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Vertical salads

Lettuce and pea shoots in pocket planters joins the 52-week salad challenge.

Week 23

Growing most of my salad on a balcony means I need to be as inventive as possible. I don’t have a vast space, but I have more growing room than you might initially appreciate. There is so much vertical space that gets lost in most gardens. In a small garden, it’s essential.

vertical lettuce

I’ve filled these pocket planters with peashoots and oak-leaved lettuce. They are reasonably deep and water one another as the water flows from the bottom into the planter below. They also create a good amount of privacy for me as I loll around on the balcony.

pea shoot salad

water-saving granules

Even though it has been raining like the clappers recently, I’ve still been trying to conserve water as much as I possibly can. I was sent these water-saving granules by my water company, which I’ve thrown into each pocket of the vertical planter. They expand and take in water, keeping plants from growing thirsty, should we ever have a hot, sunny day ever again.

This week I sowed

Lettuce ‘Red Salad Bowl’

Find out more about the 52-week salad challenge here. Don’t forget to follow others taking part in the salad challenge on twitter using the hashtag #saladchat. And if you don’t have your own blog but want to write a post about your own experience of the challenge, then use our Your Blogs section

 

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One Response

  1. Caro (Urban Veg Patch)

    I have a vertical pocket organiser which used to do service in my son’s bedroom for little bits and bobs. I almost threw it out then remembered reading about vertical veg pockets - it will be perfect for growing balcony salads so I’m pleased to have the tip about water saving granules. Perfect, thank you!
    PS. I’ll be sowing bull’s blood beet (for leaves), chard, pea shoots, spinach and lettuce. Hmm, wonder if I could manage some radish as well???

    Reply

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