Layout Racks and Estimate Weekly Yield
1 dayCalculate plant sites per tier, project harvest weight per cycle from variety data, and plan staggered seeding for continuous harvest.
Field context
This workflow is part of 4 niche fields
Complete guide for lettuce commercial scale — step-by-step workflow, tools, checklist, and expert tips to get started.
Calculate plant sites per tier, project harvest weight per cycle from variety data, and plan staggered seeding for continuous harvest.
Sum fixture wattage × photoperiod × rate, add chiller and fan loads, estimate cost per head over crop cycle.
Size stock tanks for weekly mixing, calculate air and pump redundancy, install monitoring for multi-zone EC and pH.
Calculate heads per delivery route, cold chain hold time, and seed-to-harvest timer for order fulfillment.
Projects weekly head count and biomass from rack layout and variety data.
Estimates electricity cost per head including lighting, pumps, and HVAC.
Sizes bulk nutrient mixing for commercial weekly reservoir fills.
Schedules seeding dates for continuous harvest against delivery orders.
Lettuce Production Benchmarks
| Metric | Indoor NFT | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle days | 28–35 | Variety dependent |
| Heads/m²/cycle | 16–25 | Dense planting |
| kWh/head/cycle | 0.5–1.5 | LED region dependent |
| Labor min/head | 0.5–1.0 | Including pack |
Adjust pH before adding nutrients — pH drift after mixing wastes expensive inputs.
Keep reservoir 65–70°F — warmer water holds less oxygen and invites root rot.
Drip loops on all cords entering reservoirs and GFCI on every outlet.