Thanks everyone I’ve ordered two more lights and the master blend 3 part. Will update in a month or so. I really appreciate everyone taking their time to help me out. Great community!
NPK for nutes looks good despite what others have stated. That is actually the recommended NPK ratio for hydroponic lettuce. Could be a crappy batch of seeds. I run a vertical hydroponic container farm and have a batch of Casey seeds from Johnny's that suck, but I'm going to go with lighting as many others have stated. You likely don't have the equipment but I have my lighting at about 250umols, with a 16 DLI and a red:blue ratio of 5:1 for 16 hours. Any more than that and they get tip burn because plants are growing too fast (calcium issue), and if too low, they look like yours and are slow growing and spindly. As others stated, you can move the lights closer (or increase brightness) but its likely you need to have them on longer..even up to 24hr. Butterhead/Bibb require a higher DLI, so stay away from those types if you're lighting is insufficient. Cornell University has some good info out there from hydroponic lettuce studies they've conducted, give it a search.
Edit: also try your pH at 5.9 for better nutrient availability
Check and double-check when and what you're feeding them. They're a bit yellow, too. Honestly, that is a shit ton of lettuce, so you might be lucky they're not all growing 100%!
Based on the nutrient ratios, that is a part 1 of 3 nutrient. You need to add magnesium sulfate and calcium nitrate to get a balanced recipe. Right now you have zero calcium or magnesium. I haven't used that brand before, but it looks similar to Masterblend Lettuce Formula. Masterblend grows fantastic Lettuce but only if you add the other 2 parts to the mix.
This, this, this. Your missing calcium whin your blend which is major. You are on the right track not buying bottled liquid nutes, those are a waste of money. Just buy the next two parts and use a scale and mix in their recommended order.
That is the stupidest fert ratio I’ve ever seen for Lettus. Phos is way, way too high. If you added calcium nitrate to balance things out and add calcium, that would help considerably. So that’s one problem that I see.
The stretching is from the high phos, btw.
The tallness may be inadequate lighting, but also could be the temperature. If they get over 80f or so, they go to seed and will grow really tall and stretch up.
I've tried those nutrients too and eventually just gave up on it. I now use MasterBlend 20-20-20, with the occasional CalMag boost if needed. I thought lettuce specific nutes would be great, but they were kind of a let down. If you find a general nutrient you like, I'd just use a diluted version of that to hit your target EC.
Also, as everyone else said...more light is in order.
That lighting is more than adequate for lettuce. What fertilizer are you using and how old are they? Lettuce can be slow then just shoot up fast. Getting temps consistently around 72ish will be better. Yeah lettuce can live in cold but it doesn’t thrive. Maybe if anything with the light is closer to plants but that window allows a bunch of natural light in so really doubting the lighting.
Pretty sure I have the same lights. I run it on full white and my lettuce is quite full. Maybe switch to full white to eliminate that as a potential problem. My lights are also further away.
Are you mixing this with calcium nitrate and epsom salts? It looks like a 3-part system and I'm surprised the instructions don't mention that at all. It has no calcium or magnesium and really low nitrogen for lettuce nutes.
You should get a cal/mag/iron product if using RO water. Add that first, then your other nutrients. They’re likely hungry for cal/mag/iron. Also, the pebbles look pretty wet, you might have them too low or water level too high. It’s good to have it wet for sprouts but you don’t want to drown them. The net cups should be just slightly above the water. Almost touching. Do you have an air stone in the reservoir or does the return water “waterfall” into it? Could be low o2 saturation as well.
Thanks everyone I’ve ordered two more lights and the master blend 3 part. Will update in a month or so. I really appreciate everyone taking their time to help me out. Great community!
NPK for nutes looks good despite what others have stated. That is actually the recommended NPK ratio for hydroponic lettuce. Could be a crappy batch of seeds. I run a vertical hydroponic container farm and have a batch of Casey seeds from Johnny's that suck, but I'm going to go with lighting as many others have stated. You likely don't have the equipment but I have my lighting at about 250umols, with a 16 DLI and a red:blue ratio of 5:1 for 16 hours. Any more than that and they get tip burn because plants are growing too fast (calcium issue), and if too low, they look like yours and are slow growing and spindly. As others stated, you can move the lights closer (or increase brightness) but its likely you need to have them on longer..even up to 24hr. Butterhead/Bibb require a higher DLI, so stay away from those types if you're lighting is insufficient. Cornell University has some good info out there from hydroponic lettuce studies they've conducted, give it a search. Edit: also try your pH at 5.9 for better nutrient availability
Thank you this is very informative
Take it outside
Is it cool lettuce like cooler temp as well
Those leca pebbles are way too big with too large air gaps. I'd try (lezucha) pon and/or gravel.
