My Fall Lettuce Container Garden: A Cut Greens Garden

Again, think lettuces, radishes, onions, kale, peas and cool weather vegetables in Maryland as two season vegetables. You can extend you gardening beyond August. You get cool weather Spring and cool weather Fall, as seasons, for planting this grouping of vegetables and greens.

Here are some pictures of my containers that are filled with arugula, lettuces, kales, a few peas, onions and probably some things I have forgotten. 

This picture if from September. I cleared out the old tomatoes and spent vegetables. I transplanted my greens and even peas to the containers somewhere in the middle of September.

Starting A Fall Greens Garden: Gary Pilarchik

I took this picture on October 22nd. We haven't had frost yet and the container greens are ready to be harvested, leaf by leaf, for a pretty fancy and extremely colorful salad. 

4-5 Weeks of Fall Growth for My Mixed Greens Fall Garden: Gary Pilarchik

Some of the containers up close and colorful.

A Fall Lettuce and Greens Container: Gary Pilarchik

The above picture shows Arugula with 'Ruby Red' leaf lettuce to the right. The other red lettuce is a romaine variety. In the back is 'Paris Island' romaine, a green variety.

Below I have onions planted around the greens. The onions came from bulbs and were actually put in there in July. I used them for the tomatoes that grew in the container. When the heat and growth of the tomato came, the onions died back. You can see the cool temperature of the Fall rejuvenated them.

Onions and Lettuce in a Container: Gary Pilarchik

Red Kale and Peas with My Greens Containers: Gary Pilarchik

The containers were mostly used for tomatoes. The 5 gallon gray bucket, which came from a do-it-yourself store for $3, has 'Red Russian' kale planted in it. Kale will often survive the Winter and grow again in the Spring. You can also see peas in the background. I am getting some pods but did you know pea leaves taste great in mixed salads?

Red and Green Romaine in a  Container: Gary Pilarchik

Notice I am not growing my lettuce and greens in containers for 1 large head of lettuce, well spaced out. Over plant them! This is a cut greens garden. There is plenty of soil in the container for the roots to grow down. Less root competition means lots of leaves. If you were to toss in some liquid fertilizer they would go wild. The greens in my containers are harvested one leaf at a time. They will keep growing until a hard frost comes.

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