Skyrocket Hydroponic Lettuce

 Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong if my hydroponic lettuce
instantly reaches for the sky instead of bunching?

the only clue I have was to ensure that the nutrient concentration is
increased and consistent, but that "advice" came from the comments of a
caught grower of hydroponic maryjane (as seen on TV recently {:-).

 
i know a bit about lettuce, but not hydroponics, so my uninformed thoughts
are:
1: too much nitrogen?
2: it's too hot & they're not spindly, they're bolting?
3: not enough light?

what is your system like? how does it work? what else do you grow with it?
(very briefly unless it's your favourite subject & you just can't stop ;-)
kylie

 0tterbot wrote:


This is an on again, off again thing.

Basically the nutrient is Part A added to Part B and mix at half
strength like it says on bottle.

Could be light as it was grown under 30% shade cloth. Basically gets the
full, morning sun, then the shade cloth cuts in as sun moves. I might
have to relocate it out into full sun and just start under a piece of
shade cloth.

Bolting is probably correct. Hot weather was a factor on some, but not
all. Did it even in winter.


OTOH, we scattered the seed heads from various lettuce last year on a
garden and this year we have about 25 square feet carpet of lettuce (Cos
style). We are amazed and have an elegant sufficency of lettuce for
tossed salads.

Even when they are obviously going to seed, they are doing it so slowly.
   Received copious amounts of manure on the soil and lashing of worm wee.

i suspect they have their feet in so much nutrients that are  bone idle.


Anyway, I am looking for peeps who might know to save me running a full
lot of experiments.

No good running them under 30% shade cloth if that is the problem.

Long term purpose, was
a) different sort of gardening,
b) indoor garden in "sun" room (has clear ceiling)

TIA

 
(snippage)


that sounds lovely! most of what i know about lettuce was gleaned through
failure, not success <g>


ime, the word "bolting" is a bit of a misnomer. it's slow, but it's still
too soon!


that leaves me out, then ;-)

i'd do experiments though anyway (after all, you have enough lettuce
already, don't you, so it won't matter if the experiments fail <g>)


i'd honestly think 30% shade cloth (in & of itself) is quite all right for
lettuce... you might be right about the juice they're growing in.
kylie the unhelpful

 0tterbot wrote:

That is(hopefully was) our normal situation. We have limited success
raising seedlings and planting them out. Seem to be have a lot more
success just scattering/broadcasting the seed and see what comes up.

It all started with a wrong compost. It just doesn't get the heat and
kill the seeds. So borage, tomatoes, capsicum, pumpkins etc survive and
sprout every time we spread some around.

Then what few lettuce seedlings survived bolted to seed (just like
coriander is doing now, sigh) and we just left all the seed heads in
this area.

We have a patch of english spinach that is all the spinach that popped
up everywhere else and was transplanted. Alas, all but 2 plants have
magnificent sead heads already.

Currently, we have one bed 10'x4' that I'm broadcasting various old
seeds (capsicum, spinach, lettuce and whatever else I find that we have
collected in the seed collection) onto, I'll scratch the surface, water
and sit back and see what happens. it seems to work better, than
purchased or raised seedlings/





exactly.