Lettuce is amongst the easiest plants to grow using Kratky hydroponics at home. Kratky Lettuce grows amazingly fast so you will see the results of hydroponic growing very quickly.
Because lettuce is so forgiving, you can grow it in a very simple Hydroponic system called Kratky. The Kratky method is a passive hydroponic technique for growing plants suspended above a reservoir of nutrient-rich water. All you need is nutrients, a container where you add the nutrients, holes to put the lettuce seedlings and light. Because it is a non-circulating technique, no electricity, pumps, or water and oxygen circulation systems are required (except light if you grow indoor).
Peter Stanley has a very nice tutorial from selecting a container, making holes for the net pots to planting the seeds and the final result. The seeds are started directly in the Kratky setup in the Park Seed Bio Dome sponges and fixed with clay pebbles. Peter uses for the solution 4-18-38 (NPK) + Magnesium Sulphate + Calcium Nitrate all mixed together.
How fast does lettuce grows indoors?
All things considered, it could be as early as three weeks to get the first lettuce edible leaf. A full harvest could take 45 to 85 days depending on the lettuce type.
Peter also has a more detailed tutorial on his site, so thanks for the great work!
If you are ready to try Kratky hydroponic and grow lettuce, here are the steps to make a cheap hydroponic system with DIY stuff.
Lettuce growing is so satisfying as you can literally notice it growing from day to day, but even better is to watch a lettuce growing timelapse:
Can you tell the difference between soil lettuce and hydroponic lettuce?
Khang Starr has an interesting video on testing hydroponic lettuce versus regular soil lettuce. Wondering if growing in hydroponics tastes better? Watch the video:
