Growing Lettuce above Tomatoes
to Increase Profit
Dave Hartshorn, Santa Davida Farm
Waitsfield VT
I run a diversified farm producing mixed vegetables
and berries
with greenhouses and tunnels
..and some yaks
Last season I got a VVBGA grant to study growing lettuce like this
growing the lettuce
• perforated drainage tile ‘trays’
• hanger chain suspends trays at ~ 6’ height
• Forte V media (Vermont Compost Co.)
• Pro-Gro fertilizer (North Country Organics)
• T-tape for irrigation
• Four 60’ trays = 240 liner feet of tray in house
• 480 lettuce heads total
timeline
• 3/15 turn on greenhouse
• 3/19 transplant tomatoes
• 3/25 transplant lettuce
• 4/20 harvest lettuce
• 4/22 second transplanting of lettuce
• 5/15 second harvest of lettuce
the numbers – per head of lettuce
•
•
•
•
•
•
Media:
Trays & chain:
Labor:
Total cost per head:
Retail price per head:
Net profit per head:
25 cents
60 cents
6.5 cents
93 cents
$2.00
$1.07
conclusions
• No shading effects on tomato yield
• Plenty of time to harvest 2 crops lettuce
• Enough root space for good lettuce growth
• Fertility was adequate
• It is cost effective to stack lettuce over tomato