Make a Salsa Garden in a Smart Pot

Looking for a homemade garden idea that’s both easy-to-grow and delicious? Look no further than a salsa garden!

What is a salsa garden?

Theme gardens are wildly popular these days. They are unique gardens where all the elements support a single theme. Folks are planting cocktail gardens, fairy gardens, tea gardens, and salad gardens like never before. As you might guess, all the plants growing in a salsa garden are used to make one of the world’s most favorite condiments: Salsa!

Salsa garden plants

Traditional plant choices for a salsa garden include:
Tomatoes
Jalapeño or chili peppers
Onions
Cilantro
Tomatillos

But remember, depending on the ingredients in your favorite salsa recipe, you can also add beans, corn, garlic, and lots of other ingredients to your salsa garden.

Where to locate your salsa garden

Because all the vegetables used to make salsa thrive in full-sun conditions, locate your salsa garden where it will receive at least six to eight hours of full sun every day.

Planting your salsa garden in a fabric aeration container makes it easy to maximize available sunlight; you can move these lightweight pots around to follow the sun, if necessary. Even gardeners with a lot of shade can successfully grow a salsa garden when using these containers.

Planting a salsa garden

A good-sized salsa garden, with multiple plants, will need a pot that holds at least 20 gallons of growing medium to get the best yields. Keep in mind, however, that containers capable of holding a larger volume of soil often grow bigger, more productive plants. Come planting time, fill your pot with a blend of 40% high quality potting soil and 60% compost.

Salsa garden layout

Once you’ve settled on what size salsa garden you’re going to grow, plan its layout. Lay the plants out on top of the soil to review the design before doing any planting.

Keep taller plants, such as tomatoes, at the center of the pot to keep them from shading out smaller plants. Place the mid-sized salsa vegetables, like tomatillos and peppers, around the tall plant at the center. Then, place the shortest salsa garden plants, such as the onions and cilantro, around the outer edge of the pot. Once everything is properly placed, plant the garden and water it in well.

Caring for your salsa garden

Your salsa garden will need to be regularly irrigated throughout the summer months, especially during warm weather. Stake or cage tomatoes, and provide support to peppers and tomatillos, if necessary. Harvest your salsa vegetables on a regular basis to keep them productive. Feel free to share your favorite salsa recipe with us in the comment section below.