Lettuce is now one of the worlds most important salad crops and is grown worldwide. Hydroponic lettuce production provides 112 pages of practical and scientific information for growers of hydroponic lettuce. You can plant lettuce as soon as the ground can be worked in spring. The seeds that the weeds produce are often very difficult to separate from the lettuce seed crop which could render the seed crop unmarketable. Benefits of this book are its clear, extensive, and knowledgeable presentation of relevant information. Guide to growing gourmet lettuces premeditated leftovers. Ppt lettuce production powerpoint presentation free to. Consumption of lettuce figure 3 below depicts local consumption of lettuce compared to the production over a 10 year period. To fit this changing need, this book describes the varieties and production essentials of all currently produced salad crops and microgreens. See the short clip below from the discovery channel for an example of how to grow hydroponic lettuce. After 30 days of growth the production was compared to previous methods of research. A comprehensive, practical and scientific guide to commercial hydroponic lettuce production, 1906. Boston or bib lettuce is the most common type of lettuce grown. Sample costs and profitability analysis 2 looseleaf lettuce includes romaine and several other types with similar production and harvesting practices, except in crop gross returns that result from differences in prices and yield.
With the nft system, a thin film of nutrient solution flows through plastic channels, which. Productionmori girl fashionvintage book coversgardening bookswoodland. The history of lettuce, endive and chicory breeding is well done. If you live in a temperate climate, its possible to enjoy a variety of fresh lettuces all year longfrom early spring straight on until the end of winter. Includes grower handbooks on growing hydroponic lettuce, spinach and pak. Smallscale lettuce production with hydroponics or aquaponics.
Crisp head iceberg types, butter lettuce, leaf leafy lettuce, cos or romaine type and stem lettuce. Most varieties of lettuce require cool weather or slight shading for best growth. This type is a fastgrowing, longlasting lettuce used for salads, sandwiches, and in wilted lettuce salads. Lettuce is adapted to cool growing conditions with the optimum temperatures for growth of 60 to. Lettuce that is crowded or grown in poor soil will be tough and bitter tasting. A typical nutrient formulation has been taken from my book hydroponic food. Harnois greenhouse commercial hydroponic tomato production another. Harvest iceberg lettuce at 4560 days from transplanting, when heads are firm. Romaine and crisp head lettuce production is a fact in eastern north carolina. This guide for organic production of lettuce provides an outline of cultural and pest management practices and includes topics that have an impact on improving plant health and reducing pest problems. Considered an essential handbook for the 21st century, this book covers everything from the background physiology of the lettuce plant to the details of growing systems and management.
All types of lettuce grow best in cool weather, so plan to add it to your garden in. Hydroponic lettuce production by dr lynette morgan fresh culinary herb. The farmtek hydrocycle nft lettuce system above is 39 x 60 x 38 high, yet grows 28 heads of lettuce in only 6 weeks stagger seed starts for continuous production. Local lettuce production pursued with hydroponic touch. Hydroponic lettuce production and minimally processed lettuce. Hydroponic lettuce production, lynette morgan shop online for.
Learn the ins and outs of growing lettuce, including looseleaf, butterhead, romaine and crisphead varieties. Romaine is the driving force and my research will concentrate on this in the near future. Product marketside shredded iceberg lettuce, 16 oz. After youre done picking the variety of lettuce that you want to grow, the next thing to do is to pick the type of hydroponic system that you want to use. Gourmet salad verities include but certainly arent limited to red leaf romaine, cos, butterhead, bibb, oak leaf, red oak leaf, spicy red leaf, gentilina, lollo bionda, corn salad, red salad bowl and mesculum. Hydroponic lettuce is one of the most popular vegetables to grow in hydroponics. As a result, all food must be shipped into the countries by air or sea. Various other authors have investigated components of hydroponic lettuce production as it relates to water and energy inputs 14,15. All about growing lettuce organic gardening mother.
He has a horticulture degree from cornell university, and brings a lot of experience to the table in greenhouse production. See more ideas about hydroponic gardening, hydroponics and growing plants. Minor groundwork is conducted at the end of each lettuce crop for subsequent rotation crops wheat, alfalfa, etc. This is necessary for commercial production and plant growth for to feed large masses of people. Market structure lettuce production occurs yearround throughout the united states, through a sequence of production in arizona and california. Uhctahr smallscale lettuce production with hydroponics or aquaponics sa2 oct. Our market research showed lettuce is very attractive as a fast turnover type crop, particularly in salinas valley or in arizona, but there are challenges for. There are four lettuce types cultivated for the fresh market, these are. Hydroponic lettuce nutrients best fertilizer for your.
Lettuce crops continue to dominate hydroponic salad production in volume, and this book encompasses all of the most recent developments, scientific findings, and research and grower experience to present the definitive information on hydroponic lettuce production. Head lettuce and romaine variety adaptation to eastern nc. An overview of lettuce production systems and cultivars used in hydroponics and protected culture in florida 1 natalie b. Hydroponic lettuce production i howard resh hydroponic services. Lettuce is planted in either nft nutrient film technique or gft gravel flow systems systems and not in bags. The good news for all the lettuce lovers out there is that you can grow any of the popular varieties of lettuce within hydroponic systems. Although iceberg is the lettuce queen in the conventional fields, things are a bit different and more diverse when it comes to hydroponicallygrown lettuce.
