Romaine Lettuce from seeds: problem!

10 years ago

Hi, I'm new to the forum and new to gardening. My boyfriend and I are setting up a hydroponic indoor garden which we will one day do on a larger scale. We've just begun and are seeing good signs with a lot of our seeds. However, the one that should be easiest is giving us trouble.

We have Romaine lettuce that looks light green, thin and long in leaves and just not right. They're wilting. We used dyna grow for a nutrient solution and the seeds are sitting in peat pots.

Does anyone have any solutions or tips? What are we doing wrong?

Comments (5)

digdirt2
10 years ago
So are you growing these hydroponically or in peat pellets? The 2 methods usually don't mix well.

Over-watering is a chronic problems with the peat pellets which is why many of us won't use them so in hydro the problems are even worse. AND possibly not enough light which makes them leggy like that.

Dyna Grow is your choice, personally I won't use it. But those plants are in dire need of transplanting and a different nutrient solution. I suggest you check in with the folks over on the Hydroponics forum here for suggestions. Hydro is its own different world from soil gardening and hydro-grown plants can be fail with even a minor pH/nutrient issue.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Hydro forum
taylieh
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for replying. We started in the peat and then move it to vertical towers with a drip system. We planned on stopping the use of peat pellets but this is the icing on the cake. We just moved the best looking ones under our stronger light and that should help.

I'll have to ask there too, I just didn't know where would be a good place to post.

Thanks again!
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SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
10 years ago
I grow lots of leaf lettuce/romaine indoors and agree it looks like it is from too much water. They tend to thrive better with minimal water and enticing temps.

BTW, that looks like a nice LED spectrum reflection.

SCG
taylieh
Original Author
10 years ago
Ah, and the peat pots retained a llooooot of water. thank you, this helped a lot and we've made adjustments. The ones we put in our drip tower are doing way better than the ones still in the peat pot.

haha, we bought what we found to be the best LED for our price range and it has done wonderfully!
Jonathan29
10 years ago
Looks like a mixture of over watering and legginess to me. I would think LED would be fine for light. However, i have seen way more benifits personally to the gas lamps even though they cost more. I have seen 1000 times more dark green leafy growth under my HPS lights than my florescent or LED lights. Granted i have nothing against LED just think it has a little ways to go before its a wonder light for indoor plant growing. I would highly recommend spending a little more on power and on a 400watt hight pressure sodium or metal halide i think you will be amazed by the results.

Here is a link that might be useful: TheItalian Garden

This post was edited by Jonathan29 on Mon, Mar 17, 14 at 23:33