DIY Network

Do-It-Yourself Salsa Garden Grow your own salsa ingredients. Just add chips. From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-103

Kristine Hanson demonstrates how to plant a container salsa garden.

When deciding what to plant for a "salsa garden," start by simply pulling out your favorite salsa recipe to make sure you've got your ingredients covered.

Here are some suggestions from Kristine Hanson, host of DIY's Dirt on Gardening, for creating a container garden dedicated to your favorite salsa recipe.

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Tomatoes:

A good rule of thumb is to start with two different tomato varieties-- one may be more successful then they other. Plant your tomatoes at the center of your garden or container. Here are some varieties you may want to try:

• Celebrity
  
• Better Boy
  
• Early Girl
  
• Roma
  
• Sweet Million (cherry tomato)

Plant peppers according to how hot or mild you like your salsa.

Sweet or mild varieties:

• Bell-pepper varieties: California wonder, big bertha
  
• Sweet banana
  
• Golden summer

• Jalapeno
  
• Cayenne
  
• Hungarian wax
  
• Habanero (Caution: Extremely hot!)

• If you haven't tried tomatillos, you're in for a treat. They're great for making green salsa. One variety to try is known as the "husk tomato."

• Surround the larger plants with bulbs of onions, and garlic, and throw in chives, and cilantro. In a few months time you should be ready to salsa! Just add chips.

A kit with everything you need for a basic salsa garden.

Quick and Dirty Tip: If you want to plant a salsa garden but are short on time for nursery shopping, you can even cheat a little--by picking up a ready-made salsa garden kit. Kits like this are typically available at your local nursery or garden center.