Indoor lettuce grow

[biscuitridge]

I've finally gotten around to starting my lettuce grow. It produced 46.87 lbs of sweet tender organic lettuce last winter. I'll post progress pictures as things happen. I started the 18- Muir lettuce and 1 merlot and one hyper red rumple on Oct 11th. Pictures are of the grow box,lighting set-up, germination chamber, and current lettuce growth.

[biscuitridge]

More pictures

[biscuitridge]

Automatic watering system includes soil moisture sensor, pump,pressure tank,timer, drip system,thermostat for heating mat.

[PhilaGardener]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing - look forward to updates!


Are you using a soil-less mix?

[biscuitridge]

99% soil-less, I find it helpful to add a little soil from a very healthy soil I have in the blueberry patch,it's pretty much decomposed wood chips,which is fungal dominate.i believe it has beneficial nematodes in it, which help with the fungus nats.

[biscuitridge]

One week update, things are growing nicely!

[Barb_FL]

Looks great - What is the main mix you are using? It looks like a coca coir mat.

Do you use pelleted seeds?

Keep posting pics as the plants progress.

[biscuitridge]

The main mix is approximately 1/3 perlite, 1/3 peatmoss, 1/3
Coco coir,its a little heavier on the coir.with a mulch of coarse sawmill shavings from a local sawmill.
I do not use pelleted seed, I've had very poor success with germination after a couple years in storage, so never again for me! I'm going to brew up a little AACT in my little table top brewer soon,maybe tomorrow, it brews 1-1/2 gallons at a time.

[biscuitridge]

It's time to pick a fresh salad!

[Barb_FL]

That was quick! Yum

BTW - I never had luck with the pelleted and the Salvano from Johnny's had an even shorter germination window. They would germinate the first few months and then not great or not at all.

At the end of the 2020 spring, I put all my lettuce seeds in the freezer and now germination is really good.

[biscuitridge]

Yes, I keep all my seeds in a freezer that does not have automatic defrost cycle.

[biscuitridge]

Here's an update, as of today we've harvested 57.4 oz. of lettuce, we weigh the lettuce before washing so that we aren't counting the extra weight of the water from rinsing it.

[Barb_FL]

Very nice. Are your cut-come again or are you starting over after each pick?
What types of lettuce are you growing?
Do you direct plant a single seed or start in rockwool / something else?


I started my first lettuce about the same time as you but outside in 7 Earthbox Juniors and 5 troughs (EB knockoffs) . I sowed the first 2 days apart and then 3 until they were all sowed.

I've picked: Johnny's Mix (twice), Buttercrunch, Red Sails, and Red Salad (restarted this).
Left the others for cut-come again. I sowed really thick; but don't think I'm anywhere near 3.5 lbs worth.

Red Sails has done well for cut and come again last year; and Johnny's mix is doing well with C/C.

On the Romaine (Parris Island) I transplanted single plants in with broccoli and into another EB Jr and they have taken off. The original box with the Paris Island seems to have benefitted from thinning the herd but probably still too thick to have much bulk.

[biscuitridge]

Barb- I do the cut and come again.
I'm growing mostly Muir, which is our absolute favorite inside and outside, it is extremely slow bolting. I start in six packs with a soiless mix,the only reason I do that is because seeds don't germinate well in highly fertilized soil, there is one plant of Merlin,and one of hyper red rumple waved,just for color in our salads, they typically aren't as productive as muir.
You mentioned that you sowed really thick,is there some particular reason for that,I find that is usually the reason why people don't have very good success, I plant 4 or 5 seeds then thin to 1 when they are about 3/4" tall,and I space them at 12" apart because they get about 16 inches across. Here's a picture of some at 2/3rds grown,these are too close together, I was trying squeeze in more than I should, it never pays!

[KarenO]

wow, I'm impressed! that lettuce looks fantastic