Simple Ways to Grow Lettuce with Hydroponic Techniques

Simple Ways to Grow Lettuce with Hydroponic Techniques

SADERA - Growing lettuce using hydroponic techniques is one specific way of anticipating limited space. In addition to its more aesthetic arrangement, hydroponic techniques will result in cleaner &fresher lettuce plants.

Hydroponics is the cultivation of planting using water media and without using soil. This method can emphasize the fulfillment of plant nutritional needs. As a result, vegetables also look fresher, & avoided based on the dangers of chemical pesticides that are harmful to health.

In this way, there is also less water than planting using soil. So, it is suitable when applied to areas with limited water supply or inadequate planting sites.

Then, how to grow hydroponic lettuce which is easy, good and right? Reporting from Hydroponicpedia, here are the tips! 

Prepare the necessary senses & materials

First & foremost, Green Friends must prepare their combat equipment in advance, the tools & materials used are the following.

• Tandon

A reservoir is a container for collecting hydroponic nutrient solutions, the shape of which depends on the available used materials. It can be buckets, cans, used bottles, basins, styrofoam boxes, or boxes that can hold water.

• Pot.

You can use pots of any shape, such as net pots, cups used for mineral water, or other plastic cups.

• Axis

The most ideal for hydroponic plants is flannel, other types of wicks can also be used, which obviously have good absorption. This serves to absorb the nutrient solution from the reservoir to the planting medium later.

• Nutrition of hydroponic lettuce

It is recommended to use ab mix nutrition, it can be obtained at available plant stores, or it can also be ordered at the online market.

• Seed

Lettuce seeds to taste as needed, can also be obtained in modern markets or online stores that provide.

• Hydroponic growing media

This planting medium can be of various shapes, can use rockwoll, husk charcoal, or cocopeat.

• TDS or EC Meter

Is the sense to measure the concentration (PPM) of hydroponic nutrient solution, this sense is capable of being used if any (optional)

• Prepare the raw water

Standard water is the one whose PPM is no more according to 150 to 200. The water that is good for use is well water or river water. if the water appears cloudy/dirty, it must be precipitated for a week, to separate between standard water and lime or other impurities.

Preparation of lettuce seedlings

Good preparation of seedlings using a way of looking at varieties that are in sync with the state or climate for planting lettuce.

If your place is in the highlands, choose seeds that are tolerant of the cool. On the contrary, if in the lowlands or middlelands, use seeds that are tolerant of hot weather.

Then seed lettuce seeds in planting containers, you can use polybags using any seedling medium. if you use husk charcoal, then add husk charcoal to the polybag.

Then moisten the husk charcoal until it is completely wet. Plant lettuce seeds one by one in polybags. Usually the seeds will germinate at a period of three to 4 days, but regular checks can be done by cleaning the dirt in the planting area.

Lettuce seeds can be transplanted when they are 25–30 days old after sowing. 

Lettuce Planting

After the seeds are 25-30 days old. Prepare reservoirs, nutrient solutions, pots, wicks, & polybags containing lettuce seedlings. Install the wick in the middle of the base of the pot that has been hollowed out using a length adjusted to the depth of the reservoir.

Try to touch the bottom of the reservoir so that the water absorption can be optimal. Then open the polybag of lettuce seedlings that have been carefully sown, do not let the roots be damaged or broken, this can result in disruption of the growth process, fatally the seedlings will change their hue and then wither and die.

Then put the seedling in the pot & fill the pot with planting medium to the brim, after that put the pot on the reservoir. Provide a hydroponic nutrient solution with a low dose.

The planting distance of hydroponic lettuce is 25 x 25 cm or 30 x 30 centimeters. The styrofoam box that is often used is a box of used grape grains whose size is 40 x 60 cm. One box is enough to make six planting holes or six pots, using a pause of 20 x 20 cm.

Freshly planted lettuce is placed on a shaded loka for two to three days, this is so that the seedlings can follow the situation in advance.

Then, introduce it to the sun's rays little by little. if the weather is too hot, place hydroponic lettuce plants in the shade of plastic, cloth, or paranet. It is also necessary to be careful for safety, avoid putting plants close to pets, the reach of small children or other hazards. PPM dosage of nutrient solution for hydroponic lettuce.

• When lettuce is 1–7 HST (days after planting), use a low-dose hydroponic nutrient solution, which is 500 PPM.
• When lettuce is 8–14 HST old, increase the nutrient dose of hydroponic lettuce as 700 PPM.
• Lettuce aged 15–21 HST, increase the nutrient dose again to 900 PPM.
• Lettuce aged 22 HST until harvest, dose 900 PPM.

Care &maintenance of hydroponic lettuce.

In the treatment of hydroponic lettuce, the most important thing is to ensure that plants receive sufficient sunlight, as well as providing nutrients as needed. if the reservoir used is mini-sized, often check the nutrient solution, not to let the nutrients run out.

Try to keep the temperature of the nutrient solution in the reservoir stable. The temperature of the nutrient solution that is too high can interfere with the growth of lettuce plants, and can even result in wilting and death.

if the reservoir used is made of plastic or cans, protect the reservoir with foam or a dampened towel cloth so that sunlight does not penetrate personally into the reservoir. The scorching sunlight can raise the temperature of the nutrient solution.

The safest &widely used way is to use a styrofoam box that cannot be penetrated by the heat of the sun.

In addition to protecting according to direct UV rays, this styrofoam box also has another advantage, namely being able to keep the temperature of the nutrient solution stable even during the day which is the peak of the scorching sun.

Meanwhile, reservoirs made based on plastic materials or cans tend to heat up faster & can result in the temperature of the nutrient solution as unstable.

if there are only a few cultivated plants, pests and hydroponic lettuce diseases can also be controlled manually. But if it is not possible, do spraying using vegetable pesticides. As much as possible, do not use chemical pesticides to maintain the freshness and health of plants.

Hydroponic lettuce seedlings are planted in the age of 25-30 days after sowing. Then it takes 25-30 days for lettuce to be harvested and can be consumed directly.

if totaled, it takes approximately 60 days to grow hydroponic lettuce according to the initial process until it can be consumed.

Interested in growing at home, good luck!