This is our hydroponically grown lettuce. Don’t need pesticides and if I wrap the roots in a damp paper towel it lasts 2-3 weeks without any wilting. Water doesn’t ever touch the leaves. Sold outside at a stall so ok for shopping.
It is fascinating to see how the hydroponic culture has developed the root system into a network of multiple hairs in order to efficiently absorb the water just under the leaf collar. In a soil-grown lettuce, the root is more like a white carrot that digs into the soil to get the available water deeper below. Your way of keeping the lettuce fresh is quite interesting as well.
We're starting to see these at the market here. What a great idea! Lettuce starts to wilt so fast once it is cut, so leaving the roots on is a good idea.
