Kitchen gardening in containers requires choosing plants suited to the amount of sun, selecting containers with good drainage at least 4 inches deeper than plant roots, and planting dwarf varieties for highest yields. Seeds are best for quick-maturing crops while transplants are recommended for eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Do not use garden soil which may contain diseases; instead use a sterilized, well-draining potting mix. Fertilize regularly and check containers daily, watering until water drains from the bottom to replenish nutrients and moisture lost from confined root systems and frequent drying of containers.

2. Kitchen Gardening (in containers)
A Series of Lectures
By
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
Former DG Agriculture Extension KPK ,
Provincial Project Director CMP II MINFAl
Islamabad and Visiting Professor the
University of Agriculture Peshawar Pakistan

3. 1.Howmuchsunisavailable?
1. Chooseplantsaccordingtohowmuchsunorshadethey’llgeteachday.
2. Mostvegetablesneedatleast6to8hours ofdirectsuneveryday.
3. Leafyvegetables,suchaslettuce,onions,carrots andbeetswilldookay inpartial
shade.
4. But plantsthat bearfruit suchastomatoes,eggplant,squash,peppersneedmore
than8hours offullsun.

4. 2.Whattypeofcontainer?
 Almost anycontainer will do aslong as ithas good drainage.
 Smaller containers dryout veryquickly insummer.
 Thesmallestfor outdoor useisprobably 8 to12inchesindiameteranddepth.Inpartshade,you may
havesuccesswithsmaller containers. If you areusingrecycledcontainers, scrubthemwelland rinsein
a solution of 9 partswatertoone part bleach.
 If containers areporous(clay, wood, cement)soak themwell inwaterbefore filling sotheywon’t act
likespongesandpullall thewaterout of your soil.
 Adeepercontainer isalways betterthanawidercontainer becauseitprovidesmore spacefor theroots
togrow downinsearchof moisture and cooler temperatures.
 This willenable plantsto thriveduringhot summerswhenmore frequentirrigation isrequired.
Containersshould be at least4”deeperthanthelongestplantroots. Sinceplants incontainers areabove
ground,theroots aremore sensitivetotemperatureextremes.Midsummerheatcankill tiny hair-like
feederroots.
 Withoutthesefeederroots, theplant will wiltevenif thesoil iswet.Thenlargerroots become very
susceptibletoroot rot fungusthatcan destroytherestof theplant.
 Overheatingof thesoil isa common cause of failure incontainer plantings.Thick wood insulatesbest,
dark-colored containers will absorb moreheat,and light-colored containers reflectheat.

5. 3.Whatshouldyouplant?
1. Shallow-rootedcropslikeherbs,lettuce,greenonions,radishesandspinach areeasy
togrow.Carrots,potatoes, turnipsandotherrootscropsneedmuchdeeper
containers.
2. Chooseacontainer that’sat least4”deeperthan the thelengththeroots willreach at
maturity. Tallorsprawlingvegetables(eggplant,peppers,squashandtomatoes)
have extensiveroot systems.
3. Theywillbearwelliftheyhave enoughroom forrootstodevelop.Togetthemost
out ofyour limitedspace,choosehighyieldinganddwarfvarietieswithsmall-to-
moderatesizedfruit.
4. Theseincludebeans,beets,carrots, lettuce,peppers,radishesandsomevarietiesof
summersquashandtomatoes.Stayaway fromvarietieslabeled“whopper”.Lookfor
short,bushyratherthan tall,viningplants.
5. Forthehighestyieldprovidesupportforviningortrailingcropsandaddthestakes
ortrelliswhenyoufirstplant the seedsortransplants sothat you won’t damage
rootsbyaddingthemat a laterdate.

6. 4.SeedsorTransplants?
 Plant beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, peas, radishes and squash
from seed. Eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are best purchased as transpl
 ants. Buy the smallest size available (6 packs or 4” pots), since they will
develop better roots and grow to larger sizes more quickly than gallon-size
plants can acclimate to the location. 5. Preparation of the soil. Do not use
garden soil. It may contain diseases and fungi and is usually very heavy and
slow to drain. Buy a high quality soil mix that is sterilized and able to absorb
moisture and drain quickly.

7. 5. Preparation of the soil
Do not use garden soil. It may contain diseases and fungi and is usually very heavy and slow to drain. Buy a high quality soil
mix that is sterilized and able to absorb moisture and drain quickly

8. 6. Fertilizing
1. Plants “trapped” in containers cannot search for nutrients or water. Confined root systems demand frequent but light
fertilizing during their growing period.
2. Nutrients are leached from the soil with every watering and need to be replenished regularly.
3. Two to four weeks after planting, begin applying a water soluble fertilizer (mixed one-quarter strength) with each
watering.
4. Organic gardeners can use liquid fish emulsion, liquid kelp or blood or bone meal

9. 7.Wateringrequirements.
a) Allcontainers dryout quickly.
b) Wateringrequirementswillvary according totheseason,typeofcontainer, soilmix
andsunexposure.Checkcontainersdaily.
c) Stickyour fingerintothetopinchofsoil.
d) Ifitfeelsdampthereisnoimmediateneedforwater.
e) Ifitfeelsdry,wateruntilsomerunsout thebottomofthecontainer.
f) Inmid-summerand onwindydaysthismaybeneededdaily.
g) Insummer,provideasaucerthatcanfillwiththeexcesswaterand thenbe
reabsorbedasneeded.Inwinter,removethesaucersotheplantsdon’t sitinwater
andstagnate.