Crops · Leafy greens and herbs · Protected cultivation
Lettuce cultivation in polyhouse and hydroponics
Grow crisp butterhead, romaine, iceberg and red lettuce all year in NFT channels under a polyhouse. Clean, even heads every few weeks for hotels, retail and quick commerce, with a farm designed, built and supported by Kryzen.
Harvest in 30–40 days
Many crops a year
Recirculating NFT
Why protected cultivation
Can lettuce be grown in a polyhouse?
Quick answer
Yes. Lettuce is the most grown hydroponic crop in the world. Seedlings are planted in NFT channels under a polyhouse and whole heads are ready about 30–40 days later, so you can run many crops a year.
A polyhouse keeps lettuce out of rain, hail and harsh sun, so leaves stay crisp and clean. Cooling stops tipburn and bolting in summer, and NFT channels feed every plant the same with no soil.
| Point |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | One season; heat and heavy rain stop growth | Longer season with shade net and vents | All year, with cooling in hot months |
| Harvests | Winter only; bolts in heat | Longer season with shade | A crop every 30–40 days, all year |
| Leaf quality | Mud, insect holes, uneven leaves | Cleaner, more even leaves | Clean, tender, even leaves with no soil |
| Pests | Aphids, caterpillars and leaf miners attack freely | Insect net and traps keep pressure low | Insect net and traps keep pressure low |
| Soil diseases | Root rot and wilt build up in soil | Still a risk; soil disease builds up over cycles | None; soil-free channels |
| Water and fertiliser | Flood irrigation; much is lost | Drip into soil; some is lost | Nutrient water is recirculated; very little is lost |
| Revenue per acre per cycle | ₹2–3 lakh | ₹4–6 lakh | ₹7–10 lakh |
| Setup cost | Low | Medium | Highest; see your quotation and subsidy |
Expected revenue
How much revenue to expect per acre, per cycle
Expected sales from one acre of lettuce for one crop cycle, and the risks you have to fight with each way of growing.
Open field
₹2–3 lakh
per acre, per crop cycle
Seasonal crop in soil, exposed to rain, heat and pests.
Risks11 risks to fight
- Insect attack
- Climate attack
- High cost of fertiliser
- High cost of water
- High cost of labour
- Cost of pesticides
- Cost of growth boosters
- Cost of land preparation
- Mulching paper
- Uneven quality
- Unpredictable quantity
Polyhouse + soil-based growing
₹4–6 lakh
per acre, per crop cycle
Protected crop planted in soil beds with drip irrigation.
Risks5 risks to fight
- Insect attack (avoided)
- Climate attack (avoided)
- High cost of fertiliser (avoided)
- High cost of water (avoided)
- High cost of labour
- Cost of pesticides
- Cost of growth boosters
- Cost of land preparation
- Mulching paper
- Uneven quality (avoided)
- Unpredictable quantity (avoided)
Polyhouse + hydroponics
₹7–10 lakh
per acre, per crop cycle
Protected crop in NFT channels with recirculating nutrient water.
RisksNone of these risks
- Insect attack (avoided)
- Climate attack (avoided)
- High cost of fertiliser (avoided)
- High cost of water (avoided)
- High cost of labour (avoided)
- Cost of pesticides (avoided)
- Cost of growth boosters (avoided)
- Cost of land preparation (avoided)
- Mulching paper (avoided)
- Uneven quality (avoided)
- Unpredictable quantity (avoided)
Struck-through risks are ones that protected cultivation takes away. Revenue depends on variety, season, market price and how well the crop is managed. Our team prepares a crop projection for your farm before you build.
Where it grows
Best growing systems for lettuce
Lettuce is a fast leafy crop. It grows best in NFT channels; an A-frame fits more plants on the same floor.
Most usedNFT flatbed
Long flat channels on stands; the standard system for lettuce.
NFT A-frame
Channels stacked on an A-shaped frame to fit more plants on the same floor.
Inside the right polyhouse
What to plant
Types of lettuce grown in polyhouses
Choose the type by your market: butterhead and romaine for salads, iceberg for food service, and red types like lollo rossa for premium retail.
