Fresh and Early 4 x 4 foot Salad Garden

If your clan loves salads, you’re in luck — this bed supplies enough for the whole family. You’ll be surprised with how much salad you’ll harvest from a small, but well-tended space.

4x4 salad garden raised bed

Lettuces and greens love cool weather, so plant in spring or fall and start harvesting immediately. If your clan loves salads, you're in luck — this bed supplies enough for the whole family. You'll be surprised with how much salad you'll harvest from a small, but well-tended space. Designed for easy maintenance, a 4 x 4 bed lets you reach the center from any side.

This planting plan should give you plenty of lettuces and greens for salads. If you want to expand your garden, place two 4 x 4 beds symmetrically on either side of a 3 to 4-foot path, wide enough for you and your tools. Try the Easy Summer Garden or the Fresh & Handy Herb Garden for the second bed. For amazing results, use a combination of premium-quality soil and plant food to provide plants with just the right environment, and skip the seeds in favor of strong, vigorous Bonnie Plants®. Fill beds with Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® Raised Bed Mix, which is just the right texture and weight for raised garden beds. Plus, give plants all the nutrition they need to give you a big harvest by feeding them with Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® Raised Bed Plant Nutrition Granules.

Planting the 4 x 4-foot Bed

Take inspiration from these planting options. The plan allows for some interpretation depending on your taste. These plants are pictured small to make the illustration simpler, but your bed will be spilling over as the plants grow! Following spacing on the plant labels, adding a few more plants than we have pictured if the spacing allows.

planting plan for a 4 x 4 salad garden

Area 1: Lettuce and Greens

Plant three rows, one each of leaf lettuce, arugula, and spinach or mix it up according to your preferences or availability.

  • 6 leaf lettuce (choose Buttercrunch, Romaine, or Red Sails)
  • 4 arugula
  • 6 spinach

Area 2: Herbs and Tall Greens

  • 2 kale or Swiss chard
  • 2 parsley (choose Italian or Curled)
  • 3 chives
Plant the salad greens and herbs that you want for your early salad garden.