denny27
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lettuce in a gutter

I planted some lettuce seeds already, but I saw a photo in a magazine with lettuce planted in a gutter that was mounted on a fence. This looks like a good space saving idea.

My question is, does this provide enough soil for the lettuce to grow properly?

I do have a 10' section of pvc gutter that I found and was saving for a shed I'm going to build, but if this would work for growing lettuce I would rather do that.

I only have 250 sq ft of garden which is never enough. So any way to gain space is definately a plus.

tomc
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denny27 wrote:I only have 250 sq ft of garden which is never enough. So any way to gain space is definately a plus.
Sounds like you answered your own question. :)

A gutter should be big enough for leaf lettuce...

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rainbowgardener
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They grow lettuce hydroponically with no soil. So you can think of it as the soil in the gutter is just a place holder to support the roots. If you provide enough water and nutrients, it will be fine.

Grown in the ground in rich soil with rain, you may never have to do anything to your lettuce but pick it. Grown in raised bed or large pot, you may have to add some water and nutrients. Grown in a small pot or the gutter, you have to provide almost all the nutrients and frequent watering, because the less soil, the faster it dries out. Grown hydroponically you provide everything all the time.

So you trade being able to grow something without using garden space, for having to work harder at it, monitor it more closely (the hydroponics folks are constantly monitoring nutrient levels etc), provide for its needs yourself. You can choose. :)

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LA47
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A friend was telling me about this the other day and wants to try to grow strawberries the same way. Are they big enough for starwberry roots? And, without expensive equipment, how do you monitor nutients?

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rainbowgardener
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Well, you can get the soil tested, but basically you monitor the plants, see how they are doing. Are they growing well, deep green, perky, not wilted, etc.?

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digitS'
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I am not much of a container gardener but when I worked in a rose greenhouse, there was a retail shop associated with it. They sold a few potted plants. The vines were placed in 3 gutters on a wall. The gutters were attached so that you could put a hose in the top, running slowly, and water all the pots at the same time.

Here is a photograph I came across recently of a bottle garden. These are apparently quite common in schools but this one seems to be especially for a salad lover :) :

Image
Notice the gardener's knife there on the wall waiting for the next harvest of lettuce leaves. (No, I don't think the bottles are attached.)

Steve

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applestar
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Good bareroot strawberry plants come with roots that are already 6-8" long.... You are supposed to plant them 12" apart in the ground....

denny27
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The gutter is up and the seeds are planted. I decided to cut the gutter down to 6' and 4' sections. I planted the lettuce in the 6' section (that was about all the leftover seeds would cover anyway) and I think I will put some flowers in the 4' section mounted just above the 6' section. This will help to attract bees and other pollinating insects to the garden.

I plan on running a soaked hose in the gutters to keep them watered enough. I did drill some drainage holes along the bottom to keep it from becoming to wet in there also.



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