Hydroponic Lettuce in Mason Jars

You can grow your own salad greens indoors year-a-round using inexpensive canning jars, and lettuce grown free from pesticides. You can also grow other leafy greens or herbs using this method.

1. One or more wide mouth canning jars.
2. A 3-inch net pot
3. Growing medium like potting soil, Rockwool or Coca-coir
4. Hydroponic Nutrients (Liquid or granular) – Leafy greens like a higher nitrogen level.
5. Lettuce seed or other leafy greens. (Leaf lettuce does well such as Salad Bowl variety)

Assembly: You’ll need a way to out block light from entering the Mason jar in order to prevent algae growth. You can coat the jars with black spray paint or simply cover them with aluminum foil.

Put an empty net pot in the jar and fill the jar with Nutrient solution to about ¼ to ½ inch above the bottom of the net pot. Replace the empty net pot with a net pot filled with your growing medium. Mist the top of the growing medium so it is moist for seed germination. If using leaf lettuce, plant about 5 or 6 seeds around the top of the net pot ¼ inch deep. If using Bibb lettuce only plant one seed or two seeds, and thin to one after germination.

Place the Mason jar near a sunny window, or provide an adequate artificial grow light, 10 to 16 hours of light. With Leaf lettuce you can harvest and it will grow back again one or two times before replanting. Keep the jars filled with nutrient solution to about an inch below the net pot as the lettuce grows. With adequate light you should have lettuce to harvest within 30/60 days depending on the variety.

Nutrient solution for leafy greens: One gallon of water (prefer spring water or filtered water but tap water may be fine.) If using a granular fertilizer like, Master Blend, the usual mix is ½ Teaspoon per gal with ½ Teaspoon of Calcium Nitrite and ¼ Teaspoon of Epsom Salts (Magnesium sulfate). You can use a liquid fertilizer as well.

This is a great way for kids to learn about growing plants, and eating their salad greens, grown by themselves.