Maximum Yield USA 2015 January | Page 120

winter lettuce production “Amino acids are intermediate chelators, improving the availability of calcium and other important cations to plants.” Why Hydroponic Winter Lettuce? When a complete nutrition program is followed for lettuce production, including both mineral and organic components, it is possible to produce a consistently superior product. Color, texture and flavor can be enhanced, with the added benefit of improved vitamin and mineral content. An objective measurement of how well your plants are taking up water and minerals can be obtained by using a brix refractometer—an instrument that measures the sugars and dissolved solids in the sap. But many experienced chefs and produce buyers can detect superior quality simply by looking at it. For example, the best romaines have a thin ribbon of gold on the edge of the leaves, and they should have complex flavors including sweet, bitter and peppery overtones. Once your nutrient solution management program is developed and fine-tuned, a foundation can be laid for a continual harvest of gourmet-quality produce. Happy harvesting! 118 Maximum Yield USA  |  January 2015