How to Grow lettuce with vertical tower system?

How many steps are needed from a seed to lettuce?

No need for soil or plowing, just a sunny corner and a set of vertical hydroponic tower system, you can easily grow fresh vegetables at home.

Step 1: Germination

Choose the vegetables you want to grow, such as lettuce. Soak the lettuce seeds in warm water for 4-6 hours. The water temperature should not be too high, and soak them in 55 ℃ water. You can change the water in the middle to keep it clean.

After soaking, prepare a covered container and lay a layer of wet tissue on the bottom. Spread the soaked seeds flat on the tissue and cover it with another layer of wet tissue. We use a sprayer to fully wet the tissue. Then cover it with a lid and place it in an environment at 18-25 ℃ to avoid light and promote germination. Spray water once a day to keep it moist, and the seeds will turn white in about 3-5 days.

Step 2: Seedling cultivation

After seeing the seeds break through and become white, we can transplant them onto seedling sponges or rock wool. Just put a white seed in one hole, be careful not to keep it too deep. Afterwards, spray water with a sprayer every day to keep it moist. At the beginning, do not bask in the sun. After the seedlings grow two leaves, they can start to see light!

Lettuce likes light. After growing two true leaves, the seedlings can be placed on the balcony or in a sunny place to bask in the sun. They can also be supplemented with a plant growth lamp for about 10-12 hours a day.

Step 3: Planting and transplanting

When the seedlings grow to about 10 centimeters and have strong roots, they can be transplanted into hydroponic systems. I prefer using hydroponic column systems.

Before transplanting, we need to prepare the hydroponic column.

Firstly, add water and an equal proportion of nutrient solution to the bucket, turn on the water pump, and allow the water and nutrient solution to fully blend and be evenly distributed. Then soak the planting sponge, clamp it together with the seedlings, and gently place it into the planting hole of the column, tightly adhering to the hole wall, without hanging or pressing too tightly, to ensure that all seedling roots can come into contact with water.

Finally, adjust our nutrient solution parameters. The initial EC value of lettuce nutrition should be controlled at 800-1000 μ s/cm. Measure pH and EC values every 1-2 days, and adjust them promptly if there are significant fluctuations.

Step 4: Daily maintenance

If we plant indoors, we can choose hydroponic columns with plant growth lights to compensate for the problem of insufficient indoor lighting, maintaining 10-12 hours of light every day.

The next step is to wait quietly. Generally, after 25-35 days, lettuce can grow and be harvested.