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CROP INFORMATION

Commercial Hydroponic Lettuce Growing: Hearting Varieties

Bench Specifications

  • 15 plants per square metre with 300mm between lineal centres
  • 420 plants per bench.
  • Benches are 18 metres long, 1.6 mtr wide and 1 mtr high (1:40 gradient from feed to drain)
  • 7 channels per bench.
  • 13 bench stands per table required.
  • Use rigid Panda or rigid Polar gully.

Growth from seedling to maturity, local climate will effect this, but generally 4-6 weeks in summer and 6-8 weeks in winter.

Plant Specifications

  • CF (nutrient strength) 10-14 summer, 14-16 winter.
  • pH (acid/alkaline balance) 6.3.
  • Solution temperature optimum 25°C and minimum 13°C.

Running Costs

Each hearting lettuce will cost approximately 40c each to produce. This includes all farm inputs from seed to market.

Market Average

The market average can vary greatly however, it would be safe to budget on a market value of .75c each.

Other crops suited

Other crops suited to this system will include all lettuce varieties, also all herb varieties and chinese vegetables e.g. Fancy Lettuce (mignonette, coral, butter etc)

  • Spacing 250mm x 250mm
  • 20-25 plants per square metre
  • Expected Crops 8-12 crops per year
  • Yields 140 plants per square metre of table

Commercial Hydroponic Lettuce Growing: Fancy Lettuce

  • 20-25 plants per square metre with 250mm between lineal centres.
  • 576 plants per bench (based on 20 plants per square metre).
  • Benches are 18 metres long x 1.6m wide x 1m high (1:40 gradient slope from feed to drain).
  • 8 channels per bench.
  • 12 bench stands required.
  • Use rigid Panda or rigid Polar gully.

Plant Requirements

  • CF (nutrient strength) 6-10 summer 10-14 winter
  • pH (acid/alkaline balance) 6.3
  • Nutrient Film Technique
  • Solution temperature optimum 25°C minimum 13°C

Running Costs

Each fancy lettuce will cost between 30-40 cents to produce. This includes all farm input from seed to market.

Market Average

Market average is approximately . 70c per head.

Other Crops Suited

All small or fancy lettuce varieties and most short term herbs.  
 
 
 
 

Hydroponic Salad Vegetables

Perhaps some of the most versatile and easy to grow plants in hydroponic systems are lettuce and the huge range of salad greens we have available these days... read the full article at Maximum Yield.

For information about Chives, see Maximum Yield

For information about Garlic, see Maximum Yield.