How to Grow a Salad Without a Garden

When it comes to fresh vegetables nothing tastes better than home grown. In fact, you can grow the makings of a simple salad of lettuce and tomatoes with just a flower box planter and a pot or hanging tomato planter for your tomatoes.

Other vegetables that can be grown in pots for your salad are cucumbers and peppers. However, if lack of space is an issue just growing lettuce and tomatoes will give you the base for simple salads, the makings for BLT sandwiches and delicious toppings for your grilled hamburgers or turkey burgers all summer long.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pots
• Flower box planter
• Starter plants
• Lettuce seeds
• Potting soil
• Vegetable safe fertilizers and pesticides

1. For your tomatoes there are several upside down hanging tomato planters on the market. These are handy and won't take up any ground or patio space if you are limited to a balcony or small yard. You can also make your own upside down hanging tomato planters with materials that you may already have. Check the resource section below for instructions to make your own hanging tomato planter. If you choose to plant in a large pot instead limit it to two tomato plants per pot.

2. Choose a flower box planter for your lettuce. Simply fill with potting soil, lettuce seeds and leave it on an outside table or if you have a deck, attach it to the railing. Lettuce does well in cooler weather so you don't have to wait until after the last frost to plant. In fact, waiting until the weather is too hot causes the lettuce to bolt (go to seed). When this happens more nutrition is used by the plant to try to produce seed so you end up with lettuce that isn't very tasty or nutritious.

3. Choose large pots around 18" diameter for your cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. These plants are heavy feeders, meaning they require a lot of nutrients so limit to no more than two starter plants per pot. If you are starting from seeds, they will need to be started early in the season and in a warm environment . Seeds can be started in small containers or even egg cartons. Follow the directions on the seed packets for proper spacing.

4. Water when needed and be sure to use fertilizers and pesticides that are safe for vegetables. For pesticides we prefer using natural methods such as beneficial insects (lady beetles, soldier bugs, etc.), spraying with horticultural oils (available in garden centers) to smother mites and scale - and beer for the slugs. Pour the beer in a saucer and embed the saucer into the soil flush with the lip of the saucer; any slugs that wander near will slide in and drown, any slugs you find, simply pick them up and drop them into the saucer.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also try companion planting with certain herbs. Basil grows well with tomatoes and peppers. Parsley can be grown with tomatoes while savory grows well with cucumbers.

Resources

• Container and Vertical Gardening
• How to Make a Hanging Tomato Planter

[63miranda]

on 5/8/2009 Simple, concise steps. 5*