Growing your vegetables and food can bring you immense joy and a delicious meal. A tremendous pleasure comes in taking a bite of some vegetable that is still warm with the sun’s rays. Grow as many vegetables as you want in a container, a type of practice that helps in saving lots of money. But, bucket gardening can be a frustrating task if your vegetables don’t produce well. Many helpful tips are there so that your vegetables grow well.
How do you define bucket gardening? It is one of the reliable and easiest methods of gardening. A huge number of people are there who don’t have their homes and live in rented houses. For many people, bucket gardening is an excellent process, as the process allows for shifting garden from one location to another. Isn’t it great?
Now, you might also be wondering about bucket gardening. Right? But, how? There is no need to worry; just scroll through the article and know about how to do bucket gardening and more about it. The article provides a feeling of encouragement for those people who don’t have enough space and need to shift to another apartment in a year or two.
Why bucket gardening is required
A huge backyard is not required to grow vegetables for your family. Indeed, even a backyard is not required. A huge number of people are doing bucket gardening and are getting plenty of food. To save space, making use of buckets for gardens helps a lot in other gardening problems like the trampling of young plants, low-quality soil, heavy rains, weeds, and much more.
Raised beds can solve these gardening problems, but they are expensive and need large space. One of the great benefits of growing vegetables in a bucket is that they become portable. If your vegetable plant is not getting enough sunlight in a particular area, just pick it up and place it somewhere else along with the bucket. You don’t have to dig it up, or replant it, or kill your tomato; you just have to move the bucket from one place to another.
7 easy Steps for bucket gardening
Just follow the steps for growing your most loved vegetable in buckets. Grow vegetables that you love and like to eat, don’t waste your money, time, and even bucket on those vegetables that you don’t like at all. So, let’s know the essential points for doing bucket gardening.
● Firstly, buy several buckets, which can be bought from a local home improvement store at a very low price. Remember not to use the bucket that has previously been used for toxic materials. Search for food-grade buckets as these buckets are suitable.
● Make sure to drill holes in the bottom part of the bucket so that drainage becomes proper. You need many holes, as the water can accumulate in the bucket quickly. Make holes by using a drill, and one hole should be 3 inches.
● Then paint the bucket so that it looks nice and attractive. Instead of painting, you can drape the bucket with some fabric and tie it with twine to give it an effortless and classy look.
● Place gravel at bucket’s bottom for drainage process. Arrange 2 to 3 inches of fine and small rocks properly.
● Fill the remaining bucket with a mixture of peat moss, soil planting, and compost. Mix the dirt properly and leave enough space for the plant to grow. Don’t use topsoil or garden soil as these become compact in the bucket and harms plant growth.
● After that, put your plants in this mixture. Make use of good seeds and plants.
● Regularly water the plants in a period of drying. Make sure to fertilize the plants once or twice a month.
Vegetables to grow in bucket gardening
Various types of vegetables are there that can be grown with the help of bucket gardening. Want to know about these vegetables? If yes, then scroll through this article and learn various information.
1. Tomatoes
Tomates, a vegetable that is the favourite of gardeners. All gardeners love to grow and eat them. Tomatoes are used in the kitchen daily, so this vegetable should be grown organically.
Grow bush varieties in a bucket, and for a single plant of tomato, use one 5 gallon bucket. A cage is also required for tomato plants. Tomato plants need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, so choose a sunny place for your tomato bucket.
2. Beans
Two varieties of beans are available in the market – one is vine variety and the other bush variety. You can grow both types of beans in a bucket, but the bush variety is most suitable. Bush varieties do not require huge space for growing. Vine variety can also be grown in buckets, but they need a trellis for support. Harvest your beans in 50 to 60 days of planting.
3. Carrots
It is easy to grow lots of carrots in buckets, and small varieties of carrots are more suitable. You can grow around 20 to 25 carrots in a 5-gallon bucket. Sow the seeds directly in the soil of the bucket. Feed them with water and watch them grow; harvest the carrots around 65 to 80 days, but don’t wait for too long as leaves are edible.
4. Ginger
You don’t have to buy ginger seeds from stores; just regrow the seeds in your bucket. Grab some healthy and good-looking rhizome of ginger, then split the rhizome into two pieces, and plant the pieces into the soil. Then feed them with water and watch them grow.