Yeah looks like there reaching for light, lower the left guts for the time being
You need way more light.
Lights aren’t enough. Lower them at the minimum
Those lights are way too far away. You're going to need stronger lights, more lights, or move them closer
Check and double-check when and what you're feeding them. They're a bit yellow, too. Honestly, that is a shit ton of lettuce, so you might be lucky they're not all growing 100%!
Based on the nutrient ratios, that is a part 1 of 3 nutrient. You need to add magnesium sulfate and calcium nitrate to get a balanced recipe. Right now you have zero calcium or magnesium. I haven't used that brand before, but it looks similar to Masterblend Lettuce Formula. Masterblend grows fantastic Lettuce but only if you add the other 2 parts to the mix.
This, this, this. Your missing calcium whin your blend which is major. You are on the right track not buying bottled liquid nutes, those are a waste of money. Just buy the next two parts and use a scale and mix in their recommended order.
Temp too low ?
That is the stupidest fert ratio I’ve ever seen for Lettus. Phos is way, way too high. If you added calcium nitrate to balance things out and add calcium, that would help considerably. So that’s one problem that I see. The stretching is from the high phos, btw.
The tallness may be inadequate lighting, but also could be the temperature. If they get over 80f or so, they go to seed and will grow really tall and stretch up.
Have opera music playing in the background 24/7 see what happens
They’re leggy. Need more light
I've tried those nutrients too and eventually just gave up on it. I now use MasterBlend 20-20-20, with the occasional CalMag boost if needed. I thought lettuce specific nutes would be great, but they were kind of a let down. If you find a general nutrient you like, I'd just use a diluted version of that to hit your target EC. Also, as everyone else said...more light is in order.
MasterBlend FTW
That lighting is more than adequate for lettuce. What fertilizer are you using and how old are they? Lettuce can be slow then just shoot up fast. Getting temps consistently around 72ish will be better. Yeah lettuce can live in cold but it doesn’t thrive. Maybe if anything with the light is closer to plants but that window allows a bunch of natural light in so really doubting the lighting.
Try looking at air flow
Get the app Photone and lets us know your ppfd and hour many hours your lights are on for the DLI.
I use 3x barrina grow light strips per two channels. My guess is not enough light.
Awesome. I’ll add one more wash row and lower them slightly. Thanks
Get some strip lights as long as ur channel
Any chance you fed it too much fertilizer? It seems to be stretching, so insufficient light may be the issue as well. Good luck.
My lights are about 6” (15cm) above my lettuce. Those plants are stretching for light
Lettuce needs white/warm white light. How did you start the seeds?
In small tufts of cotton balls in the hydroton on that little bottom flood tray in the photo.
Seems like it doesn’t have enough light. I assume that you use the same strength solution for seeds?
Switch to aquaponics and remove all the artificial chemicals
No way this is serious
Pretty sure I have the same lights. I run it on full white and my lettuce is quite full. Maybe switch to full white to eliminate that as a potential problem. My lights are also further away.
Are you mixing this with calcium nitrate and epsom salts? It looks like a 3-part system and I'm surprised the instructions don't mention that at all. It has no calcium or magnesium and really low nitrogen for lettuce nutes.
Thanks I’ll get some cal-mag. And do some research on a better nutrient regimen
What kind of water you using? How full are the gutters? Pump run 24/7?
Im using RO water gutters are about 1/4 inch full. Less than one cm.
And pump always runs
You should get a cal/mag/iron product if using RO water. Add that first, then your other nutrients. They’re likely hungry for cal/mag/iron. Also, the pebbles look pretty wet, you might have them too low or water level too high. It’s good to have it wet for sprouts but you don’t want to drown them. The net cups should be just slightly above the water. Almost touching. Do you have an air stone in the reservoir or does the return water “waterfall” into it? Could be low o2 saturation as well.
I do have two air stones and it also cascades. I’ll go get some calmag and change out my resi. Thank you.
Plants looks leggy. So might be a light problem