Meat loaf, also known as sugar loaf, is a lettuce that can easily be grown in your own garden. Here you can find out everything about sowing, care and harvesting.
If you want to eat crisp lettuce even in winter, you can plant meatweed in your garden. It is also called sugar loaf - but this name is due to the shape and not the taste. Here you can find out how to grow, care for and harvest these relatively undemanding winter vegetables.
Meatloaf: origin and characteristics
Meatwort (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) has many names: it is known as sugar loaf, chicory lettuce or chicory lettuce. The better-known name "sugar loaf" comes from the visual resemblance to the cone-shaped sugar loaf. From a botanical point of view, like radicchio, chicory and other edible garden chicory, it is a cultivar of the common chicory that is native to Europe. It belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae).
Meat sauerkraut originally comes from Italy, Austria, southern France and southern Switzerland. Nowadays it also enjoys great popularity throughout France, Switzerland and southern Germany. Meatwort is grown both agriculturally and in many home gardens.
Depending on the variety, the elongated heads are around 25 to 35 cm long and develop oval, matt green to light yellow leaves. Similar to other types of chicory, sugar loaf tastes slightly bitter. The bitterness increases with the age of the plants, but decreases again if the sugar loaf has been exposed to light night frosts.
Sugar Loaf Varieties
Popular Sugarloaf varieties include the following:
- 'Jupiter F1': A hardy, less sensitive variety; light green leaves; high-yielding and storable; early harvest possible from July, can be harvested until September; slightly nutty taste.
- 'Nettuno TT': Tolerates light frosts; compact and fast-growing; Harvesting is possible around 90 days after sowing, generally between September and November; Crunchy, aromatic, slightly sweet note.
- 'Auslese': Tolerates frosts down to -4 °C; can be planted a little tighter than other varieties; juicygreen leaves; Harvest possible from the beginning of September to the end of November, in mild years even into December; easy to store; aromatic taste.
Planting sugarloaf: location and procedure
If you want to plant sugar loaf, you should consider when choosing a location that it develops taproots and hardly any side roots. That is why locations with deep soils are important. A humus-rich soil in sheltered and sunny beds is preferred, but the sugar loaf is undemanding. Most good garden soil will do for him. Mixed cultivation is possible without any problems. Peas (Pisum sativum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are suitable for this. ), carrots (Daucus carota) or parsnips (Pastinaca sativa). In addition, the sugar loaf can easily be included in the crop rotation. Cultivation after other lettuces, kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) or radishes (Raphanus sativus var . sativus) is a good choice. A three year hiatus for the same location is recommended as this will prevent disease transmission.
You can sow the sugar loaf directly outdoors between mid-June and mid-July. A planting distance of about 30 cm between the plants and about 40 cm between the rows should be ensured. A planting density of 10 plants per square meter is ideal. If you want to harvest the sugar loaf earlier, you can let the seeds germinate from mid-May and plant young plants in the bed in June. A germination temperature of 20 to 25 °C is optimal for germination, the germination period is about eight days. A seed soil is used for the cultivation, as this has a reduced nutrient content, which ensures a denser and more resistant root system. Our Plantura Organic Herb & Sowing Soil is ideal for sowing and is also produced sustainably and peat-free.
Because of the taproots, it is necessary to separate the plants that have been brought forward early. The sugar loaf seedlings should be released at the earliest when they have formed two leaves, but after four weeks at the latest. If the Sugar Loaf is not protected from the cold, it shoots very quickly.
Tip: In order to be able to harvest early, it is possible to bring the seeds forward from mid-March. They are then planted out from mid-April and covered with a double layer of foil and fleece. This protects against frost and has a greenhouse effect during the day. ToAfter two weeks the top layer can be removed, after another four weeks the bottom layer - then it's mid-May. This means that a harvest is possible as early as mid-June.
Proper care for meatballs
Meatwort is very undemanding during vegetation. It is sufficient if it is watered regularly during dry phases. In addition, weeds should be weeded regularly so that the meatballs are not overgrown. Further fertilization is not necessary in well-supplied locations, and there is no need to cut the plant.
Depending on the variety, the meatwort can easily withstand frost temperatures of down to -6 °C, which is why a harvest is possible until the end of November. However, the plant is not hardy outdoors. In principle, overwintering is possible in a greenhouse or under foil.
Harvesting and storing sugar loaf
Harvest time begins as soon as the heads feel firm. The sugar loaf can then be cut off close to the ground, leaving the protruding bottom leaves. As already mentioned, sugar loaf is a seasonal vegetable that can be harvested between September and sometimes into December, depending on the variety.
Fortunately, if the harvested heads cannot be eaten immediately, they can be stored without any problems. It is better to then harvest part of the root and cut off the lower protruding leaves. Thus, the sugar loaf stays fresh longer. It can be stored and consumed in a cool, dark place until mid-February. If the sugar loaf is dug up with the entire root and stored in a box filled with moist soil or sand in the basement, you can store it until the following spring.
Uses and Ingredients of Sugarloaf
The stored vegetables can still be eaten raw after a few weeks. Alternatively, you can steam sugar loaf, use it as a stir-fry or cook it in the oven. A sugar loaf vegetable casserole topped with cheese is particularly delicious.
The ingredients are very similar to those of chicory. Sugarloaf is rich in potassium, folic acid and zinc. It contains vitamins A, B and C and is also very low in calories. The bitter taste of sugar loaf is caused by the bitter substance lactucopicrin. This stimulates the activity of the pancreas and gallbladder and is therefore excellent for digestion.
Sugar Loaf: Diseases and Common Pests
During its development, the sugar loaf can be damaged primarily by aphids.The lettuce root aphid also damages the sugar loaf by attacking the roots of the plants. An infestation is difficult to detect due to the way of life hidden in the ground; but the lice attract ants with their honeydew secretions. These are therefore a good indicator of an infestation.
In addition to pests, disease can also occur. Especially when the leaves are damaged by heavy rain or hail, fungi have a target to attack. Powdery mildew (Erysiphaceae) can attack plants in dry summer, while Alternaria (Alternaria) spread in wet autumn. Also, when plants are weak or have been over-fertilized, gray mold fungus (Botrytis cinerea) can become a problem.
Sugar Loaf Salad is the ideal vegetable for the winter. For summer, here are more green, red, and colorful lettuce varieties to grow in your garden.