So much growth has happened since my last blog. First of all the plants look amazing they are growing so fast I ran out of room for them. This, along with the fact that I need to sell more lettuce to pay the bills, has prompted the addition of three more tables. I may be changing the set up of the new tables to the NFT system in order to better understand it. The NFT seems to be the best option for commercial level sales, and will work well for lettuce and strawberry production.
We also purchased two 400 watt metal halide grow light systems off of Craigs List, which has turned out to be the most cost effective place to find them. The lights made a world of difference to the transplants and the seedlings. There growth has accelerated and there is absolutely no stretching. The best part is that I don't have to raise and lower my fluorescent lights. That always made me nervous especially when water is involved.
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400 Watt Metal Halide Grow Light
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I learned a few things this week about organic and hydroponics. First I learned that there is not very much information on the web about this subject. The second is that the local hydroponic stores, who sell organic nutrients, have no idea how to use them. The third and most important thing I learned is that there is no need to mess with your pH. There are no synthetic chemicals in the nutrients so therefore there is no increase or decrease in the hydrogen ion potential in the water. My pH is always very close to neutral 7 and my plants are doing amazing. I guess there is potential to lower the pH and get "better" results. I think for now I will stick with what works and doesn't add any unnecessary chemicals into my lettuce. Despite my lack of organic nutrient pH knowledge my plants look and taste amazing.
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Classic Mesclun Salad Mix 30/45 Days
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I am currently using one 4' X 4' flood table to start my seedlings. I start about 3 trays a week. That is almost 300 heads of lettuce a week. The plan is to be able to have at least 140 finished heads a week to sell at the farmers market, and restaurants. Our local farmers market begins June 30th, and I plan on being there with my second crop of fresh, local, naturally grown, living lettuce! I absolutely love going to the farmers market every Saturday. You get to meet the best people, eat great local food, and listen to live music!
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| Seed Starting Table (holds 780 seed starts) |
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| My Favorite Mustard Mesclun Mix ( 2 weeks) |
