LETTUCE RAFT
Tips 'N Techniques

Lettuce raft

STOP! If you have just arrived at this website, you might want to go back to page one of this mini-farm plan.

HOW TO BUILD A SMALL LETTUCE RAFT SYSTEM
Part 5- Operating Tips 'N Techniques

LIGHTING:

You can use just the light from a sunny window if all you are growing are herbs. Anything else requires some supplemental lighting. A T5 compact fluorescent “grow light” will do fine for houseplants, herbs, and leafy green veggies like lettuce. This one is available for under $75, including the 125 watt compact T5 bulb:

                           


You can order this lamp and bulb here:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#lighting. You can get off much cheaper by getting a fluorescent “grow stick” at Walmart for about $25, but you will not get the lush growth a better light setup will produce. Also, for best results, upgrade to the 200 watt bulb listed on our supplies page.

Learn more about hydroponics lighting here:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/hydroponic-lights.html.One final note: the grow room must be kept cool for lettuce. Use a fan on low in there to cool it down.
 

NUTRIENTS:

We highly recommend the Flora Series nutrient solutions put out by GH (General Hydroponics). This stuff is superior, easy to use, and reasonably priced. It consists of 3 parts (Flora Grow; Flora Micro; and Flora Bloom). If you have hard water, get the Hardwater Flora Micro instead. For this lettuce garden, order a quart of each of the three solutions:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#nutrients. Stick with Flora Series, follow the label directions, and you can't go wrong!

The nutrient solution must be kept cool (55-70°). This is especially important for the cool-season crops like lettuce. Learn more about hydroponics nutrient solutions here:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/hydroponic-solution.html. We also provide a nifty little mixing chart for the Flora nutrients you can print out and save.

As the nutrient level drops in the reservoir bin, you need to periodically add water only (not more nutrient). Keep track of how many gallons you top up with. When you have replaced a total of 3 gallons of water, stop topping up and let the level drop down quite a bit. Then drain the bin and mix up a whole new batch of nutrient solution. Each new 6 gallon batch should last 4-5 weeks, or a whole growing cycle for a crop of lettuce.

pH- It is a very good idea for any serious hydroponics project to keep the pH of the water in the proper range, which is 5.5 to 6.5 (6.0 is ideal). If the pH is out of range, some of the nutrients get “locked out” and the plants suffer. GH puts out a simple test kit with pH up & down solutions cheap. It will last you through many gardens:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#nutrients.

GROWING MEDIA:

The growing medium for a lettuce raft is actually the grow sponge or cube the seedlings started in. Then the Hydroton balls are jammed in around the seedlings to help support them in the little net pots. Large pots are not needed because the roots quickly outgrow the pots and extend down into the solution.

This is a handful of Hydroton clay balls:


                   

Here is a cheap source for your hydroponics media:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#media.

Hydroton balls must be ordered from a hydroponics supplier. For the tiny bit needed for this small raft, try ebay for a small bag of it. Learn more about hydroponic growing media here:http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/hydroponic-growing-medium.html.

FINAL THOUGHTS & PRINTABLE BOOKLET