indoor hydroponic Lettuce

gixxerific · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:27 pm Post subject:

Opps sorry Embarassed

Good catch Apple.[ed - it was me RBG] It was almost midnight I was tired, i must have been thinking backwards, I fixed my post (I think Razz

). The statistic is for regular. He has 403 sq ft. Not that 3 sq is that big of a deal

Now I have no idea if the double output correlates to wattage needed. It just say's double the output, that could be taken a few different ways. You would have to check in to that. If they actually put out twice the light of regular bulbs at the same wattage you would be okay at the minimum light level. It's also said they put out "almost" double the output. My brain hurts now. You would have to figure in the lumen's as well I believe it only gets worse.

But I was right about those sites. I spent a couple of hours on Jason's as well. Loads of info there. Not just on lighting. Did you see the Plant Life Cycle section it explained the proper thing to do at each stage of the game.

and Your very welcome. I hope I"m not steering you wrong, you should call wherever you plan to get your light from and tell tell them what you have, I'm sure they will be more than happy to help.
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hermit825 · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:15 pm Post subject:

Yes, I was trying to find an alternative to venting, as in zone 1 my climate often has temperatures that the warmest it gets for the whole month is
-60 F below zero!!

Bill
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JONA878 · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject:

hermit825 · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:06 pm Post subject:

am man's got to have a challenge! Razz

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ZONE 1 (ouch!)

Hydrogardener · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:43 am Post subject: Hydroponic gardening

I have been growing lettuce and other greens indoors all winter for a number of years.

The new LEDs work great and are inexpensive to operate. The lettuce in the photo has been growing in this system for ONLY TWO weeks. It is tender, tasty and costs pennies per head to produce.

My blog has several posts on different methods of hydroponic gardening. I garden 365 days a year, hydroponically.
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What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.
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hermit825 · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject: awesome lettuce!

the photo, (and your blog) are certainly great incentive to go with LED's and I have to admit there is something about having a room full of such beautiful greens that is truly rewarding, as I am sure you agree!

thanks for the post, I have recently ordered an NFT system, and look forward to posting some photo's soon, but for now I gotta run and cancel my order of t5 flourescents b4 its too late! Rolling Eyes

Bill
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Hydrogardener · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: T-5s

I also have a large T5 unit and just paid $19 for a single tube. Even the compact fluorescent tubes run $65 each. And, they last a year. The LED will cover 9 square feet at almost 4,000 foot candles and lasts ten years, and uses much less electricity. It is a no brainer. I have not tried tomatoes or cucumbers yet, but I expect no problem when I do.
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What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.
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gixxerific · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:16 pm Post subject:

Two weeks Hydro! What am I doing wrong. I put some seedlings in maybe 3 weeks ago in potting soil with fluorescents and they are still puny. I even got 2 red and 2 blue spectrum lights in there.

By the way nice blog Hydrogardener. Smile

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Hydrogardener · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:06 pm Post subject: Soil gardening

I have been gardening for forty plus years, and in all honesty if my only choice was to garden in soil rather then hydroponically, I would not be bothered. I hope that statement does not elicit an outpouring of outrage from soil gardeners. Wink

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JasonsIndoorGuide · New Member Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 7 Location: Ohio

Hello everyone......I just stumbled upon this forum....

Hermit- if you cannot exhaust due to your local temps, one solution would be to recirculate the air with a much larger body of air (such as the rest of the air in your home). Eventually, the air will still be depleted of CO2 if your home is of a very air-tight construction. Your other option would be to add CO2- not exactly cost effective for growing lettuce but it would allow you to recirculate the air forever without exhausting.

You will likely need to run a de-humidifier if recirculating the air, as the humidity will creep up until conditions are right for mold.

With lettuce, I would not worry too much about a "fungal infection"..... the crop grows to completion too quickly for fungus to get established under normal conditions. If you have had a problem with fungus in the system or in the grow room previous to growing your crop, that is another story (the setup will be predisposed to fungal problems unless you clean everything very well with 5% bleach solution).

