Hydroponic Lettuce: 8 reasons why it just makes sense
If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you’ve probably noticed the skyrocketing prices of leafy greens in the last few months. Not only are consumers seeing higher food prices across the board, but the price of lettuce in particular has quadrupled because of low supply.
Why are lettuce prices so high?
California, which supplies 70% of Canada’s lettuce, has experienced a combination of torrential rains, a widespread virus, and a heat wave, leading to fewer crops available.
In short, between climate change, the ever-present risk of crop loss from disease, and existing supply chain slow-downs, Canadians are seeing lettuce availability plummet, while prices soar.
How long will the lettuce shortage last?
December. Maybe. As leafy green imports grown in other regions begin to hit the market towards the end of the year, consumers might start to see some relief.
But this isn’t the first (and probably not the last) time we’ve seen this type of shortage.
In 2020, the "Salad Bowl" of California saw a third of its crop destroyed and a $100 million loss for farmers. Supply chain disruptions are becoming a new normal. Even as restaurants pivot to other greens like spinach or kale, the prices of those products could also rise.
A long term solution to produce shortages is in sight.
National food security is a multifaceted issue requiring a multi-pronged approach. As you can probably guess, one approach is growing using hydroponics: water-based, indoor agriculture.
A method of growing plants in nutrient-rich water without using soil, hydroponic farming has many benefits over traditional agriculture. And while these systems aren’t meant to completely replace traditional methods, they offer several advantages over conventional soil-growing, including less water, land, labour, and chemical usage.
Continue reading to understand the top 8 benefits of hydroponic farming:
1. Less Water
Hydroponic growing uses up to 90% less water than conventional agriculture. Plus, water is routinely recycled in a Growcer-style farm farm.
2. Space Efficiency
Hydroponic farming saves limited arable land by growing 4x the number of plants that can be grown in the same space as conventional farming. Conventional farming only has one layer of planting on the ground and requires large acreages for bigger yields. With hydroponics, plants can be grown closer together and even more plants can be grown with a vertical system that stacks plants on top of each other.
3. Year-Round Growing
In many climates, growing year-round isn’t possible because vegetables can’t survive in extreme outdoor conditions. For example, in Ottawa, Canada, your frost-free growing season is 152 days. For the other 213 days, temperatures can dip as low as -30’C making it hard to grow vegetables. Hydroponic farming unlocks growing year-round because plants are grown indoors in a controlled environment impervious to the weather outside.
4. Faster Crop Cycles & Repeated Growth
Perfect conditions, faster growth. Because plants are given the exact concentration of nutrients they need, a well balanced growing environment, and oxygen delivered to their root zone, plants grow up to 2x faster than in soil environments (on average, 30 to 50% faster). With hydroponics, crops can grow faster and repeatedly indoors. You’re able to plan your seeding, transplanting and harvesting to ensure no downtime or unused growing space. You don’t have to worry about a “window of good weather” because you’re growing indoors in a controlled environment. When one growing rack finishes, another one opens so you can harvest week over week all year long!
5. Less Disease & Pest Pressure
By eliminating soil, there’s far less breeding vectors for pests and diseases to fester. In an indoor controlled environment, a high degree of sanitation can be maintained and you know any equipment that will come in contact with your plants was thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.
6. Hyper-local Produce
Food grown a short distance from where it’s sold benefits the environment and consumer. The hyper-local produce remains fresher longer, requires less transportation, and is traceable back to the source.
7. Less Food Waste
Because time between harvest and consumption is reduced, you lose less produce to spoilage from long transportation times. Also, because it’s easy to tailor your production plans, you can grow based on demand and limit overproduction therefore reducing food waste.
8. Fresher, for longer
Hydroponic produce will outlast other produce in your fridge with its longer shelf life. Plus, hydroponic produce can be harvested with its roots attached so it’s “still alive” when it reaches you.
Hydroponic farming is not new, and the technology's efficacy has increased dramatically, allowing communities to grow produce more effectively and in a way that is resistant to market forces.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out the ultimate guide to hydroponic farming to better understand what hydroponics is, benefits, common misconceptions, and how to assess its role in the future of food production.
Ready to start your journey and plan your Growcer farm? We’d love to chat.