A refresher on the basics of greenhouse lettuce production

Added on 28 August 2022

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Greenhouse lettuce is one of the easier crops to grow because it has short crop cycles, low labor demands, and can be grown year-round. These advantages allow for the production of a high-quality crop on a consistent schedule.

The significantly higher production cost of a greenhouse and its operation, however, make efficiency paramount to success in a greenhouse enterprise. Greenhouse leafy green production differs from other crops in that the product sells by the head, not by weight. Standard lettuce harvest weights are 5 to 6 ounces per head, with an average 30-day crop cycle from transplant to harvest.

With other vegetable crops, maximizing yield is a function of yield per area. In lettuce production, yield efficiency revolves around crop cycles per area. Tomato growers, for example, want to maximize yield per area in pounds per square foot. Leafy green growers focus on moving as many units as possible through the greenhouse each year in the number of heads per square foot. This way, fixed costs, such as electricity, marketing, management, and depreciation, are spread over more units.

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