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If you are limited on garden space or the soil in your location isn’t suitable for gardening, you may think you are doomed to grow a few veggies in a pot. But the truth is, you can grow a surprising number of vegetables in a 5-gallon bucket and provide your family with fresh veggies all summer.
Growing vegetables in a 5-gallon bucket is a simple procedure as long as you provide them with the elements they need to thrive. Filling the bucket with quality soil, placing it in a sunny location, and watering and fertilizing it regularly is all it needs to thrive. Learn how to prepare the bucket, mix your own soil, and plant and grow vegetables the easy way.
The key to your success with growing vegetables in a 5-gallon bucket is understanding the basic needs of your vegetable plants and how to provide for them. While each vegetable has its own preferences, once you master the basics, you will be ready to tackle growing nearly any vegetable in a 5-gallon bucket.
Preparing the 5-gallon Bucket
The first step to growing vegetables in 5-gallon buckets is purchasing buckets. You can find them at your local hardware store for a few dollars. You can also use recycled buckets, but if you do, be sure to clean them properly to remove any residue from their original contents. Bakeries, feed stores, and some restaurants give away 5-gallon buckets when they are finished with them.
To Paint Or Not to Paint
Some gardeners prefer to paint the outside of the bucket to match their decor or simply to cover any unattractive logos or writing on the buckets. If you choose to paint your buckets, paint them several days before you intend to use them to allow them to dry thoroughly. Remember that dark colors absorb more sunlight and heat up more than light-colored containers. Dark-colored containers are best for heat-loving veggies like tomatoes, beans, and peppers, while light-colored containers are best for cool crops like lettuce, radish, and other salad greens.
Drilling Drainage Holes
Healthy plants need well-drained soil to keep them from sitting in soggy soil. You will need to drill four to six 1/2-inch drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket to provide for good drainage for your vegetables. Cover the holes with a 1 to 2-inch layer of pebbles to prevent the soil from leaching through the bottom of the container and to help promote good drainage.
Choosing a Location
Choose a suitable location for your 5-gallon buckets before you fill them with soil, as filled buckets can be heavy, especially went the soil is moist. You can place them on the deck, along a driveway, or on top of the soil, but bear in mind that water will drain from the bottom of the bucket when you water your vegetables. Choose a location where water runoff will not cause an issue.
Light
All vegetables require adequate light to thrive. Most prefer full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. Some vegetables, like leafy greens, radishes, and kale, do well in partial shade, but unless you live in a location where the hot afternoon sun poses a problem, aim for a sunny location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day.
Shelter
If you live in a location where drying winds are an issue, shelter from the prevailing winds may be necessary. This can be accomplished by placing the buckets along a wall or fence as a windbreak. Likewise, in southern climates where the afternoon sun can be brutal, some shade protection at midday and afternoon may be beneficial.
Preparing the Soil Mix
Garden loam or all-purpose potting soil is too heavy and dense for containers. That means either buying a professional soil mix, such as Pro-Mix or mixing your own soil is necessary for filling your 5-gallon buckets. The University of Illinois Extension
recommends mixing one part garden loam, one part peat moss, and one part perlite to make a lightweight soil mix for growing vegetables in containers.
- Place the soil ingredients in a wheelbarrow or large container.
- Add a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, following the application rate on the container and mix it into the soil well.
- Moisten the soil with your garden hose or watering can. This makes the soil easier to work with.
- Fill the bucket to 1 to 2 inches from the rim of the bucket. This will allow room for watering.
Planting Your Vegetables
Many prefer to buy seedlings at the nursery for planting their vegetables. Planting seedlings offers several benefits, but there are some disadvantages, too. Consider the following when deciding whether you wish to plant seeds or buy seedlings.
- Seedlings are already established and grow quickly.
- Seedlings will mature earlier than vegetables planted from seed.
- Seedlings cost more than seeds.
- Seedlings are limited to the varieties available at your local greenhouse.
- Seeds are relatively inexpensive.
- Seeds are available in a wide selection of vegetable varieties.
How to Plant Seeds
- Plant seeds to the recommended depth on the seed packet.
- Cover them with soil and firm it down with your hands to secure the seeds and remove air pockets in the soil.
- Water them to moisten the soil.
- Keep the soil moist until seedlings appear. Many seeds germinate within a week, but some take longer. Check the information on the seed packet for the germination time of the seeds you are planting.
How to Plant Seedlings
- Remove the seedling from its pot, using care not to damage the roots or stems.
- Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball of the seedling.
- Position the seedling into the hole so that it rests at the original planting depth.
- Fill in around the roots with fresh soil.
- Firm the soil around the plant with your hands to secure it in place.
- Water to moisten the soil and keep the soil moist until you see signs of new growth. New growth typically appears within a week or two.
