This week I want to talk about the importance of TEMPERATURE to your growing systems. All species of plants have specific growing temperatures in which they thrive, so it's crucial to do your homework. If you are unable to adjust the temperature of your setup, plant only the species that will do well in the environment that you have to work with!
Lettuce is a great example of a plant that likes relatively cooler temperatures. This garden staple grows best in a range of 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit, but those values also depend on the variety. Much colder or hotter, and the plant will be stunted or die. Warmer temperatures can also cause the lettuce to "bolt" (flower), and be bitter.
Below is a picture of two columns of Bibb lettuce currently in our grow room. Although we do not have a thermostat controlling the temperature of our setup, one side of the room is consistently around five degrees cooler due to the location of our ventilation system. The tower on the left was placed on the cooler side of the room and the tower on the right was placed on the warmer side of the room. All of these plants were started at the same time. Notice the HUGE difference.
The takeaway? Something as simple as five degrees in temperature could be the difference between garden success and failure. So it is definitely worth researching!
Hope this was helpful, and that everyone has a great week!
- Rachel 🌱👩🏼🌾
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