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Novenber 2024 Plant of the Month
Container Gardening Greens and Herbs

By Mary Loan

The cultivation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) dates back to early Egypt, then to Europe and Southwest Asia. Today there are hundreds of varieties of lettuce grown worldwide.

If you live in an area with limited gardening space, container gardening may offer a solution to growing

greens and herbs close to your doorstep. If you have children and pets, container gardening lessens the chance that the plants will get trampled during outdoor playtime. This article features lettuce, Malabar spinach and a few herbs that add flavor and nutrition at mealtimes.

Here is how it is done. First match lettuce types to the container you choose to use. Leaf lettuce or Romaine lettuce are preferable for container gardens. 6” x 18” plastic containers with a tray are a good start.

Old dishpans, flower pots and gutters cut into any shape you choose to use will work ok too.

Koops Tinsmith in Spanish Lookout is a good place to order custom gutters for growing trays. Just be sure whatever kind of container you use is at least 6” deep, and has holes drilled through the bottom to allow drainage. Seeds may be found at East West Seeds in Benque Viejo or from a garden shop across from MidWest Hardware in Spanish Lookout. Using soil from your garden to fill the containers is not recommended as the soil may likely be too heavy. The potting soil should be loose and loamy with compost and worm castings worked in. William Usher's shop in Belmopan sells Belize-made potting soil. The recommended pH of the soil is 6.0 – 7.0. Once your trays are filled with soil, water the soil, then gently sprinkle the seeds over the soil, cover lightly with soil and sprinkle or spray the seeds with water to saturate. Be sure to water every day, but do not soak the soil. Once the seedlings are at least 1” tall, thin the plants to be about 6” apart. You may rinse and scatter the thinned seedlings over a salad for supper. As the plants grow, they can be harvested by clipping the tops with sharp scissors, leaving a 1” base for the lettuce to grow again. Plants may grow to their full harvest in from 4-6 weeks. The plants bolt when overripe by sending up a shoot that flowers, then develop seeds. The seeds can be harvested, dried and planted for future crops.

Lettuce grows well in full sun, but will benefit from light shade in the dry season. Herbs to grow with lettuce or in their own containers include: cilantro, chives, sage, dill. Be sure to water at least once a day, preferably in the morning. On very hot and dry days, the plants may require a second watering. A benefit of container gardens is that the containers can be rotated or moved to a shadier location on very hot sunny days.

Malabar spinach (Basellaceae) is native to New Guinea and South East Asia. It is a good hot weather crop for container gardening. Malabar spinach is a perennial vine that does best in its own pot and may be started from seeds or stem cuttings planted 1 foot apart. Be sure to plant it next to a beam on your porch or plant it with an old broomstick buried deeply in the soil for the spinach to attach to. It can grow to be up to 10' in height, but generally grows to be from 4' – 6'. It can be pruned almost daily to keep the vines from growing too tall. Eat the pruned part; it’s full of nutrients.

Lettuce plants are a good source of vitamin C and beta carotene and folate. Spinach is more nutritious than lettuce. Both plants are generally eaten in salads, but can be added to soups and sandwiches. The container gardens add a charm and beauty wherever they are planted, such as porch railings or plastic furniture. Visit growfully.com for more information about container and other gardening information.