How to Build a Table Top Vegetable Garden

Browse seed catalogs to determine suitable vegetables for your garden. Look for miniature varieties or small plants. Ideal vegetables include radishes, leaf lettuce, carrots or scallions. Tomato varieties such as Patio, Cherry or Tiny Tim work well because of their small size.

Research the spacing requirements for your vegetables. Read the descriptions on the seed packets or the catalog pages to determine proper spacing between plants. This guides your understanding of how much room you have.

Plan the overall dimensions using the size requirements for the vegetables you choose. Use the furthest distance you can extend your arm comfortably as a guide to the frame width and depth. You want to reach the middle plants as easily as the plants at the edges.

Make a frame out of the 2-by-6-inch lumber. Make the sides 6 inches deep. Screw the frame together at the corners. Use three screws per corner for firm support. Smaller square frames allow greater mobility of the garden when you need the space.

Measure and cut the plywood sheet to match the exterior dimensions of the frame. Mount the cut sheet over the frame. Screw the sheet to the frame. Place screws at each corner and every 3 inches along the edges for support. Drill a series of drainage holes at least 1 inch from the edges.

Flip the frame upright. Set the aluminum tray on the table. Place the box in the tray.

Put a 2-inch layer of gravel along the bottom of the box. This becomes the drainage system and prevents root rot.

Set the box on a table near a window that gets full sunlight.