Your Guide To Growing Lettuce And Herbs In steadyGROWpro Sheet Media
Media Preparation
Make sure all equipment, trays and tools are clean and sterilized. Place new steadyGROWpro sheets in standard 10"x20" trays. Completely wet the sheets. Let the excess water drain away.
Sowing Seeds And Root Formation
Use quality seeds from a reliable source. Pelleted and nonpelleted seeds will work in steadyGROWpro sheets. Sow seeds in the presoaked steadyGROWpro sheets by placing one seed in each of the prepunched holes. Make sure the seeds drop to the bottom of the prepunched holes. After the seeds have been sown, wet the media again making sure that the seeds do not flood out of the holes. Do not cover the seeded holes with vermiculite or other soil material. Place the seeded trays in a dark room with a temperature of 64° F for two days.
After two days, you will see the seed coat breaking and initiation of seedling. Move the trays from a dark room to a well lit room and make sure the temperature is around 68°-72° F. The trays should receive at least 8-12 hours of light per day. For closed bottom trays, maintain a water level of at least one third of the sheet depth. For open bottom trays, which will drain the excess water not retained by the steadyGROWpro media, plan on misting the media with 500ml-1000ml of water three to four times a day for a period of 12 days. Using the appropriate nutrient supply will enhance root growth. We recommend a nutrient supply of 100-200 ppm of Nitrogen, 15-90 ppm of Phosphorous and 80-350 ppm of Potassium. Fourteen days after the initial sowing date, you will see roots coming out of the bottom of individual foam cells. When you have five or more roots protruding from the bottom of the steadyGROWpro media, it is time to transplant.
Transplanting
To transplant, separate the emerging seedlings along with the media. SteadyGROWpro sheet media is prescored for easy separation of individual seedlings. From this point, your germinated seeds may be grown in soil, or they may be grown hydroponically.
Hydroponic Growing
Place individual seedlings in troughs (trays) with holes which will float in water. Spacing between individual seedlings should be provided so that the plants can grow without overlapping leaves with the adjacent plant. The troughs (trays) are placed on top of an aerated water reservoir (about 3"-7" in depth) with nutrients making sure that only the roots are in contact with the water. The ideal temperature range is 68°-72° F. Within a week, the seedling should be growing rapidly. It is important to keep the spacing so that the roots and leaves of adjacent plants do not start intertwining. Click here for more information on Hydroponic Growing Systems.
Increase the amount of nutrients as the plants start growing. Make sure the water is well aerated. In 45 days or less, your fully grown lettuce or herb plant will be ready for harvesting.
Transplanting steadyGROWpro To Soil
Make sure the germinated seedling and the steadyGROWpro media is still well saturated before transplanting to soil. Plant the entire plant and steadyGROWpro cell into a hole in the soil between ⅛"-¼" below the surface. Water again thoroughly. Maintain a watering regiment to keep the soil moist but not soaked at the surface. If you are transplanting to a container of soil, be sure the container holding the media can drain well. As with hydroponic growing, you should be ready to harvest your lettuce or herbs in 45 days or less.
