Growing lettuce hydroponically at home
Lettuce is the crop I recommend to every new hydroponic grower. It is fast, forgiving, and you can pick leaves for weeks from a single plant. Here is exactly how I grow lettuce and leafy greens in my QROOT.
Planting the seeds
Drop a cocopeat pod into the tray and sow two or three lettuce seeds into the sponge. Cap it with a clear dome to hold humidity while the seeds sprout. Lettuce usually germinates in about five to seven days. Once you see true leaves, take the dome off.
Water and nutrients
Fill the tank to the line with RO or filtered water and stir in nutrients A and B. Lettuce is a light feeder, so stick to the recommended dose rather than overfeeding. Check the tank every few weeks and top it up when it runs low. The self-watering reservoir usually lasts about three weeks.
Light
Lettuce grows best under a full-spectrum grow light running about sixteen hours a day. Keep the lamp close while the plants are small and raise it as they fill out. Good light is what keeps lettuce compact and leafy rather than tall and thin.
Harvesting
The best part of growing lettuce hydroponically is cut-and-come-again harvesting. Once the plant has a good rosette of leaves, snip the outer leaves and leave the centre to keep growing. Do this every few days and one plant will feed you for weeks.
Other leafy greens
The same routine works for spinach, arugula, and other salad greens. Give each its own pod so they do not shade each other, keep the light steady, and harvest often to encourage new growth.
Fresh lettuce from your own indoor hydroponic garden is crisp, clean, and ready minutes before you eat. Once you grow your own, the bagged stuff never tastes the same.