For reference, we've had clients sell a head of lettuce at $5 direct-to-consumer in Boston vs. others in smaller markets sell a head of lettuce closer to $3 direct-to-consumer. To determine pricing for hydroponic produce in your area, check out your local grocery store or farmer's market.
Hydroponically grown leafy greens and microgreens have the highest profit margins at 40%.
The lowest cost per pound for hydroponic lettuce was $10 at retail. Typical produce departments have margins in the range of 40% to 50%. Therefore, wholesale costs are at least $5 per pound. Our modeling depicts $5 per pound wholesale as close to breakeven on a fully costed basis.
The profit margin on lettuce is 40%.
Salad greens –
The top-earning salad greens you can grow for profit include lettuce, arugula, and Asian greens.
The short answer is yes, but that doesn't mean that hydroponic plants taste better or worse, rather just a bit different. Many factors can affect the taste of plants, especially leafy greens, like lettuce.
Leafy greens, including lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, are excellent choices for hydroponics due to their rapid growth rates and high nutritional value. Here are some specific requirements for successfully growing these plants: Lighting: Leafy greens require approximately 12-16 hours of light per day.
Saffron: The Most Profitable Crop per Acre
Dubbed "red gold", saffron's high market value makes it arguably the most profitable agricultural crop.
Can I Regrow Hydroponic Lettuce? Most lettuce varieties will regrow three to five times if harvested carefully. For most types, you'll want to only cut the outer leaves each time you harvest, allowing the core and roots to remain and continue growing.
The estimated total pay for a Hydroponic Farmer is $57,306 per year, with an average salary of $50,732 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.
Microgreens
Unlike most other crops, microgreens are typically cultivated indoors in growing trays stacked on shelves with grow lights. As a result, microgreens are potentially the most lucrative crop per acre, they're scalable and they're also a fine choice for urban gardeners who don't have outdoor growing space.
The growth rates of crops from indoor hydroponic gardens are also typically faster, as they don't rely on the temperament and unpredictability of the outdoors. This can lead to long-term reduced food costs, improved nutritional value, and overall improved food safety for yourself and your family.
However, cons may involve higher initial setup costs, the need for technical expertise, and a reliance on artificial lighting and climate control. Also, many argue that hydroponically grown produce may lack certain flavors or nutrients compared to soil-grown crops.
Depending on the nutrient solution hydroponic plants are grown in, they can be just as nutritious as soil-grown lettuce. Not only are hydroponic crops just as nutritious as their counterparts, but they can also grow without pesticides and herbicides.
In fact, pretty much the only plants that don't adapt well to hydroponic gardening are ones that need a lot of space to sprawl, climb, or grow (like vines and trees) and root crops (think potatoes, carrots, onions).
Lettuce and other greens, like spinach and kale, may just be the most common vegetable grown in hydroponics. Why? They grow fast in a hydroponic system and are incredibly easy to care for.
Increase the Light Intensity on Your Plants
If you are growing indoors or outdoors, this is a very easy way to speed up the process of your plants growing. Any plant needs a good source of light to grow. And light acts as food for your plants.
"Do I need to wash my Green Mountain Harvest Hydroponic greens?" People sometimes ask if they need to wash the greens after they bring them home from the store. The answer is that it's totally up to you. We grow in water, not soil (thus no e-coli or dirt).
Sometimes lettuce can get a little limp. Even when freshly picked from your indoor hydroponics system, certain types of lettuce can be more limp than others. Usually, this is due to higher temperatures. Don't worry, just dunk your lettuce in ice water for 2-5 minutes, and it will crisp right up.