 inches apart.

5. Water the wild lettuce regularly to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Wild lettuce needs about an inch of water per week.

6. Fertilize the wild lettuce with a balanced fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks.

7. Pinch off the tips of the plants when they reach about a foot tall to encourage bushiness.

8. Wild lettuce is ready to harvest in about 60-70 days. Once the leaves are large enough, you can harvest them by cutting them off the plant with scissors or pruning shears. Be careful not to damage the plant while harvesting.

9. Keep in mind that wild lettuce is a biennial plant, which means that it will produce leaves the first year and seeds the second year.

10. Also, note that wild lettuce can be invasive if not kept in check, so it's best to keep an eye on the growth and remove any unwanted plants.