40 ft Vegetable Container Farm Romaine Lettuce Programme
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Running the Romaine Lettuce schedule, a single 40 ft unit produces 450 - 900 kg a month, or 15 - 30 kg of fresh greens a day - a volume that matches a mid-sized restaurant account or a community delivery point.
A closed hydroponic or aeroponic loop monitors EC, pH and solution temperature by zone, with filtration and disinfection to limit root disease spread.
The heaviest leafy variety per head and the highest yield per cycle, suited to volume wholesale and processing supply.
Agri-tourism projects turn the 28 - 33-day Romaine Lettuce cycle into a visitor route, showing a growing crop rather than packaged produce on a shelf.
CROP AND OUTPUT DATA
Variety | Romaine Lettuce (Leafy green) |
Growing cycle (transplant to harvest) | 28 - 33 days |
Unit weight | 180 - 250 g |
Plants per cycle | approx. 3,300 - 5,800 |
Yield per cycle | 650 - 950 kg |
Cycles per year | 11 - 13 |
Annual output (estimate) | 7,150 - 12,350 kg |
Propagation | Plug seedlings |
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
· 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle and 650 - 950 kg per cycle make output plannable against contracts.
· Controlled cycle: Romaine Lettuce reaches harvest 28 - 33 days after transplant, more than 50% faster than open-field production.
· Rotation and zoning reduce disease pressure and chemical inputs.
· The unit can be shared with other leafy varieties on a weekly rotation for a more flexible product mix.
· 11 - 13 cycles a year keep the same unit producing continuously without a seasonal break.
· The closed hydroponic loop uses far less water than soil culture, which suits water-scarce sites.
· Seedlings account for roughly 5 - 12% of operating cost, keeping the cost structure transparent.
· 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
CO2 control interlocks with ventilation: enrichment during the light period lifts photosynthesis, while night ventilation controls humidity and prevents leaf-surface condensation.
The controller stores recipes by variety - temperature, humidity, photoperiod, irrigation frequency and nutrient targets - called up as a set. Changing crops loads a new recipe while batch history is retained.
CULTIVATION AND SCHEDULING
The Romaine Lettuce schedule is split across the 28 - 33-day cycle - nursery or seeding, transplant, growing, harvest - with one batch rolling each week for continuous supply.
The standard schedule assumes a 40 ft unit with about five tiers: plant one batch and harvest one batch each week, giving 11 - 13 Romaine Lettuce cycles a year. Adjust to order structure and harvest labour.
DELIVERY, TRAINING AND SERVICE
The site needs a hardstanding, three-phase power and water; once set, the unit is commissioned and the first planting typically goes in within two to three weeks.
Warranty covers the envelope and insulation for 24 months and climate, lighting, pumps and controls for 12 months, with extension available.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can the container be relocated?
Yes. The ISO footprint and consolidated service connections allow dismantling, transport and recommissioning within one to two weeks.
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 Romaine Lettuce specifically, 650 - 950 kg per cycle across 11 - 13 cycles a year, with actual output depending on tiers, light recipe and management.
What is the typical energy consumption?
The industry reference for leafy greens is about 0.8 - 1.2 kWh per kilogram, with electricity around 60 - 70% of operating cost, varying with climate, tier count and light recipe.
Where do the seedlings come from?
Either plug seedlings or direct seeding. Plugs arrive with intact roots and no transplant shock; direct seeding skips the nursery at lower cost but occupies the bed longer. Seedlings are about 5 - 12% of operating cost.
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.