Because it is a crop produced in the vegetative stage, lettuce requires less light and less nutrients to produce. Half strength nutrient solution is good for lettuce, and it should do well under 25-30 watts/sq.ft..

Going the hydroponic route does not necessarily mean you must use chemical fertilizers. One product called Canna Bio is 100% organic, made with NO animal products, and is made just for hydroponics. It is also a "one part" hydroponic nutrient, making it easy to mix up and use. It also mixes up at just the right pH, which makes it easy to maintain your nutrient reservoir.

ps.- Thanks for the great forum here! Keep our community growing!

hermit825 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:18 am Post subject: Hydroponic Lettuce

I have been monitoring my Humidity, and in the arctic its much like the desert, I had been concerned about the humidity levels, and have not exceeded 13% RH in the last three crop rotations, and the fluorescent HO T5's have been working just fine, initially I had problems with my seedlings bolting, but a full spectrum L.E.D. (40w) has solved the problem.

I am tired of mixing nutrients, so I will certainly be looking into the organic that you mentioned!

Many thanks!

Bill
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ZONE 1 (ouch!)

Ozark Lady · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:22 pm Post subject:

I hope that I am not taking a bad detour here. But, something posted earlier just caught my eye, and my imagination.

I don't know how to quote so here is a copy of it:
Yes, hydroponics are very finicky. If you get a fungal infection your entire crop will be lost. Also, you be stuck with using chemical fertilizers for the system which add very little flavour to the vegetables (in this case lettuce.)

A better bet would be to set up some shelves with grow lights and buy some potting soil and if they have it some compost as well as some manure and grow your plants indoors with the grow lights in pots. A lot cheaper,and not nearly as much hassle, and a tonne more flavour.

I read that, and then I re-read it. Can someone elaborate on this?
It is mind boggling.... the plants get the taste from the growing medium?

I have never used commercial plant foods nor fertilizers, except on my African Violets, and I didn't taste them... although I hear they are edible.

I am planning on seed starting using aquaponics, the fish will provide the plant foods. But, I can't grow lettuce in the heat of summer, which is when I mostly want to eat lettuce... so I thought about growing lettuce inside under the a/c with my aquaponics.

But, this taste difference, has really rocked my world. How would they taste different? Isn't the flavor set by photosynthesis and the plants own internal systems? I don't use commercial plant foods, because so much natural is available to me, with the livestock that I have, and leaves available. But, I didn't know there was a difference in flavor!
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hermit825 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject:

I had previously read that as well, and read somewhere about switching to a modified solution just before harvest, I am curious about it, but hydroponically I cant taste any difference from what I grow outside in my garden and fertilize mostly with fish fertilizer.

I imagine extremely discerning palate's may notice a difference, but I certainly cannot.

Best of luck!

Bill
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ZONE 1 (ouch!)

serial_killer · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:48 pm Post subject:

If it really bothers you, or you planned to sell your crop you can run just water, or buy a solution, two I know of are Botnicare's Clear-X and GH's FloreKlean, that will remove any build-up's of anything that would cause the taste. I don't notice anything, nor do anyone thats tried mine. Its only the really picky people that like to crap on your day and try to say soil is better cause of this or that...

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Ozark Lady · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject:

Okay, so it is like facial muscles, not everyone has the same ones! So to some folks it will taste different. Oh I hope I am not one of those folks, I still hate food cooked in a crock pot and I can taste the difference... oh no.

I was amazed at the amount of light suggested. Is that much light required even to start seedlings, or just for maturing plants?

I have done little inside growing... hence the dead houseplants to prove it.. Seedlings are as far as I go, and I am not particularly successful with them, that is why I was going to try aquaponics.

I don't overwater, I underwater... they get crispy and I wonder why, the soil is usually rock hard... forgot to water them again!
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Talk to your plants.... If your plants talk to you... Run!