So you are thinking about growing lettuce with the Kratky Method? The first question that comes to mind is how much water will I need throughout the plant's life cycle? How many plants are you planning to grow? Do I have enough space in my house to accommodate the plant? What size container do I need? How about lighting? What kind of light do I need? What about the temperature required for the plant? What kind of nutrients do I need? All of these questions run through my mind when I am preparing to grow a plant using the Kratky method.

Most growers will agree that you can grow one lettuce plant using one gallon of water or less. I would agree with this answer up to a certain point. I would question in what kind of environment. Let’s be realistic; if you plan on gardening in a greenhouse, the heat will be a factor, and chances are that the heat will evaporate the water in your system. If you are growing your lettuce plant indoors under a fluorescent light, then one gallon of water should be sufficient.

If you are planning to set up a system with more than one lettuce plant please make sure to adjust the amount of water in your system. For example lets say that you want to set up a system that will grow 10 lettuce plants, you need to have a container that will hold at least 10 gallons of water. If you want to grow more just add one gallon of water per additional plant and vice-versa if you want to grow less then subtract one gallon of water per plant, unless you want to have a safety net then there is no need to subtract.

The point that I am trying to get across is that planning and doing some research will give you a better understanding of what to expect when you start growing with the Kratky method. Most seed packs will have some insight on the requirements for that specific type of seed, but it will not give you any information on growing the plant hydroponically.

Thanks for reading!