40 ft Vegetable Container Farm Loose-leaf Lettuce Programme
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
For Restaurant and Hospitality Supply, the point of this Loose-leaf Lettuce programme is not maximum yield but stable specification: 100 - 150 g per head, 22 - 28 days per cycle and 13 - 15 cycles a year, with batch-to-batch variation held inside an acceptable band.
A closed hydroponic or aeroponic loop monitors EC, pH and solution temperature by zone, with filtration and disinfection to limit root disease spread.
Short cycle and fast turnaround, suited to high-frequency small-batch supply and salad mixes.
Restaurants and hotels order against the menu; Loose-leaf Lettuce finishes in 22 - 28 days and reaches the kitchen on harvest day with dry leaves and a longer shelf life.
CROP AND OUTPUT DATA
Variety | Loose-leaf Lettuce (Leafy green) |
Growing cycle (transplant to harvest) | 22 - 28 days |
Unit weight | 100 - 150 g |
Plants per cycle | approx. 3,300 - 5,800 |
Yield per cycle | 400 - 600 kg |
Cycles per year | 13 - 15 |
Annual output (estimate) | 5,200 - 9,000 kg |
Propagation | Plug seedlings or direct seeding |
Crop difficulty | Easy |
Figures follow the 40 ft standard container baseline with about five growing tiers. Yield per cycle and annual output are estimates; actual results vary with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management.
KEY ADVANTAGES
· The 40 ft ISO shell ships on a standard flatbed and is lifted into place on site.
· 13 - 15 cycles a year keep the same unit producing continuously without a seasonal break.
· Controlled cycle: Loose-leaf Lettuce reaches harvest 22 - 28 days after transplant, more than 50% faster than open-field production.
· CO2 held at 800 - 1,200 ppm keeps photosynthetic efficiency stable.
· Per-tier LED recipes give more uniform leaf colour, plant shape and head weight.
· Rotation and zoning reduce disease pressure and chemical inputs.
· The insulated envelope with fresh air and dehumidification holds recipe conditions all year.
· Rated Easy in difficulty and run from process cards, the crop is workable by general staff.
CONTAINER CONFIGURATION
Footprint | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.90 m (40 ft ISO container) |
Growing system | Approx. 5 tiers, hydroponic or aeroponic |
Scale per cycle | 3,300 - 5,800 plants |
Temperature | 18 - 24 °C, set per variety |
Relative humidity | 60 - 75% |
CO2 concentration | 800 - 1,200 ppm |
Lighting | LED recipe, dimmable per tier |
Nutrient solution | Closed loop with automatic EC and pH control |
Energy reference | 0.8 - 1.2 kWh per kg of fresh greens; electricity about 60 - 70% of operating cost |
Control and monitoring | PLC, touchscreen HMI, remote monitoring and alarms |
Delivery | Pre-commissioned at the factory, set and connected on site |
CLIMATE AND CONTROL
The unit uses a standard 40 ft shell with about five growing tiers, hydroponic or aeroponic depending on variety. Insulation, fresh air, dehumidification and LED lighting form a closed environment: outside climate affects energy use, not the crop.
Nutrient solution runs from the tank through pumps and manifolds to each tier and returns via filtration, disinfection and inline monitoring. EC and pH are corrected automatically against the recipe, removing manual mixing drift.
CULTIVATION AND SCHEDULING
Photoperiod and intensity follow the variety; in low-light seasons Loose-leaf Lettuce gets a longer photoperiod to protect the cycle length.
The standard schedule assumes a 40 ft unit with about five tiers: plant one batch and harvest one batch each week, giving 13 - 15 Loose-leaf Lettuce cycles a year. Adjust to order structure and harvest labour.
DELIVERY, TRAINING AND SERVICE
Multi-unit sites share water treatment and mixing while each container keeps independent climate and lighting, so different varieties and schedules can run side by side.
Remote support reads controller logs to diagnose recipe drift and equipment faults, resolving most issues without a site visit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can several varieties run in one unit?
Yes. Allocate varieties by tier or zone with separate recipes, keeping neighbours' temperature and nutrient needs similar so neither is compromised.
Can the operating data be exported?
The controller stores temperature, humidity, CO2, EC, pH and light by batch, exportable for order audits and origin documentation.
Is pre-cooling needed after harvest?
Leafy greens should be cooled to 4 - 8 °C quickly after harvest; an optional pre-cooling zone in the unit shortens the gap between cutting and storage.
How much produce can one unit deliver in a year?
On a 40 ft unit with about five tiers, expect 450 - 900 kg a month and 15 - 30 kg a day. For Loose-leaf Lettuce specifically, 400 - 600 kg per cycle across 13 - 15 cycles a year, with actual output depending on tiers, light recipe and management.
CONTACT AND DATA NOTES
Hangzhou Hengyu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. designs, builds and delivers complete container farms. Share your site conditions, target varieties and daily volume, and we will return a layout, a crop schedule and an energy estimate. Figures in this document use the 40 ft standard container (about five growing tiers) as the baseline and are estimates; output varies with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management, and is not a performance guarantee.
