# Started my New Year's lettuce today!



## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

One of my new projects of the year will be getting some gardening in. I've started a hydroponic lettuce garden today, using the system I saw on youtube by mhpgardener, whose videos I love! This system, if it works, takes no electricity or maintanence at all. "Set it and forget it," as he says.

The video I found inspiration from is here:






Planning on doing one head per week, using individual containers. I'll update as it goes on.


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## laverne (Nov 18, 2012)

We did hydroponic gardening this last summer, get ready we had veggies comming out of our ears!


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Interesting ...

Thanks for posting.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

laverne said:


> We did hydroponic gardening this last summer, get ready we had veggies comming out of our ears!


That's what I'm hoping for! We have hardly any soil space at all, so we need to make our gardening plans count. We also need to be as automated as possible, so we'll see how this first experiment goes, and move on to other veggies if we're successful.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

WWhermit said:


> One of my new projects of the year will be getting some gardening in. I've started a hydroponic lettuce garden today, using the system I saw on youtube by mhpgardener, whose videos I love! This system, if it works, takes no electricity or maintanence at all. "Set it and forget it," as he says.
> 
> The video I found inspiration from is here:
> 
> ...


I just put up a thread about this very thing!:wave:I click on yours and here it is,I ordered 3 books on it 10 minutes ago.

Lettuce looks great.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Wait....where can we find more info on this guy's way of doing this? That video doesn't explain. I'll go google.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

DJgang said:


> Wait....where can we find more info on this guy's way of doing this? That video doesn't explain. I'll go google.


If you go to youtube to view the video directly, he has a link to the man that actually developed and researched this method of hydroponics. He's a professor at the U of Hawaii, if I'm not mistaken. His videos also go into depth on the methods.

I'm only on day 2 of my first try, and am still waiting for a sprout out of the rock-wool, but this is something that I'm planning on sticking with and working on, and getting successful with.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

DJgang said:


> Wait....where can we find more info on this guy's way of doing this? That video doesn't explain. I'll go google.


DJ I just ordered 3 differnt books on this today.I should have them in a few days'2 to 6 biz days'will let you know which are best.Maybe you can even rent them at library?:flower:


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> DJ I just ordered 3 differnt books on this today.I should have them in a few days'2 to 6 biz days'will let you know which are best.Maybe you can even rent them at library?:flower:


Thank you!

I can't watch YouTube looking for info, I have very limited data, was hoping to find a website outlining this man's way. I've researched a little and I just am not going to buy air pumps, use electricity, I'm wanting off the grid stuff and something I can do myself with no help from hubby.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

For those of you with more sun than water, you might want to look into airponics, it's similar but uses electricity to pump water(+nutrients) mist onto vertically hanging racks suspended over a reclamation trough. Ohio isn't really known for its sunshine and a Harbor Freight starter solar setup still provides plenty of electricty ... More of just an experiment for me, because Ohio has so much water, but then again, I'm a nerd.


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## Indiana_Jones (Nov 15, 2011)

Meerkat - what are the names of the books you ordered and where did you buy them? Thanks.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Indiana_Jones said:


> Meerkat - what are the names of the books you ordered and where did you buy them? Thanks.


Since its new to me,I ordered 3 books" not EBooks " so I could find whats easierst for me.

Hydroponics:Questions ,Answers For Succesful Growing...by Howard M. Resh

Hydroponics Basics

Beginnign Hydroponics: Soiless Gardening

These 3 were free shipping total cost $32.35 At Barnes and Noble,but I think it was on EBay,not sure.I used google and where ever it took me,but the order was from B&Noble.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

DJgang said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I can't watch YouTube looking for info, I have very limited data, was hoping to find a website outlining this man's way. I've researched a little and I just am not going to buy air pumps, use electricity, I'm wanting off the grid stuff and something I can do myself with no help from hubby.


Me too,I want a small solar panels for the air and circulation pumps.I alrerady have a couple deep cycle batteries and converter just need a panel.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

The_Blob said:


> For those of you with more sun than water, you might want to look into airponics, it's similar but uses electricity to pump water(+nutrients) mist onto vertically hanging racks suspended over a reclamation trough. Ohio isn't really known for its sunshine and a Harbor Freight starter solar setup still provides plenty of electricty ... More of just an experiment for me, because Ohio has so much water, but then again, I'm a nerd.


