how many romaine in 8 pod system

[airscapes]

I ordered some Paris Island seed to grow in my DIY Bounty.  It holds 2 gallons of water so more like a farm in water capacity I think.   How many Romaine plants should I attempt to grow in this?   I was thinking maybe 3 max?

[lynnee]

I think you could easily grow 7 lettuce plants in that impressive DIY mini-Farm!

I've grown 9 producing lettuces at once in a Bounty, but now I plant only 2 or 3 lettuces at a time. Using the cut-and-come-again method of harvesting, that many plants provide all the fresh lettuce that we can use.

The lettuce plants are smaller when you plant them close together, I think.

[campingcorgis]

Nice setup, airscapes!  For me, I would probably try 4, placing them so to keep some air and space around them.  I prefer to pick just before we use it, and we don't always pick a great deal every day.  Sometimes just enough for sandwiches or side salad.  I find if they start to get crowded, I can not see what is going on with the lower leaves, if they get overcrowded.  And, it might not be too pretty when I can get into it, if you know what I mean.  

But, everyone is different.  If you plan to harvest daily, when they are larger...or if you plan to just harvest a whole head at once, you can probably get away with more.  If you wish to harvest leaves from the outside over a longer period of time, fewer might work out best.

So, I guess it is more of a trial and error.  See what works best for you.  I suppose, if you plant too many, you can always remove a plant, here and there?  

[Sher]

I like my romaine to get huge and harvest the outer leaves only, so I would probably go with 3, maybe 4.

[airscapes]

I think I will go with 4 to start, as was said, can always clear cut one and eat it if they get too crowded.   I am guessing we will harvest what we need and come back for more as it regrows.  Since my wife switched life styles for a LOW Carb diet to lower A1C to normal and forgo drugs and insulin, we eat a lot more salad than a year ago.  She is picky, so hopefully this romaine will taste like what she buys at the store .. other wise she may not eat it..  No harm in trying.. 

[Sher]

airscapes, my sister and I both have grown our own large heads of romaine. My sister had a huge Kratky setup because she was on a big salad a day kick. I grew mine in a short vertical grow tower.

Neither of us want to eat lettuce from the store anymore, and we are both picky about lettuce. Our romaine was superb!

The only reason I grew Salad Bowl lettuce a while back was because I didn't have space for romaine.

[lynnee]

May 21, 2022 8:05:31 GMT -5 airscapes said:

I think I will go with 4 to start, as was said, can always clear cut one and eat it if they get too crowded.   I am guessing we will harvest what we need and come back for more as it regrows.  Since my wife switched life styles for a LOW Carb diet to lower A1C to normal and forgo drugs and insulin, we eat a lot more salad than a year ago.  She is picky, so hopefully this romaine will taste like what she buys at the store .. other wise she may not eat it..  No harm in trying.. 

Let's hear it for picky eaters!

Betcha your wife loves the romaine. Fresh AG lettuce tastes much better than the store-bought stuff, in this picky eater's opinion.

[airscapes]

Looks like I started these May 20. I had 3 pods, one did not germinate and damped off.
I think I have done one R&R about a week and a half ago and will do it again today.  Just using Aerogarden nutrient and tap water, no calmag added as of yet.  Also have not tasted it yet.  The lettuce was very soft and tender until I added the fan running every 2 minutes for 1 minute.  It is now feeling a bit more like lettuce grown outside as far as stiffness of the the rib and leaf.
Also, to those who harvest the outer leaves .. Should I start that or let these get bigger??

[Shawn]

I would say start eating and enjoying.  But please my all means wait for others to add their comment.  They look great airscapes!

[lynnee]

Go ahead and start harvesting! Those leaves are definitely large enough if you're using the cut-and-come-again method, airscapes!

[campingcorgis]

Go for it!  Sandwiches, salad, whatever...and report back!  

[mike]

You'd probably get the best results with 3. If you do 4 or  more the bigger plants  leaves will cover others from getting full light. I'm having problems with that on my Pac Choi right now. That is why I want to redesign the lid to space them further apart.

[airscapes]

Jul 3, 2022 18:53:52 GMT -5 mike said:

You'd probably get the best results with 3. If you do 4 or  more the bigger plants  leaves will cover others from getting full light. I'm having problems with that on my Pac Choi right now. That is why I want to redesign the lid to space them further apart.

Hi Mike!   Looks like 2 is really the best number for this size box..   Next round I think I will  do a tub with either 3 or 4 holes.   Will give me a chance to design a new method of  water deliver.  Wife was in the ER this past week (hip dislocation) and I grabbed all the tubing from the IV and O2 so wanted to do something with it. Then again a couple air stones is really all that is needed.. but where is the fun in that!    We have yet to try eating any of this crop, still eating what I grew outside.. 

[lynnee]

I hope that your wife is doing okay, airscapes. That sounds like a painful injury!

That's funny, that you thought to take the tubing. It never occurred to me to wonder whether the hospital reused it. Now I'm wondering how they decide on a length when they set it up. Is it on big rolls, or packaged in standard lengths? I suppose it's the latter.

[Shawn]

I will be planting lettuce in one side of my farm.  I think I left spaces in my layout.  I need to revisit before planting,.

[airscapes]

Hi Shawn, my box is a smaller than a farm only 17.5" long... I just measured and have 8.5" between these 2 plants. When the 3rd failed to germinate I should have moved the one on the left to the very end .. This is Paris Island Romain.

Windex for scale.

[paul1975]

I made the mistake of planting all nine pods of romaine in my Bounty elite. I just started a new one with three pods. I also planted the salad greens pods in my other two Bounty's,they look awesome. The pic is 30 days after planting The salad greens.
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[lynnee]

Jul 26, 2022 17:20:09 GMT -5 paul1975 said:

I made the mistake of planting all nine pods of romaine in my Bounty elite. I just started a new one with three pods. I also planted the salad greens pods in my other two Bounty's,they look awesome. The pic is 30 days after planting The salad greens.
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There are a lot of terrific salads in those two Bounties!

[Shawn]

Looks good airscapes

paul1975, that is some nice salads you will be eating