GrowLog
Successful

Red and Green Salad Bowl Lettuce under Hard City Water

Grow log by Sher · Original thread

11 visual updates12 photos26 replies
View recap
CropLettuce
VarietyRed Salad Bowl, Green Salad Bowl
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics, staggered lettuce rotation
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest, AeroGarden Bounty
Plants3
AudienceAdvanced

What you can learnA useful lettuce diary showing hard-water diagnosis, pH correction, recovery, repeated harvest, accidental plant damage, and staggered replacement planting.

Actions:4 Planting2 Finished2 Harvest1 Pruning
Useful practices
  • testing reservoir pH before adding supplements
  • lowering pH to 6.0
  • harvesting leaves individually
  • starting replacement pods before the old crop ends
  • selecting green Salad Bowl for greater vigour and productivity
Problems encountered
  • hard chlorinated city water
  • torn sponge and seeds planted too deeply
  • one dying seedling
  • little visible root growth
  • pH 7.0
  • accidental removal of a growing tip

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 44
UPDATE#11
Grower update

Update #11

Actions taken

FinishedReplaced the older plants with a new planting.
PlantingStarted a new crop using only the more vigorous green form.

S By Sher

Out with the old -- in with the new! This time I planted all green, as it is more robust and productive than the red.
Day 34
UPDATE#10
Grower update

Update #10

S By Sher

The two lettuces I started with the peppers will be transplanted into the Harvest with the other seedling once the two bigger plants are done -- probably a couple of weeks.
Day 31
UPDATE#9
Grower update

Update #9

Actions taken

PruningAccidentally pulled out the growing point of one plant.
PlantingStarted one new pod to replace the damaged plant.
PlantingStarted two additional lettuce plants alongside germinating peppers.

S By Sher

I accidentally picked out the growing tip of one of the plants. So I started a new pod to replace it. I also started two more in the Bounty with the germinating peppers. I will move them to the Harvest when the bigger plants start getting bitter. So hopefully I will have almost nonstop lettuce this time.
Conversation
L
lynnee

The lettuce looks so good!

S
Sher

It is good! I like romaine better, but Salad Bowl is not limp and floppy like some lettuces, and it behaves better than romaine in a small AG.

Day 30
UPDATE#8
Grower update

Update #8

Actions taken

HarvestReported several tasty salad harvests.

S By Sher

This poor, bedraggled lettuce has provided me with a few yummy salads. I think I'll leave it alone for a few days and let it grow back to its beautiful, bushy shape before harvesting sgain.
Day 24
UPDATE#7
Grower update

Update #7

Actions taken

HarvestRemoved a few leaves from the plants.

S By Sher

I have picked a few leaves off, but have not been in the mood for a salad. It looks like I'd better get in the mood!
Day 21
UPDATE#6
Grower update

Update #6

S By Sher

The lettuce is 3 weeks old today.
Conversation
S
Shawn

That is going to make a lovely salad!

Day 15
UPDATE#5
Grower update

Update #5

S By Sher

My sweet little lettuce garden is delighting me!
Conversation
S
Shawn

They are so cute

L
lynnee

So pretty, Sher!

Day 11
UPDATE#4
Grower update

Update #4

S By Sher

It looks like using the pH Down is helping!
Conversation
C
campingcorgis

I understand that they make a filter that removes lime...so save appliances and fixtures. It isn't expensive either, but I think it requires "installation," so probably a professional to do so...and permission from management. Not worth the effort if the PH down is working?

Day 8
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

Actions taken

FinishedTested pH and used pH Down to reduce it from 7.0 to 6.0.

S By Sher

My lettuce is not thriving. One of the seedlings turned brown and started dying, and where the roots are usually aggressively growing at this stage, there are no visible roots growing out of the sponge yet. My first inclination was to add Calmag. Then I realized my hard water is loaded with calcium and lime, and probably magnesium. So my next step was to check the pH to see if it was too high, which would block uptake of essential nutrients. The pH was 7.0, which isn't too bad, but I added a little pH Down and lowered it to 6.0. So I am anxious to see if they look more vigorous soon.
Conversation
E
ERR0R1755

Hopefully they'll perk up soon!

C
campingcorgis

Sher, did you ever use an inline water filter for your RV? Maybe something along these lines? You can probably find them in the RV aisle at Walmart (not using their website line here, because sometimes they price it different since they started their "rewards" thing?) or Home Depot or Lowes, etc. Mikey uses them to connect to the spigot when he is washing the cars. Helps get rid of the minerals so less spots on the car? They don't cost must and if you were only using it for filling up the AG's it might last a long, long time. Might be worth a try before lugging water from a store or something?

S
Sher

Good idea, if it would work, campingcorgis. But I have read that they do not remove lime, and our water has so much that it leaves a white deposit in pots. My water out of the tap has 357 ppm. The lettuce looks better, but seems like it is in slow motion.

Day 4
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

Actions taken

PlantingAdded two more seeds to the torn-sponge pod.

S By Sher

Two of the pods are up. The left rear pod sponge was torn and I think the seeds fell to deep to germinate. I sprinkled in two more seeds yesterday, and hope they catch up.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

S By Sher

My first garden in my new home is a modest one. Red salad bowl lettuce in the front and two green in the rear, squeezed into my small kitchen. I plan to use them a leaf or two at a time in sandwiches, so am giving them room to spread. It is also my first garden using chlorinated city water -- also very hard water -- so I'm not sure what to expect.
Conversation
C
campingcorgis

Fingers & paws crossed for you!

S
Sher

Thank you, campingcorgis!

S
Shawn

Nice to see you starting your AG's again.

S
Sher

It feels good!

L
lynnee

My gardens do fine with city water, Sher. It's not particularly hard water, though. Fresh lettuce for sandwiches is one of the very best things to grow in an AG! 🥬

S
Sher

Thanks, lynnee. Shawn told me her gardens grow fine with city water, too. So I will stop worrying and look forward to gardening!

C
campingcorgis

Lots of cities use well water as their water source. Our water here in WA comes from an artesian well about 1 mile from us, as the crow flies. When we lived in L.A., CA, our city had a well too...but they didn't pipe that water into our homes. They sold it to a neighboring city. I had friends that lived in that city and one could SEE the living brine critters swimming in that water with the naked eye. Straight from the spigot or faucet! I kid you not. Our water came from the Colorado river, as I understand it.

Enlarged photoClick outside the image to close