Stakes and Trellises
Some vegetables need support from stakes or trellises. Tomatoes, peas, pole beans, and cucumbers need support for the growing vines. The best time to put the trellises or stakes in place is when you plant the vegetables. This helps them get off to a good start and prevents causing damage to the plant (or disturbing its roots) if you try to stake or trellis them when they are larger.
There are a number of trellises on the market suitable for your vegetables growing in 5-gallon buckets, but your trellis or stakes don’t need to be anything fancy. A standard tomato cage works well for tomatoes as long as you insert the stakes to the bottom of the bucket to give it good support. Likewise, you can make teepee trellises with bamboo stakes, use a roll of plastic garden fencing, or cut a piece of lattice to fit your needs.
Watering Your Vegetables
One of the most important gardening tasks when growing vegetables in 5-gallon buckets is watering them adequately. The soil in containers dries out quickly in the summer sun and must be replaced in order for your vegetables to thrive. How often they need to be watered depends on the vegetable you are growing, the size and growth rate of the vegetable, and the weather conditions.
The best way to determine if your vegetables need to be watered is by testing the moisture in the soil. If the soil in the container feels dry to the touch 2 to 4 inches below the surface, your plants need to water.
Water the plants until the water runs freely through the bottom of the pot and then let them dry slightly before watering them again.
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Plants
Plants growing in containers often need more frequent fertilizing than those grown in the soil as nutrients leach through the bottom of the pot with regular watering. That means you need to replace the nutrients throughout the season. A balanced water-soluble fertilizer works best as it can be used as a foliar feeder, too. That means the foliage on your plants can absorb the nutrients directly through the leaves when you water them. Follow the application rate on the container and fertilizer your vegetables every 10 to 14 days.
If you prefer organic fertilizer, Plant Care Today explains that fish emulsion is a good organic fertilizer that can be used as a foliar feeder for your vegetables.
Other Considerations
Checking your vegetable plants daily helps you keep on top of any potential problems, including garden pests.
- Observe the health of your plants and their rate of growth.
- Inspect the leaves for any signs of insect pests. Look along the stems and on the undersides of leaves, too. If you discover insect pests, treat them with the appropriate measures right away.
- Remove dead or dying leaves. It is common for some older leaves on healthy plants to turn yellow or die off. Trim them from the plant and discard them in the compost pile if you notice occasional dead leaves.
How many vegetables can you grow in a 5-gallon bucket?
Large vegetables, like tomatoes, squash, and potatoes, should be grown with one plant in each 5-gallon bucket. Smaller vegetables, like salad greens, carrots, radishes, and lettuce, can be grown with several plants in each bucket.
Follow this guideline for deciding how many veggies to plant in your 5-gallon bucket.
| 1 Plant per Bucketcucumber, squash, tomato, potato, melons, eggplant2 Plants per Bucketpeppers, herbs3 to 4 plants per Bucketbush beans, turnip, rutabaga4 to 6 Plants per Bucketonions, beets, lettuce, Swiss chard10 Plants per Bucketradishes, carrots, salad greens |
What vegetables grow well in 5-gallon buckets?
Nearly any vegetable will grow in a 5-gallon bucket as long as you provide well-drained soil, fertilizer, sunlight, and adequate water. The best vegetables for you depend on the vegetables your family prefers and your growing location.
Like vegetables grown in the soil, choosing vegetables that match your growing season is essential. This means selecting vegetables with days to maturity that are equal to or less than the days in your growing season. This allows the vegetable time to mature before frost arrives in the fall.
If you are unsure about the length of your growing season, contact your local University Extension or talk to experienced gardeners in your area.
Dwarf or bush varieties of vegetables are a good choice for containers. These plants, like bush cucumbers or squash, produce shorter vines and are easier to manage in a bucket. Likewise, determinate tomatoes (sometimes sold as patio tomatoes) are smaller than indeterminate tomatoes and easier to manage. Indeterminate tomatoes grow to heights of 6 feet or more, depending on the length of your growing season, and may become unwieldy in a 5-gallon bucket.
When can you plant vegetables in a 5-gallon bucket?
You can plant warm-season vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans, in 5-gallon buckets in the spring as soon as the danger of frost has passed in your area. Cool-season vegetables, like peas, onions, and potatoes, can be planted several weeks before the last spring frost. Use this chart as a guide to planting your vegetables at the right time.
| 2- 4 weeks before the last spring frost | onions, peas, radishes, spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli |
| About the date of the last spring frost | beets, carrots, potatoes, lettuce, chard, cauliflower |
| 1 to 2 weeks after the last spring frost | cucumbers, beans, melons, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants |
Sources
- https://web.extension.illinois.edu/containergardening/soil.cfm
- https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-trellis-tepee-bamboo-cucumbers-36081.html
- https://plantcaretoday.com/fish-emulsion-fertilizer.html
