How to Build a Kitchen Garden Table

Grow salad greens in an accessible kitchen garden table or box.

A kitchen garden table or salad table is a box with a wire mesh bottom that is filled with growing medium to plant. It is an inexpensive, easy-to-build portable option for small-space gardening. It can be moved around to accommodate the gardener's limitations and the available space. The garden table is a convenient container garden for growing lettuces, herbs and small vegetables such as radishes.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lengths of treated lumber, 2 inches by 4 inches by 3 feet
• 2 lengths of treated lumber, 2 inches by 4 inches by 4 feet
• 2 lengths of molding, 2 inches by 4 inches by 3 feet
• 2 lengths of molding, 2 inches by 4 inches by 4 feet
• Sandpaper
• Galvanized wire, 1/2 inch, 100 square feet
• Window screen, 3-foot-by-5-foot roll
• Tin snips
• Electric drill
• Galvanized screws, 3 inch
• Heavy-duty staple gun
• 2 drawer handles and screws
• 3/8-inch staples
• Hammer
• Small nails
• 2 sawhorses

Instructions

1. Sand the wood so there are no splinters or rough edges.

2. Assemble the frame of the table by screwing together the long pieces of lumber and the short pieces of lumber. Stand the pieces up on a table or countertop on the 2-inch sides, with the short pieces inside the long pieces in a box shape; attach with a screw at each corner.

3. Cut the wire mesh and the window screen to fit the bottom of the box, with an inch or so longer in each direction.

4. Staple the window screen on first, so it's on the bottom inside of the box, then staple the wire mesh over it on the bottom outside of the box. Staple either to the 2-inch sides or the 4-inch sides of the lumber. The ends of the screen will be covered by the molding.

5. Nail the molding on top of the screen and mesh ends along the bottom outside edges of the box.

6. Affix the handles on the 3-foot sides of the box.

7. Set the completed box or kitchen garden table on top of the sawhorses to fill with growing medium and plants.

Tips & Warnings

• If permanent legs are desired, screw four 2-inch by 4-inch pieces of lumber at each corner in whatever length is necessary for the height you want.

• Make two or three salad tables if more planting area is needed.

• Salad tables are easily converted into mini hoop houses by covering them with plastic sheeting stretched over flexible PVC pipe arches.

• Smaller,child-sized garden tables can be made out of wooden vegetable crates.

References

• Maryland Cooperative Extension: Grow Your Own Greens with Salad Tables & Salad Boxes
• University of Maryland: Grow It Eat It - Grow Your Own Greens with Salad Table and Salad Boxes
• Digginfood: Salad Tables