Grow a Container Garden of Salad

Before you get started, gather your salad plants and soil. You will need potting soil and a couple of six-packs of plants. Lettuce, kale, mustard, spinach, and arugula are all good choices, and they grow well together. Add some color with some edible flowers like violas, pansies, pinks, or calendulas (sometimes called pot marigolds)

When selecting a pot, consider a generous-sized one. A window box, a big terra-cotta pot, or a handsome planting bowl will allow plenty of room for a good assortment of lettuce plants. The pots do not have to be very deep.

1. Water and prune your plants before transplanting them into your salad bowl. The PowerGear2™ Pruner is designed for trimming and pruning all around the garden, and it’s handy for taking care of plants in pots, too. The sharp blades cut stems and leaves without bruising them, and the comfortable rotating handle follows the natural motion of your hand as you work.

2. Fill the pot with potting soil almost to the top with the Big Grip Trowel. The trowel is sturdy enough for digging in heavy soil, but it’s great for scooping up potting soil, too. The large blade will fill a pot with soil quickly and easily. Don’t try to pick up and pour from a heavy bag of potting soil: you’ll spill soil all over. All you need is a few scoops.

3. Arrange your plants around the pot. Don’t worry too much about the spacing requirements printed on the labels. The plants will fill out a lot, of course, but you’ll be picking leaves almost every day as they grow, so close planting is not a risk. Depending on the size of your pot, allow about four to six inches between plants.

4. Check the plants’ roots and loosen them slightly. This will encourage the roots to grow out into the soil. Then go ahead and plant, starting in the center of the container if you’re planting in a round pot. Firm the soil in around each plant as you go. If the spacing doesn’t seem quite right, it does no harm to dig a plant back up and reposition it. Use your trowel and move each plant gently into place.

5. Sprinkle a little organic fertilizer right on top of the soil, firm the plants in again with your fingers, and water well.

6. Give your salad garden a few days to settle in and start growing. You may want to keep the pot in a protected spot, out of direct sun, for a day or two. If the plants wilt a little bit at first, don’t worry. They’ll bounce right back.

During the growing season, keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Groom your plants by snipping off any bruised or yellowed leaves. It’s easy to reach among the plants with Fiskars Fast-prep Herb Shears, which have a spring-action design. They fit neatly in your hand, and they’re just as handy in the kitchen as they are in the garden.

To harvest, use your herb shears, PowerGear2™ pruners, or a pair of Herb and Veggie Shears. They’re versatile garden tools that cut twine as easily as tender lettuce leaves or parsley stalks. The shears’ sharp, rust-resistant, stainless steel blades come apart for easy cleaning. Your pretty, delicious salad garden in a pot will give you plenty of opportunities to put them to work.