Butterhead
Soft, buttery leaves in a loose head; popular in hotels and retail.
Romaine
Tall, crunchy heads for Caesar salads and food service.
Iceberg
Firm, crisp heads for burgers, wraps and quick-service restaurants.
Lollo rossa
Frilly red leaves that add colour to premium salad packs.
Green oak leaf
Soft, lobed leaves for mixed salad packs.
Climate and feeding
Ideal growing conditions for lettuce
A polyhouse lets you hold these ranges for most of the year. Vents, shade nets, foggers or fan and pad cooling keep heat in check, and drip fertigation sets the feed. Values are from the Kryzen Plant Wiki.
Lettuce Simpson in the Kryzen Plant Wiki on alpha.kryzen.com, prepared by an experienced agronomist with more than 35 years of work and hands-on experience across 100+ crop cycles. See the Agronomy Wiki.
| Factor | Ideal range for lettuce |
|---|---|
| Season | All season in a polyhouse; cooling needed in peak summer |
| Growing temperature | 10–24 °C; tipburn and bolting above about 28 °C |
| Relative humidity | 50–70% |
| Feed TDS | About 950 ppm |
| Feed pH | 5.5–7 |
| Plant density | 20–25 plants per m² in NFT |
| Light | Bright light; 35% shade net in summer |
| Growing system | NFT channels |
Crop cycle
From seedling to last harvest
One lettuce crop takes about 45–55 days from seed to harvest, including 15–20 days in the nursery.
- 01
15–20 days
Nursery
Seeds are sown in sponge or cocopeat plugs and raised until they have 3–4 true leaves.
- 02
Day 0
Transplanting
Seedlings are placed in the NFT channels and the flow is set for young plants.
- 03
Weeks 1–3
Leaf growth
Plants grow fast with steady flow, cool nutrient water and good light.
- 04
Weeks 3–5
Head filling
Heads fill out. Good airflow and steady calcium stop tipburn.
- 05
30–40 days
Harvest
Whole heads are pulled when full, before they stretch.
- 06
After harvest
Clean-up
Channels are cleaned and the next batch of seedlings goes in straight away.
Plant protection
Common lettuce pests and diseases
A polyhouse with insect net, double doors and sticky traps keeps most problems out. Catch the rest early. See the Agronomy Wiki for full guides.
| Pest or disease | What you see | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Tipburn | Brown, dry leaf edges inside the head | Steady calcium, airflow, cooling in hot months |
| Aphids | Sticky, curled leaves | Insect net, yellow sticky traps, early control |
| Powdery mildew | White powder on leaves | Avoid humidity swings, good spacing |
| Downy mildew | Yellow patches with grey growth underneath | Open vents in the morning, no wet leaves at night |
| Root rot (Pythium) | Brown, slimy roots and wilting | Keep nutrient water below 24 °C, clean the tank between crops |
| Bolting | Plants stretch and turn bitter | Cooling and shade in summer, harvest on time |
Harvest and selling
Pick, grade and sell
Careful picking and grading decide the price you get.
- Harvest whole headsPull the whole plant when the head is full, before it starts to stretch or bolt.
- Keep the roots onLiving lettuce sold with roots stays fresh for days longer.
- Cool quicklyMove heads into shade and cool them within an hour of harvest.
- Sell with live pricesTrack rates on Price Watcher and reach buyers through Buyers Connect.
Cost and running
What a lettuce farm needs
Your quotation lists every item, and our team prepares a lettuce crop projection for your farm before you build.
Steady power
The pump keeps nutrient water flowing in the channels. We connect your generator or solar backup so the roots never dry out.
Good water
A water test before you start tells us how to plan the nutrient solution.
Daily EC and pH checks
Check the tank every day and top up or adjust the feed for the crop stage.
Trained workers
Transplanting, harvesting and packing every week. We train your team for 4 days at the start.
Plan your doses and your sales
Use the nutrient calculator to plan feeds for each stage. Current prices from Price Watcher go into your project report, and Buyers Connect helps you sell after harvest.
