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Selection and Preparation of Containers, Preparation of the Growing Medium and Land Preparation

Selection and Preparation of Containers,

Preparation of the Growing Medium and Land Preparation

Identification and Selection of Appropriate Containers for Planting Crops

Some Guidelines when choosing your container are:

Choose containers that are easy and safe to handle
– Edges should be smooth
– Replace containers before they deteriorate
– Use stable containers. They should rest
securely on their base
Choose containers that are easy to clean
Make sure your container is durable so they do not fall apart when you
try to move them
Use containers of made with suitable materials
– Corrosion e.g. metal containers corrode because of water and fertilizers
– Weight e.g. wood becomes heavy when wet and eventually rot
– Cost e.g. concrete may initially be expensive but it will last longer.
– Heat e.g. black containers and bags cause heat to build up
Only use containers that had Non- toxic materials in them or which contained edible materials. E.g. Food grade containers.

Ensure Containers are the suitable size for the crop.
– 10cm- shallow rooted crops e.g. Lettuce
– 45cm- Deep rooted crops e.g. Melongene
– 19 liter/5 gallon-bulky crops e.g. Legumes
Ensure containers have adequate drainage
– Porous container e.g. clay pots (cooler)
– Non- Porous e.g. plastic pots (less watering)
– Drainage e.g. plastic containers need adequate
drainage holes as they are not porous

Video – Selection and Preparation of Containers

Information courtesy the Extension Training and Information Services (ETIS) Division

Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries