As diet fads sweep the nation, fast-food restaurants are responding by adding salads to their menus. But a drive-thru may not be the best place to get a garden-fresh salad; instead, try planting the ingredients for a salad in your spring garden.

Lettuce is the main ingredient in a garden salad. Even though it is often thought of as a cool-season crop, some heat-resistant varieties of lettuce will thrive even in Alabama.

As soon as temperatures will no longer drop below 30 degrees F, lettuce can be planted outside. Start seeds indoors and later move the seedlings outside. When nights are too cool, cover the plants with a blanket, being careful to use supports to lift the blanket off the soft plants. Lettuce can also grow easily in containers. Seeds will not germinate in temperatures above 80 degrees F, so planting heat-resistant varieties in late spring or early summer where they will receive afternoon shade works best in Alabama's warmer climates.

Since lettuce seeds are tiny, be sure to rid the ground of any growing obstacles, such as rocks, before planting. Tilling the area where the lettuce is to be planted will help eliminate these obstructions. Since nitrogen is essential for good leaf production, be sure to add plenty of leaf or manure compost.

Next, water the lettuce to keep the soil moist. However, avoid watering at night, which leaves the plants vulnerable to disease. Mulch to help control the moisture and also to help keep the soil cooler. Fertilizing every couple of weeks with compost tea will also ensure vigorous growth.

Tomatoes are also an essential salad component. Tomatoes crave heat and will, therefore, grow well during Alabama's hot summers.

Purchase plants from a nursery and begin planting after all danger of frost is gone. Tomato plants thrive and the fruits taste best when planted where they will receive six to eight hours of full sunlight.

Be sure to add ample amounts of compost when planting, since tomatoes need soils plentiful in organic material. They also prefer soils to have a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 and consistent moisture. The warmer soil of late April and May produce vigorous plants early and can aid in decreasing disease problems. Crop rotation also will greatly improve each year's tomato crop.

Adding eggshells in the hole where the tomatoes are to be planted helps to provide them with calcium and adding a paper collar around the tomatoes once planted helps to deter cutworms. Plant tomatoes rather deeply to persuade new root development up the stem.

Install stakes or cages when planting, as tomato plants need extra support. Water frequently and spray several times with compost tea for best results.

Carrots complete the list of common salad add-ons. Although these too are often thought of as cool-season crop, carrots actually perform best in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F. Due to Alabama's warm climate, carrots can be grown in spring, summer or fall.

Full sunlight and a soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8 works best for producing carrots. Rocky soils make for curly, odd-shaped carrots. Remember, the part we eat is actually the root. So as with lettuce, removing any obstacles in the soil will help to protect the plant as it first begins to grow.

Since carrots grow sweeter in moist soils, add organic matter to the area and water the plants frequently while they are young. However, more mature carrots do not need much water.

In addition to mulching with compost and keeping the soil moist, spraying with compost tea after the plants have matured will also help to ensure proper growth. Carrots need plenty of potassium, and supplementing the planting area with wood ashes will provide a sufficient amount of this nutrient. However, manures and other items high in nitrogen should be avoiding in growing carrots since nitrogen encourages top growth, potentially decreasing the root's, or the eatable part's, growth .

After harvesting the fruits of your labor, you will have a garden-fresh salad that lives up to its name!

Source: Kerry Smith, Extension Horticulture Associate, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (334) 844-3036.