How to grow lettuce hydroponically at home

Today, when a healthy lifestyle is firmly entrenched in fashion, many people are switching to a healthy and balanced diet. One of the important components in this matter is fresh herbs, in particular salad. It is full of nutrients, trace elements and vitamins that largely satisfy human needs. Many gardeners, not wanting to overpay for greens in supermarkets, grow lettuce using hydroponics at home. Our article will tell you how to do this.

Is it possible to grow lettuce hydroponically

The short answer to this question is yes. In hydroponic plants, it is possible to grow a wide range of green crops, including many types of lettuce. The product is cultivated both in small quantities on the balconies of apartments and in huge farms. With a properly organized approach, you can achieve excellent results, and get a high yield of environmentally friendly greens right to your home table.

How to grow lettuce hydroponically at home

Lettuce is an unpretentious plant suitable for year-round cultivation, especially in temperate climates. He does not need excessive lighting and high temperature, so additional waste and hassle in these matters can be minimized. A hydroponic system for growing lettuce can be of any type, but flow-through is more commonly used. You can do it yourself or purchase a ready-made installation.

Method principle

Growing lettuce hydroponically does not require a soil mixture. That is, the plant receives all the nutrients, not from the soil, but exclusively from a specially prepared solution. According to this technique, greens are placed in a substrate, and its roots are lowered into a liquid medium with an abundance of micro and macro elements necessary for active development. As the culture grows, exactly those components that it needs at this stage of life are included in the solution. As a result, you will receive a perfectly vitamin-balanced product at the end. This format of growing lettuce can be used all year round and does not require special skills and knowledge.

How to grow lettuce hydroponically at home

Lettuce growing rules

For cultivation, a variety of plant species are suitable – both leafy varieties and cabbage varieties. The first stage on the way of obtaining a harvest will be preparation, processing of seeds for germination. For this, special microclimatic conditions are created: humidity at 100% and temperature indicators in the range of 18-20 degrees above zero. Then the swollen seeds are placed in cells with a pre-prepared substrate for 1-3 days. As the latter, fine gravel, expanded clay, mineral wool, peat, etc. are used. The third stage involves the transfer of plants to a permanent place with a nutrient medium – hydroponics.

Salad seeds

Since the culture is quite cold-loving, additional heating is not needed to germinate the seeds. Conversely, excessive heat can delay and even inhibit germination.

Almost all types of lettuce are suitable for growing, but the following have proven themselves best:

Romaine and Iceberg – are distinguished by increased crunchiness;
Lolo Rosso – refers to the soft;
Radiccio, Chicory is a bitter variety;
Watercress, Rocket, Mitsuna – peppery and spicy varieties.

It is recommended to purchase seeds from trusted producers that have a good reputation.

Power and light

In addition to a properly selected nutrient solution, with a well-balanced composition, a competent lighting organization is also needed. The lack of the latter can greatly slow down the growth and development of the lettuce, especially in the autumn-winter season. During the growing season, plants respond best to blue emission spectra. The optimal light wavelength is 460 nm. With this indicator, green culture is developing fully and rapidly. Metal halide and blue accent LED lamps are ideal for growing greenery.

How to grow lettuce hydroponically at home

Temperature conditions

As mentioned above, lettuce is a cold-loving plant. For its cultivation at home, room temperature is sufficient and even lower. For germination of seeds and young shoots, its indicators should be in the range of 18-20 degrees, for the development of an adult culture, the optimal night temperature will be 16 degrees above zero, and the daytime in the range of 18-21 degrees. If these are summer months, then the temperature values ​​should not be more than 25 degrees, otherwise development slows down and the salad may “burn out”.

Salad nutrient solution

For the entire growing cycle, a green culture requires a properly balanced nutrient fluid. One of the main components in it is nitrogen, and in the nitrate form, since the ammonium contains, its available for absorption amount, within only 3-11%. From the latter, there is a rapid growth. The ideal proportion of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (3 to 1 to 5) is usually applied.

How to grow lettuce hydroponically at home

Also included in the solution are amino acids, phosphoric acid and other beneficial micro and macronutrients in the form of chelates. The salad water base should contain a minimum of nutrient salts and relatively low sodium, and be soft.

The ideal option would be to purchase ready-made fertilizer complexes designed specifically for green crops.

If you adhere to the above recommendations, then with the help of a hydroponic plant, you can get the highest quality salad throughout the year. At the same time, the color and taste characteristics of the product can be improved using certain vitamin supplements. A hydroponic salad at home is affordable, effective and fast, see for yourself.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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