You should put up a thread just for this,sounds promising for us floridians and maybe for deserts too.We need all the resourceful ideas we can get now a days.Thanks.But I will likley try the hydros for now,but if that is not what it seems good to know theres another way.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

DJgang said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I can't watch YouTube looking for info, I have very limited data, was hoping to find a website outlining this man's way. I've researched a little and I just am not going to buy air pumps, use electricity, I'm wanting off the grid stuff and something I can do myself with no help from hubby.


DJgang, here's a link from the original research at U of Hawaii. It's a PDF file with excellent information and diagrams.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-2.pdf

It shows large scale production, but I'm doing it individually. One plant growing from 1 container, usuing a plastic container that used to have why protein. I'll hopefully be setting up 1 each week, a total of 6 individual containers going at once, at different stages, thereby having 1 head of lettuce ready per week.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Still waiting for my books.Today we are starting the seedlings.And a new design inside the leanto.Actually our new design could be used by those with a suny south wall.

Will use the house heat for the plants outside the windows.Bought 10 2/4s for small frame to cover with plastic.

By the time we finish seedlings should be rerady to put into hydro containers.At least the lettuce anyway.We are starting ,peppers,tomatoes,hot peppers,cabbage and of course lettuce.Maybe some collards too.

Some will sstay in dirt others will go in hydro containers.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

WWhermit said:


> One of my new projects of the year will be getting some gardening in. I've started a hydroponic lettuce garden today, using the system I saw on youtube by mhpgardener, whose videos I love! This system, if it works, takes no electricity or maintanence at all. "Set it and forget it," as he says.
> 
> The video I found inspiration from is here:
> 
> ...


Since your title does'nt have what your doing in it,maybe we should see if the the Boss could combine this into mine or you can just put up another thread showing what its really about other than just planting lettuce.Does'nt matter to me but it would be logical to do one or the other.

I am glad you put this up,I think it is very hopeful and you got me going with it already.THANKS!:2thumb:


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

Meerkat said:


> Since your title does'nt have what your doing in it,maybe we should see if the the Boss could combine this into mine or *you can just put up another thread showing what its really about other than just planting lettuce*.Does'nt matter to me but it would be logical to do one or the other.
> 
> I am glad you put this up,I think it is very hopeful and you got me going with it already.THANKS!:2thumb:


I can do that. I was kind of hoping for a successful full run of the finished product before I did this, but maybe the failures (and I fully expect some failure and setbacks) will help people as well.

Since I start each new seed on Tuesday, I'll make a new thread called something like "The weekly hydroponic lettuce project", and show the steps that I've done so far.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

WWhermit said:


> I can do that. I was kind of hoping for a successful full run of the finished product before I did this, but maybe the failures (and I fully expect some failure and setbacks) will help people as well.
> 
> Since I start each new seed on Tuesday, I'll make a new thread called something like "The weekly hydroponic lettuce project", and show the steps that I've done so far.


Great,we won't be far behind you ,I hope. 4 little sprouts are coming up on the seeds we planted this past week.

We will start small with the self oxigenating one,not the floating one because it will need oxigen pump.

This is fun.I'm sure it will get interesting after while,but now the suspense is fun.:flower:


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Indiana_Jones said:


> Meerkat - what are the names of the books you ordered and where did you buy them? Thanks.


 Indy,one of the books is really detailed and lots of science about plants,formulars,etc. " Hydroponics,Questions and Answers" is too hard for now. Although this bok has some really good info on tomatoes,things I never heard of,but good tricks of the trade,so I'm glad I got it if only for the tomatoe advice. $18.11

The other one is ok "Hydroponic Basics" is ok '$5.95' ,but we like the simple one the best " Hydroponics Soilless Gardening".By Richard E. Nicholls.Step by step and easy to understand. $8.69


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

*New link to new thread.*

As promised, I started a new thread today, showing from the beginning what steps I'm taking to do this project. Here it is:

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f14/weekly-hydroponic-lettuce-project-16686/#post214121


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