Farmers Review Africa May/June 2017 Farmers Review Africa | Page 7

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Uganda
Harvesting Romaine Lettuce
Romaine can be picked whenever it's big enough to use. Many gardeners
peel off the outer leaves and allow the rest of the plant to continue growing
in order to extend the harvest time. Before the rst frost or rst really cold
weather comes, harvest completely.
is can be done in one of two ways: pulling the plant all the way out of the
ground or cutting it at ground level to create a head. Home gardeners
should strongly consider pulling the plant up unless they want the roots to
regrow into the messy, unorganized heads that will result. ese can be
useful cover crops, but are not ideal.
Zambia
Ugandans begin growing
and eating Romanian lettuce
Grow Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is a tasty, popular type of lettuce. Romaine grows in tall
heads of sturdy leaves and is very heat tolerant. It gets its name from the
Romans, who likely imported it from either Greece or (more likely) Arabia.
It is the primary lettuce used in Caesar salads and is popular in many dishes
in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Nutritionally, Romaine has all of the bene ts of most green, leafy foods. It is
Zambia: $54m for farmers
To go fishing
full of antioxidants as well as trace minerals and ber.
Growing Conditions for Romaine Lettuce
Romaine requires 65-70 days to mature from seed. Although heat tolerant, e Government says it has sourced US$54 million from the African
Romaine grows best in cooler climes and prefers moisture rich, well- Development Bank (AfDB) to help farmers across the country invest in the
drained soil. Giving the plants plenty of water and good soil will speed aquaculture projects.
growing. e faster Romaine grows, the crisper the leaves. e project is to be launched by Finance Minister Felix Mutati next week.
How to Plant Romaine Lettuce Vice-President Inonge Wina told Parliament yesterday that Government
Romaine grows well in nearly all types of gardens if given enough sunlight was determined to ensure the agenda of diversifying from mining to
and good soil. Romaine can be grown in pots, started indoors from seeds,
sheries and agriculture was realised.
or sown directly into the garden soil outdoors in traditional or raised beds.
It's recommended that the seeds be started indoors, however, as they Ms Wina said there was no reason the country should remain a net
transplant easily and will likely be healthier. importer of sh when it had plenty of water bodies hence the need to
empower more farmers with capital.
Plants should be spaced 20-30cm apart – more space generally means
larger heads. If you started from seeds in the ground, thin the plants to "is project will be launched next week and it is an opportunity for many
match this spacing. Transplanting should be done in cool, cloudy weather farmers to access the funds to enhance the country's agenda to diversify to
or in the early evening so the transplants can overnight in cool conditions.
sheries and agriculture, "she said.
Care of Romaine Lettuce
Ms Wina said this during Vice President's question time in response to
Once established, Romaine plants prefer cool weather and a lot of moisture. Patriotic Front (PF) Kaputa Member of Parliament (MP) Maxas Ngo'nga,
Well-fertilized soil will mean faster-growing (and thus crisper) plants. who wanted to know the progress made to make the country a net exporter
Water regularly and oen, adjusting to your climate and conditions. e of sh.
plants will need to be protected from the pests that can attack them.
e Vice President dismissed claims of tension in the country and that
Romaine Lettuce Pests and Diseases UPND's claims of non-adherence to the rule of law, lack of freedom and
e primary pest for Romaine is the rabbit and other plant eating rodents. association were baseless because nobody denied the opposition party
Slugs/snails and some insects are also prone to target lettuce over other such.
foods. Lettuce absorbs pesticides readily, so avoid them if possible. Natural
remedies such as soap, diatomaceous earth, and similar tactics can alleviate She was responding to UPND Kabompo West MP Ambrose Lufuma, who
most problems. claimed there was tension in the country and those with divergent political
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May - June 2017