Leaf Lettuce

[hydroguy]

Been a little over 60 days (64 actually) and this grow is finished. Didn't keep track of the total harvest but it did respectfully well considering the light source provided, T-12 4 bulb shop light. The T-5 system has yet to come in so I cancelled that order and will be ordering one from an other source.

This was a mixture of varieties and sources. Impossible to keep track of which variety did best but from the pics I can easily tell which had the best stem and more than likely the best production. The Green Ice from either Burpee or Jung did so well I'll be going with just that variety on the next run. Half table from Jung and half table from Burpee.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0325110700-00.jpg[/img]

Next is the clean up which I am actually looking forward to. After running flood tables filled with pots and hydroton this clean up should be a breeze in comparison. Washing rocks is not my most favorite project and with this RDWC there are none to be cleaned!!

Today was the very first time I have ever seen the roots on this grow. With it being re-circulating there was never a need to lift the float out of the water. Here's a pic of the roots, guess you have to be a fan of hydroponics to appreciate a root shot

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0325110712-00.jpg[/img]

Next grow is going to with the STG cubes that I had such a difficult time with germination on the starter plants. Hopefully I learned something from that grow and can get some lettuce to germinate in this system.

hydroguy

[hydroguy]

Green Ice leaf for this grow 1/2 is Burpee (right) and the other 1/2 from Jung (left). Went with 100% STG on this cycle. Top watered each cell when it was planted and will continue to give them a few CC's couple times a day until germination if over and there are some roots down to water level. Bit of a pain but the STG is 25% of the cost of rockwool and I have enough to do another couples runs, luckily leaf lettuce germinates in 48 hours. The holes in the float were a great fit for the rockwool but a few are too big for the STG. Had to cut up some of the plant markers (mini-lblinds) and prop up a good number of the cells.

First harvest should be on the 14 of April.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0326111642-02.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0326111643-00.jpg[/img]

hydroguy

[Halfway]

Love this system hydroguy! Wow, 60 days already.

Excellent roots and the cleanup (or lack thereof) sounds better than scrubbing and drying rocks.

[hydroguy]

Thanks Halfway

Clean was so much easier than the hydroton. The sytofoam board had some mold in it that I didn't get cleaned out or the porous portion. Bleach or H2O2 would have taken care of it but I wasn't too worried about it really. Figure I can get 2 maybe 3 grows out of a sheet before starting over.

Pic is a 36 hours planted, taken yesterday morning. Lights aren't on yet this morning but I'm sure there are several plants standing up by now. On a close inspection I couldn't find but 1 or 2 seeds that haven't germinated so the STG did it's job in this system with this type of seed.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0328110814-00.jpg[/img]

hydroguy

[hydroguy]

Day 6 on this crop of greens. Added the first mix of nutrients to the system and got the level up to a weak 250ppm. I'll up the nute level at day 14 to around 400ppm and that about as rich as greens like it. Didn't spend a great deal of time cleaning all the algae off the float and it was real quick to come back on the STG cubes, not a big deal really but maybe should have cleaned it a bit better.

Double planted each cube but learned last round that 170 plants is way to dense so each cube is down to only 1 plant each leaving 85 plants in this 2 x 4 table. Hard to imagine that these plants will give their first cutting in just 14 more days. Neighbors must be missing their lettuce, got home the other day from work and their was a big box of zip lock bags on the front porch, LOL. Glad these greeens don't go to waste.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0401111807-02.jpg[/img]

The Quantum system will be here Tuesday, can't wait to see that light shine!

hydroguy

[hydroguy]

The Quantum BadBoy T-5 12 bulb system arrived on schedule and was installed that day. Darn fine light if anyone is shopping for a T-5 fixture this is one serious light!

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/plumbing%20lights/0405111644-00.jpg[/img]

I remember back in college in an economic theory class something about the law of deminishing returns, it's more than a theory, it's a fact. Or atleast it is with this light growing lettuce. As with all new gadgets there's a learning curve and I'm sure learning.

