April - lettuce
Polytunnels are once again bursting with great-tasting, fresh, crisp lettuce leaves! Oh, how we've missed our butter lettuce, oakleaf and co. during the winter months! But as the lettuce grows, so do the bugs. And, getting straight to the point, if your lush green leaves are home to a few garden crawlies, then you can be happy – it means your leaves have not been sprayed with nasties. Aphids are little creatures that love warm weather and reproduce at great speed, especially in summer. An aphid, which reproduces asexually, can give birth to up to five offspring a day! And because synthetic fertilizers and sprays are forbidden in organic agriculture, organic lettuces often come with a few of these cheeky residents.
But don't panic: You don't have to throw your lettuce straight in the bin because of a few unwanted guests. Quite the opposite: You can get rid of them as quickly as they multiply. All you have to do is:
- Pour lukewarm water into a bowl or basin,
- add a little salt,
- soak the lettuce leaves for a few minutes and
- wash well
Anything living in the lettuce leaves will float to the top, ready to be skimmed off. You can repeat the process several times without any problems.
By the way: Did you know that…
…aphids always appear where there are lots of ants? Ants protect the aphids from other insects. In return, the aphids excrete a substance known as honeydew, which is favoured by ants as a food source.
And a food source is what we need right now too. Which is why we've got this tasty salad sauce recipe to go with any crisp lettuce: Bio Mio Salad Dressing