Included free
- 6 months of virtual agronomy
- 4-day training for your farm team
- Hydroponic Masterclass logins
- Farm management software
- Buyers Connect
Worth ₹1.08 lakh
Kryzen fully managed farm
Plan a managed mega farm with Kryzen
Starting at 10 acres+
Ready to invest in 10 acres or more of protected cultivation? We help you set up the farm, run it and find a market for the produce.
- We set it upSite survey, design, construction and all farm buildings.
- We run itOur agronomists and trained team manage every crop cycle.
- We find the marketBuyers for your produce through Buyers Connect.
Why you should plan it
- Up to ₹2–2.5 crore a yearIncome potential from a 10-acre managed protected cultivation farm.
- Tax-free agricultural incomeAgricultural income is exempt from income tax under Section 10(1).
- 35% project subsidySupport on the project cost under eligible government schemes.
- AIF: 3% loan interest subsidyInterest subvention on your project loan under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
- 10-year concession periodA long-term agreement for running and managing the farm.
- Build-Operate-TransferWe build the farm, operate it and transfer it to you.
Subsidy and finance
Subsidy for your lettuce polyhouse
Polyhouse projects built to National Horticulture Board (NHB) and National Horticulture Mission (NHM) norms can apply for government subsidy. A bank loan is usually part of the project, and the subsidy is paid after the project is checked.
NHB subsidy provider
Kryzen is a registered National Horticulture Board subsidy provider for all states.
NHM state subsidy provider
Enrolled with the National Horticulture Mission in Maharashtra and Karnataka for state horticulture schemes.
Project report for your bank
We prepare the detailed project report (DPR) your bank and subsidy file need, with cost, finance and profit projections.
Subsidy amounts depend on the scheme, your state and current government guidelines. The final decision is made by the government department.
How we build
From first call to first harvest
Ten steps, one team. Most projects are built in 45 to 90 days after material reaches the site.
1Free online consultation
We discuss your land, water, budget and goals on a video or phone call.
2Site inspection
Our team checks level, slope, sunlight, soil, water, power and road access.
3Design and quotation
We design for your climate and crops, and share a detailed quotation.
4Project report and finance
We prepare the DPR for your bank loan and subsidy file.
5Subsidy and loan
We help you apply for NHB or NHM subsidy and your bank loan, with the documents each office needs.
6Manufacturing
We cut, shape and quality-test the material at our factory in Satara.
7Construction
Our team builds the foundations, structure and growing systems on your land.
8Testing and handover
We test every system and hand over a working farm.
9Training and agronomy
Hands-on training for your team and 6 months of virtual agronomy support.
10Harvest management
We help you plan harvests, grading and sales, with market prices from Price Watcher and buyers through Buyers Connect.
Can lettuce be grown in hydroponics?
Yes. Lettuce is the most grown hydroponic crop. In NFT channels under a polyhouse, heads are ready about 30–40 days after transplanting.
Which hydroponic system is best for lettuce?
NFT flatbed is the standard. NFT A-frame fits more plants on the same floor.
Can lettuce be grown in Indian summers?
Yes, with a fan and pad polyhouse or shade net and cooling. Without cooling, lettuce gets tipburn and bolts.
Which lettuce types sell best?
Butterhead, romaine and iceberg sell in the largest volumes; red types like lollo rossa sell at higher prices to premium buyers.
How much revenue can lettuce make per acre?
Expected revenue per acre for one crop cycle is about ₹2–3 lakh in open field, ₹4–6 lakh in a polyhouse with soil-based growing and ₹7–10 lakh in a polyhouse with hydroponics. It depends on variety, season, market price and how well the crop is managed.
Where can I sell hydroponic lettuce?
To hotels, restaurants, retail chains and quick commerce. Use Price Watcher to track rates and Buyers Connect to reach buyers.
Talk to our team
Plan your lettuce farm with us
Tell us your land, water and market. We’ll suggest the right polyhouse and growing system for lettuce and share a detailed quotation.