How to grow laportea aestuans
Urticaceae, medium to grow
West Indian woodnettle, used as a leafy vegetable and herb in parts of Africa.
Growing laportea aestuans for the first time
Difficulty: Medium · Sun: part shade · Ready in: about 90 days
1. Choose the spot
Pick a spot with some sun and some shade. It does best in loam soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Avoid sandy soil, or improve it with compost.
2. Sow or plant
Start indoors or under cover in Mar, Apr. Space plants about 30 cm apart.
3. Look after it
- Water roughly every 3 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
- No regular feeding needed in good soil — a mulch of compost is enough.
- Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.
4. Watch for problems
Common problems: Leaf spot. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.
5. Organic tip
Handle with gloves — the leaves have stinging hairs.
6. Harvest
Expect your first harvest about 90 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.
Growing it organically
Handle with gloves — the leaves have stinging hairs.
Common problems
- Leaf spot
Spotted something? Check a photo of the leaf.