Is flushing neccesary with indoor lettuce?

[burny downz]

Ok so I am new to growing lettuce indoors and have a few newb questions. I am growing in a baby bloomer ebb and flow system, wanted to use my GH nutes, either Bio-Grow or the Maxibloom ( I have both) My goal is to have a perpetual lettuce crop indoors year round. How would one go about flushing in a perpetual system?? Is it even possible? Or even a worry? Would I start with nutes in the rez and gradually ween them off until they were only in fresh water? Thanks for any and all help.....BD

 

[CannaBunkerMan]

I'm interested in this too. I'd think that extra left-over nitrogen might taste bad, but I really don't know.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

that would sound like the best plan.

 

[burny downz]

best plan = weening????

 

[noreason]

I think if you want a perpetual harvest you should find the minimum fertilizers dosage,or to explain better,that dosage that if is increased will not do any difference.
And if you use to eat your lettuce mixed with something else I don't think you're capable to taste any difference from a commercial one

Just my two man

 

[Rednick]

Separate res per stage of growth.
Yes, flush SALT fertilizers.
Ween is fine, then a little time in pure H20 is my guess.

 

[danabis]

I don't know the answer but if you google “Growing lettuce hydroponically” you may find the answer.

 

[geopolitical]

You should never have to flush lettuce. Lettuce like many leafy crops will actually store excess nitrates in their leaves when presented with more than they need. Once stored however they tend to stay where they've been put. Let me emphasize this, all the research I've read says that removing nitrogen or even flushing the plants up to 15 days before harvest in some cases does next to nothing for nitrate levels. Nitrates are stored until shortly before leaf abscission, and at that point you don't have lettuce, you have a stalk. Now, excess nitrogen does lead to hypertrophy of leaves, so you get a slightly bigger plant. It's just not so good for you anymore.

I've regularly run lettuce on 1/2 to even 1/4 the recommended nitrogen levels (depending on light availability) to avoid this problem. Lettuce will grow normally in lower light conditions with reduced nitrates, it just looks odd (lighter colored leaves, normal dimensions & taste/texture).