Worlds best powerpoint templates crystalgraphics offers more powerpoint templates than anyone else in the world, with over 4 million to choose from. It covers five hydroponic methods suitable for your entry into the world of hydroponics. Cultivate carefully because lettuce is shallowrooted. This spring over one hundred acres of lettuce was planted in eastern north carolina and harvest is on going. Hydroponic salad crop production guide on sale growers supply. Lettuce crops continue to dominate hydroponic salad production in volume, and this book encompasses all of the most recent developments, scientific findings. The objective of this study is to determine whether hydroponic lettuce production is a suitable and more sustainable alternative to conventional lettuce production in arizona.
Several large companies are involved in making it happen. Although greenhouse production of lettuce is very small in comparison to field. Hydroponic lettuce, backyard aquaponics, hydroponic growing, aquaponics. Hydroponic lettuce production on a large scale can entail a large capital investment. Kratky department of tropical plant and soil sciences t his publication describes a system for growing leafy, semihead, and romaine lettuce with a noncirculating hydroponic method. This is not a problem for many vegetables and frozen meats, but it is for fresh, perishable, salad crops such as, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, herbs and. Winner of the standing ovation award for best powerpoint templates from presentations magazine. In the er can be planted from septemberdecember higher temperatures inhibit heading, promote bitter flavor, and accelerate the. Hydroponic lettuce production by lynette morgan goodreads.
With contributing authors renowned for their professional. Although greenhouse production of lettuce is very small in comparison to field grown, it has a specific market niche as a gourmet, highquality item. We have compiled a list of hydroponic resources of information as well as. As hydroponic systems and consumer tastes become more sophisticated, salad crops encompass much more than lettuce. Pproduction guidelines roduction guidelines ffor lettuceor. For largescale planting, sort the heads in the field and pack immediately in perforated carton boxes. As discerning consumers become more sophisticated, the variety and selection of. Furthermore, nothing in print is as current or has this level of detail. Harvest looseleaf lettuce as needed, preferably before bolting. Lettuce production the companys nasa sbir research efforts determined a rate of biomass production for lettuce in an horizontal aeroponic chamber fig1. Nft production of lettuce history the nutrient film technique nft was developed during the late 1960s by dr allan cooper at the glasshouse crops research institute in the u. A more traditional salad in costa rica is sliced cabbage and tomato. Theyll give your presentations a professional, memorable appearance the kind of sophisticated look that todays audiences expect.
It is divided into sections, but the interrelated quality of organic cropping systems makes each section relevant to the others. Spring mix and spinach are planted from october through february and harvest november through march. Bibb lettuce, among three, is the easiest one to grow. So is romaine lettuce, but it takes a longer while to grow as compared to others. In 2011, lettuce was grown on 206,000 acres in california, which represented 73% of. The old concept of maintaining a balance of pests and predatorsparasitoids does not work in a crop where any insect or mite found on the plants is a negative. At harvest, lettuce seed stalks are cut and dried for 1014 days, thrashed in the field and sent to a conditioning plant for final cleaning. A suspended netpot, noncirculating hydroponic method for commercial production of leafy, romaine, and semihead lettuce b. Leafy greens like lettuce must have the proper care and right nutrients to grow properly.
The large tourist industry in costa rica might be the reason for the increase in lettuce production. Grow lettuce in the cool part of the year, when temperatures range in the 50s and 60sf. Department of horticulture and landscape architecture. Hydroponics is a production method where the plants are grown in a nutrient. The cultivated lettuce lactuca sativa is a popular salad vegetable and is grown on all continents throughout the world including australia this primefact includes information on. Commercial hydroponic farming how to get good iceberg. Hydroponic lettuce is a rapidly developing subset of hydroculture due to higher plant yields and safer production process. Biological control of pests in hydroponic lettuce requires a change in thinking for the grower as well as the supplier of the products. Only later, in egypt, was lettuce leaves eaten raw. From an organic gardening standpoint, the best features of lettuce include the facts that its relatively easy to grow. Comparison of land, water, and energy requirements of. A guide to growing gourmet lettuces popular types of gourmet lettuce. Lettuce growing problems and solutions harvest to table. The figure indicates that the production of lettuce is higher than the consumption.
Since 1930, the lettuce production area has increased by an average of more than 1600 acres each year 12. Hydroponic lettuce production i howard resh hydroponic. Introduction head lettuce is the most important salad vegetable grown in the united states. Lettuce production ncsu 2009 ohio vegetable production guide lettuce ohiostate pdf lettuce production in california ucdavis pdf lettuce, endive, and escarole production in florida ufl lettuce orst id56. Lettuce lactuca sativa is the fourth most important vegetable crop grown hydroponically in greenhouses proceeded by tomatoes, european cucumbers and peppers. It is thought to have originated in europe and asia and been cultivated for at least 2000 years. The main varieties include iceberg, romaine and various leaf varieties. A suspended netpot, noncirculating hydroponic method for.
This however comes at a higher price and requires more knowledge and technical skill. An example of this waste reduction can be seen in lettuce, the most. Being clean and free of soil, it is particularly popular in restaurants. Just watch people buying lettuce, they always feel the compactness of the heads first and then look at the size. Hydroponic systems for vegetable production are nowadays essential to maximize productions and. After 1930, lettuce production continued to increase, although at a slower pace, reaching a maximum with 244,000 acres in 2006 figure 1.
Weeds are a severe pest in lettuce seed production. The results of the show that there was 80% improvement of dry weight biomass over nft and soil technologies using aeroponics. Getting a good iceberg lettuce with good head formation starts with a variety first for the specific climate it is planted in, after that you need to understand the general agronomy of the plant. Laughlin 2 lettuce lactuca sativa, a member of the sunflower family asteraceae, follows only potatoes as the most widely grown fresh vegetable in the united states today. Most gardeners who grow lettuce raise the leaf type, either with green or reddish leaves.