Q: Do you have any tips for growing both lettuce and tomatoes under
the same light at the same time.
A: The light cycles and color of light of vegetative and blooming plants
are referred to in most books as completely incompatible. Unfortunately for
the theories, I have known other people beside myself who have been
able to pull it off. The first requirement is to let go of the notion of perfection on
earth; the perfect head of lettuce lives only in Plato's Cave--not in
your garden.
The tomato wants a cycle of light and a color to induce blooming. Inducing
lettuce the same way will only encourage the head to bolt (go to seed).
Tomatoes like very bright light and use a lot of nutrients; lettuce can
get bitter with the same conditions.
Using a mixed spectrum bulb is generally the easiest way to light the
plants, but using multiple lights, shining differently on different kinds of
plants is better. The tomatoes require more attention, and if there
is a single light source, it should be centered on the tomato with the lettuce further
around. The lettuce also likes it cooler and some red varieties
will not show red without the coolness.
Good luck, and if what you are doing does not work out, try it a different way. Each person has to find his or her own way in the world. The techniques which work for someone else may not be the right ones for you. Here at 3R Lighting we can gently guide you, but we cannot water your plants--you must do that for yourself.
