WHY HYDROPONICS
Why hydroponic lettuce?
Because summer is too hard to grow in
Taiwan's summers are hot, humid and typhoon-prone, so open-field European-style lettuce is a struggle. We moved our greens into greenhouses and grow them hydroponically.
Water and nutrients
Of what conventional open-field growing uses
Yield per area
On the same area, an estimated 9 times open-field growing
What is hydroponic lettuce?
Hydroponics grows plants without soil: the roots take up nutrient-rich recirculating water directly. OMGreens uses a “recirculating, full-coverage, deep-water” hydroponic system in greenhouses in Dounan Township, Yunlin County.
How much water does hydroponics save compared with open-field growing?
By our estimate, a recirculating system needs only about 6% of the water and nutrients that conventional open-field growing does.
How much more does hydroponics yield than open-field growing?
Assuming 1,560 hydroponic boards per 0.1 hectare, 10 plants per board, about 100 g per plant and one production cycle per month, output is about 187 metric tons per hectare per year, roughly 9 times that of open-field growing. This is an estimate based on the conditions above.
Why is lettuce so expensive in Taiwan in summer?
Heat, humidity and typhoons make growing European-style lettuce in open fields almost impossible in Taiwan’s summer. Taiwan imports at least 20,000 metric tons of European-style lettuce every year, and the amount keeps rising. When supply is unstable, prices jump. With high-tech greenhouses and hydroponics, the same volume needs only about 106 hectares, and wind and rain are no problem.
How is hydroponic lettuce protected from pests and disease?
Our greenhouse is built to keep out wind, rain and insects, and there is no weeding, which lowers the chance of pests and disease.