This will be the first time I have ever purchased something to grow my lettuce in instead of straight into the garden. I decided that I would give this trending idea a try as I can move it into a shady area by my back porch. Hopefully, this will keep the lettuce from bolting too early with the onset of hot, summer days.
Tower Planter
I ordered this from Amazon as I could not find one in our local stores. It is much smaller than I would have liked, but, I felt it may just work out fine. I will definitely keep posting updates to let you all know how it works out.
The Un-Boxing
There are 5 pots in all with four sections each so you can plant whatever you want to. I was thinking this would be perfect as a strawberry planter and also for small herbs as well.
Filling The Center
I decided that there was no reason to fill the entire center of the four bottom planters. That would be a waste of soil in my opinion. I took some 4" square pots and cut out a hole in the bottom where the pvc pipe will be going through. They fit perfectly in the center of each planter. As I placed them there I realized that it would help to keep the soil from draining out the center when watering. So, this idea worked out nicely.
The Assembly
The entire planters height is only 30" high so I decided to add some more height to it by placing it on top of another large pot. Plus it will help to secure the entire tower even more with the added weight. I was concerned with the gusty winds that we sometimes have here and I sure would not like it to get blown over.
Planting The Lettuce
I took the containers out to my greenhouse and started planting. I chose buttercrunch and mixed leaf lettuce to start with alternating the planters. I had so many chard seedlings that I thought I could do them on the top layer as they would need room to grow taller.
The Tower Is Planted
All I need now are some warmer nights and I can move the entire planter outside. I know the tower is not as large as I had hoped but I decided to order another one just to grow spinach in. Now, I know you may think I am a bit crazy here, but, I will have them for years to come so I can justify the expense upfront.
Hydroponic Lettuce Update
It has been 5 weeks since I started the lettuce using the Kratky method. We have been enjoying the fresh lettuce a few times a week. I need to pick some more today for lunch as soon as I finish this post. That's all I have for today, my friends. I hope you enjoyed my gardening post from this urban homesteader.
Until next time, this is Sunscape
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