Make a Salad Table or Box
By Vanessa Richins
Are you trying to grow your own salad but don’t have much soil to work with?
If you have a paved space that is 3′ x 5′, you can build your own salad table and still be able to enjoy fresh greens.
The table was created by Jon Traunfeld from the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.
Their website gives detailed instructions for building a salad table. They also suggest several ways you can modify it for different crops – using wider boards to grow beans and peppers, for example.
There are other benefits to building a salad table. Those with problems kneeling won’t have to bend over much, since the table is 4′ high. Since the plants are up off the ground, it’s much less likely that they will be nibbled by rabbits and other garden pests.
Don’t have enough room for a salad table? The site also includes instructions for making a smaller salad box.
What can you grow in a salad table or box? As their website says:
-Lettuces and greens (All sorts – lettuces, endive, escarole, mustard greens, arugala, kale, cress, broccoli raab, mizuna, and more)
-Radishes
-Spinach
-Chard
-Beets
-Herbs (for example – parsley, cilantro, basil, and thyme)
There are many good suggestions for all container gardeners. Make sure you are using good soil, since your plant’s roots won’t be able to travel like they would in the ground. You will want to add a fertilizer to the soil also.
Will you build a salad table now? Do you already have one?
May 17th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
[...] How to Make a Salad Table or Box: Great for people with no “real” dirt and who can’t or don’t like to bend over (who does?!). May 17, 2009 | Filed Under Good Reading [...]
May 17th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
[...] There are many good suggestions for all container gardeners . Make sure you are using good soil, since your plant’s roots won’t be able to travel like they would in the ground. You will want to add a fertilizer to the soil also. … »Read More [...]
May 17th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Thank you for the information on this and for the site we will check it out as well. Very helpful.
Dan and Deanna “Marketing Unscrambled”
May 18th, 2009 at 8:10 am
I first became acquainted with salad boxes while visiting a dementia/Alzheimer’s home. They made planting very accessible to the patients and yielded very successful results. We have since built our own boxes to help keep the rabbits and slugs at bay. We plan on putting in more because it’s so easy to find space for them.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Most def. Going to be making my own salad box, but doing it in self watering containers.
I am a rookie to this, so doing my best to absorb as much information as I can.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Huh…very interesting. I saw this kind of a thing in my neighbors garden and was wondering what they were up to…it’s a good idea.
GartenGrl at Planning Plants to Plant
May 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Excellent blog!
I’m also an urban gardener, working with a fifth floor balcony and a 13′ by 11′ community plot, and your blog is a wonderful resource! Keep up the good work.
November 19th, 2010 at 5:29 am
Thank you for this great article! It has been very insightful. I hope that you will continue posting your knowledge with us.