I love it when my hobbies collide.
this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2025
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I'm not sure where you live, but where I'm at it feels like everything is expensive. Want a head of lettuce? That's $5. You want that same head to still be good and fresh 2 weeks later? Ha! That'll be another $5.
Whereas my 60 watt Mars Hydro (the big one) only uses $3 in electricity per month. Now the fan and the smaller supplementary light use power too. Idk how much, but it couldn't be more than the purpose made grow light. So let's call it $6 per month for fresh lettuce whenever I want it. Can't beat that with a stick, bud.
I'll have to check lettuce prices next time I'm at the grocery store, but there's no way I'm paying $5 for a head of lettuce. And for reference, those 60W running 24/7 would be close to 12€ in electricity per month for me. Growing with artificial light seems like something worth doing for e.g. super spicy chilis or cannabis (if you're into either), but I never would've thought of lettuce.
I have no experience with lettuce, but I guess ~12h of light a day would suffice, definitely not 24. So it would be more like 6€/month for you as well then.
I will note that price is from the local grocery store, because fuck Walmart. But also the main reason I grow it under artificial light instead of out in the garden is because it gets so hot here that lettuce starts to bolt in May or early June. This way I have non bitter lettuce year round.