This light puts out some heat and is really bright. 2 things I've found that lettuce really doesn't care that much for. Now the light is raised to 12" above the plants and there's air moving across them. Another thing I learned with this system is that with it being 3.5' wide it shines down into the resv. Light and water in a hydro system don't mix that well and algae soon follows. Did a complete change of the sytem at day 14 and again 7 days later. Solution to this problem was to make a cover for the resv. Won't eliminate the algae but hopefully will atleast slow it down for the duration of this grow.

I'm likeing the density on this run, one plant per cell total of 85 plants or close to it. Made a new float for the next run with a smaller diameter hole to fit the rockwool starter cubes. I'll be going back to rockwool but this time with a product from Grodan called the A-Ok starter cubes. difference is they have to be cut from the slab and are 1 1/4 squares vrs. the 1 1/2 wrapped cubes I had been running. These new cubes are about equal to the Sure-To-Grow used on this runin cost. I've given the STG a fair chance and it just doesnt compete with rockwool. Lesson learned. Gave away most of what I had remaining the other day to a lady that ate some of my lettuce and wants to start a hydro system of her own. It works but it's not rockwool.

Folks are asking when the next harvest starts, should be here in a couple of days finally.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0417111528-01.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0417111529-00.jpg[/img]

[hydrolifeCA]

Oustanding!

[hydroguy]

Oustanding!

Thanks hydrolifeCA!

Decided to do split harvests on this grow, 12 rows so I did 4 on Mon., Tues. and the rest on Wed. Yeild was surprisingly good considering all the mistakes made early on. Lights are a solid 12" above plant tops and the lid stopped all the algae growth, or most all of it anyways. I had to learn how to use the BadBoy light fixture but man does it make a difference. Leaf structure is completely different on the same genetic's grown under the shop lights. If I was selling this lettuce the light would pay for itself real quick.

It's 5 days since the first section was cut, time to start all over:

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0423111805-02.jpg[/img]

Yeild was a stuffed 1 gl bag and another about 1/2 full. Already delivered to a couple of neighbors:

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0423111805-00.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0423111808-00.jpg[/img]

hydroguy

[hydroguy]

Tinkering with the hydro systems today as it was too rainy to be outside in the dirt garden. I planted a couple different varieties in the twin flood trays and I had the camera out today so I got some pics of the difference between the 2 variaties. Simpson Elite and Green Ice. Everything is identical from ventilation, medium, nutrients Ph bla bla bla. Difference is the plants. The lite colored leaves are the Simspon Elite obviously the dark leaves are the Green Ice. I grew the Simpson by request from dear Mother, it's what she personally likes and who can say no to mom. It grows a bit slower, leaves are considerably thinner and it is highly susceptable to leaf burn if there is a spike in nutrients or temps. The Green Ice is my favorite to grow, nothing seems to effect it and it grows fast.

Simpson Elite.....................................Green Ice
[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Lettuce/0621111717-00.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Lettuce/0621111718-00.jpg[/img]

These will more than likely be the last lettuce crops I grow in a flood tray. RDWC has proven to be so much easier to manage, clean and grow faster that these trays will be converted after this cycle. I ran these systems again to maintain a harvest while the RDWC system was replanted. I continue to learn with each cycle and each change in medium. This round with the RDWC I ran the A-OK starter plugs, mistake I made was to plant the seeds in the pre-formed hole which was way too deep and moist for the lettuce seeds. Moved the plugs around and got the worst preforming plugs on one end. This gives me a chance to experiment.....

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Flood%20Tray/0621111635-00.jpg[/img]

hydroguy

[The Mad Hatter]

Very very cool Hydro!

T.M.H.

[hydroguy]

Very very cool Hydro!

T.M.H.

Thanks T.M.H. You'll be enjoying some greems in that great set-up you've put otogether real soon yourself!

Once lettuce gets rooted and growing things happen quickly. Here's the same plants from the pics above with just 72 hours growth.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Lettuce/0624111542-01.jpg[/img]

hydroguy

[The Mad Hatter]

I actually had some cuttings off of mine last night. I made lemon pepper fish, rice, and a nice fresh salad. How cool is that lol.

T.M.H.