Return to the Hydroponics Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
My Hydroponic Lettuce
| | |
Posted by davemichigan z 5/6 (SE Michigan) (My Page) on Wed, Mar 19, 08 at 16:44
| Hi, last winter I started my simple hydroponic experiment. So far only one lettuce and one spinach survived. It is a simple floating method.
The lettuce is growing fine, edible, but you can see that the main stem is growing long, and since I don't use any support, the plant cannot support itself, so the leaves fall sideway.
Why do you think the stem grow long like that? Is it because I didn't give it enough light (this is indoor)?
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: My Hydroponic Lettuce
| | |
| Not enough light makes them grow tall and fall over (it's sometimes called 'leggy'), much like your photo shows. Excessive heat (above 80 degrees) will cause it too, but only for lettuce and cole crops, as far as I know. For everything else, it seems to be not enough blue spectrum light that makes them grow tall and weak. |
RE: My Hydroponic Lettuce
| | |
| Iliketoast, thanks. I think that is the case (that it doesn't get enough sunlight). I didn't know that legginess would happen/apply to grown plants. I thought it happened with seedlings only. But does it affect the plant itself? Aside from the weird look, it still tastes good to me, but I don't have others to compare. |
|
|
|
|