5. Onion
Onion is a vegetable that is very popular among people and also easy to grow. Grow onions from seeds in buckets. Onion plants need 6 to 7 hours of direct sunlight for growing. Make sure to make space of around 3 to 4 inches between every onion plant.
6. Peppers
It is easy to grow hot as well as sweet peppers in buckets. You can purchase seedlings from a store or can start your seeds from home also. Instead of buying seeds, grab some healthy ripened peppers. Just collect seeds among the healthy peppers. Whether directly sow the seeds in soil or sow the seeds in a seed tray. Both of the methods work great.
7. Cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are a great option for bucket gardening. A huge variety of Cherry tomatoes is available. Cut the cherry tomatoes into slices and put them in the soil. These seeds will germinate only in 2 to 3 weeks. Make the seeds thin and transplant them in another bucket.
8. Okra
Okra is a vegetable that is very delicious and easy to grow. The germination rate is incredible; you need to pick your favourite okra variety and purchase the seeds from the market. Then, directly sow the seeds, feed them with water and place your buckets in a sunny location.
9. Cucumbers
It feels delightful to eat and grow cucumbers. A considerable number of varieties are available outside. You can grow cucumbers from seedlings or seeds. Cucumbers are sun-loving plants, and they require support which is done through the trellis.
10. Lettuce
Lettuce is the easiest vegetable to grow in buckets. Many lettuces are available and can be grown in the kitchen garden, whether grow the seeds directly in soil or grow lettuce from kitchen scraps. If frost persists in your area, start the seed indoors, then transplant them in your buckets.
How to do bucket gardening with herbs
It is true, you can build your movable bucket herb garden, and that garden will give an exotic look to your lawn, whether it be indoors or outdoors.
The growth mainly depends upon the weather conditions of your area. Here are the points to understand the growing of herbs by bucket gardening process.
● Choose buckets; you can use small size buckets for growing herbs. Bucket’s number depends on the herbs number that you want to grow.
● Then drill some holes at the bottom of your bucket; after that, place potting soil. Make sure to add small stones.
● Now, they are ready to grow. Grow them from seeds or cuttings. Remember to check the level of moisture before watering them.
● Mint should be grown in a separate bucket as it can cover your whole garden of herbs.
Supplies required during bucket gardening
The best part of bucket gardening is you don’t need expensive supplies to get started. Let’s look into the list of important supplies.
● Select buckets that are good in shape and do not have any cracks.
● Requirement of tools for making holes for drainage.
● Requirement of good quality potting soil.
● Plants which needs to be grown in the bucket should be bucket friendly.
● Most essential is drainage enhancers.
Last thoughts
Let’s have a summary of the information covered in this article.
● Bucket gardening is an excellent way of growing your fruits, vegetables, and flowers even if there is not enough space.
● Buckets can be easily moved from one place to another and are less resistant to weeds.
● You need to feed your bucket plants with water often.
● Buckets are cheaper and easily obtainable.
Congrats! You have started your bucket gardening successfully. Now, you are ready to apply all this information in your garden.
Also, read how to use spray on grass seed in your garden here.
FAQ
Q1. What can be grown in bucket gardening?
Vegetables used in the kitchen for daily purposes are the best to grow in buckets like tomatoes, potatoes, melons, cucumbers, etc. The process of growing these vegetables is easy and fun. Please don’t go anywhere for vegetables as they are available on your lawn.
Q2. What is the number of plants planted in 5 – gallon bucket?
If said properly, only a single plant should be grown in a 5-gallon bucket with enough space and proper nutrients. Make sure to feed them with water properly during the summer months.
Q3. How can you grow potatoes in a 5-gallon bucket?
Yes, potatoes can be grown in buckets, and you can grow them indoors or shift the potato bucket outdoors to a warm place. Place good quality soil in every bucket and then place two small-sized seeds of potato on top of the soil and watch them grow.
Q4. What fruits can be grown in a bucket?
If you want to grow fruits in buckets, it is possible and easy also. Growing fruits in buckets is a great way to cultivate your fruit, even if you don’t have a vast space. Many fruits can be grown in buckets like apricots, avocados, apples, cherries, etc. Just pick from your lawn and eat it.