The Twelve Roots — Field Notes
How We Grow
A straightforward guide to getting your seeds in the water and your roots in the game.
I approached this unit the way I approach most things — like a spreadsheet. Rows, columns, inputs, outputs. Turns out growing lettuce hydroponically isn't so different from balancing a ledger. You put the right things in, you track what happens, and the numbers tell you the truth. This page is what I wish I'd had on Day One.
Section 01
The Machine
We grow on the iDOO 12-Pod Hydroponics Growing System — a countertop unit with a built-in LED grow light, a water pump, and twelve growing pods arranged in a 4-column by 3-row grid. It's compact, quiet, and surprisingly capable.
The unit holds approximately 4 liters of water in its reservoir. That's your growing medium, your nutrient delivery system, and your lifeline — all in one basin. Treat it accordingly.
Woody's Note
The iDOO is not complicated. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Fill the reservoir, plug it in, and let it run. The pump circulates automatically. Your job is to watch, measure, and adjust.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pods | 12 total — arranged 4 columns × 3 rows |
| Reservoir | ~4 liters / ~1 gallon |
| Light | Full-spectrum LED, built-in arm |
| Pump | Automatic circulation, runs continuously |
| Light Schedule | 16 hours on / 8 hours off recommended |
Section 02
The Pods & Seeds
Each pod is a small sponge-like growing medium — a little cup of potential. Before you do anything else, the pod needs to be wet. Dry pods don't germinate. It's that simple.
- Wet the pod thoroughly. Submerge it in clean water or run it under the tap until it's saturated. Squeeze gently. It should feel heavy with moisture, not dripping.
- Place the pod into the growing cup. The cup sits in the pod slot on the unit. Make sure it's seated firmly.
- Add your seeds. Two seeds per pod. No more. You might be tempted to add three — don't. Two is the number. If both germinate, you thin to one later.
- Place the seed gently. Press each seed lightly into the top of the pod — just enough to make contact. Don't bury it.
- Place the dome. The small plastic dome goes over the pod. It creates a humid microclimate that encourages germination. Don't skip this step.
Woody's Note
Two seeds. I tested three once. You get crowding, competition, and confusion. Two gives you a backup without the chaos. If both sprout — and they usually do — keep the stronger one. It's not cruel. It's math.
Section 03
Germination
Once your seeds are in and domed, your job is patience. In our experience, lettuce germinates in 3 to 5 days. Some pods will show a sprout by Day 3. Others take the full five. Don't panic either way.
Keep the domes on for approximately one week — or until your sprouts are clearly visible and beginning to push against the dome. The humidity matters during this stage. Removing the domes too early exposes tender seedlings to dry air before they're ready.
| Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| First sprout visible | Day 3–5 |
| Domes come off | Around Day 7 |
| First feeding | End of Week 1 (after domes off) |
| Second feeding | ~5 days after first |
| First harvest possible | Week 5 onward |
Woody's Note
The domes are doing a job. Respect the dome. I know they look fussy, but the humidity they trap is what coaxes a seed into action. One week. Then off they come.
Section 04
Nutrients
We use General Hydroponics Flora Series — specifically FloraMicro and FloraGrow. These are two parts of a classic three-part liquid nutrient system trusted by hydroponic growers for decades. For lettuce, you don't need the third part (FloraBloom) until much later, if at all.
We start conservatively — roughly half the recommended dose on the General Hydroponics feed chart. Young seedlings don't need a full meal. Think of it as introducing them to solid food. Start gentle, observe, adjust.
Mixing Order — Important
Always add FloraMicro to your water first, stir, then add FloraGrow. Never mix the two concentrates together directly. Add to water, not water to nutrients.
After the first feeding, we wait approximately 5 days before the second. Watch how the plants respond before you increase dosing. Healthy, deep green color is a good sign. Yellowing or pale leaves suggest they may need more. Dark, waxy leaves can mean too much.
Woody's Note
I'm still calibrating the feeding schedule — and I'll be honest about that. The log is where I figure things out. We document, we observe, we adjust. That's the whole game, really.
Section 05
pH — The Number That Matters Most
pH measures the acidity of your water. In hydroponics, it controls whether your plants can actually absorb the nutrients you're giving them. You can add all the nutrients in the world — and if your pH is off, the plant can't use them. It's a locked door.
For lettuce, target a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. That's your window. We aim for the middle — around 6.0.
We use pH testing drops — a few drops in a water sample, compare the color to the chart. It's analog and reliable. A digital pH meter is more precise and worth the investment if you're serious about consistency.
| pH Range | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Below 5.5 | Too acidic — nutrients lock out |
| 5.5 – 6.5 | Ideal range for lettuce |
| Above 6.5 | Too alkaline — nutrients lock out |
Woody's Note
Check pH every time you add nutrients. Check it again a day later. Water changes. Nutrients change the pH when you add them. It's not a set-and-forget situation. It's a relationship.
From the Desk
Keep a Log. Seriously.
I keep a notepad on the desk next to the unit. Every feeding, every pH reading, every observation goes in it. Date, time, what I added, what I noticed. It takes two minutes. And when something goes wrong — or right — I know exactly what happened and when.
You don't need a fancy system. A spiral notebook works. What you need is the discipline to write it down. The plants don't lie, but they also don't explain themselves. Your log does that for them.
A digital log feature is coming to the Twelve Roots app. Until then — find a notepad. Label it. Use it.