Gardening in Buckets

Gardening in buckets is awesome for those who have little space for a normal garden layout.

Using 5-gallon buckets can solve your typical gardening problems such as plants getting trampled, animals eating your plants, and weeds taking over your lawn. Many vegetables can grow just as well in a bucket than in a garden. Let's get started!

Step 1: Getting Started

Start by finding a 5-gallon bucket. You can find 5-gallon buckets at hardware stores and such. Generally, they can be purchased for about 3 bucks each.

Step 2: Planting Tomatoes

Try planting your tomato plant indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost day. Tomatoes do well with moving.

Add your soil into your 5-gallon bucket. Plant your seeds and add a small amount of plant food at the bottom of each hole. Give the soil a gentle water. Let it sprout out from there and grow your tomatoes as would in a normal garden.

Step 3: Growing Cucumbers

You will need:

• Dish soap
• 5-gallon bucket
• Drill
• ½ in. drill bit
• Potting soil
• fertilizer
• 2 blocks

Steps:

1. Wash the 5-gallon bucket with soap and water to remove all dirt and residue. Rinse the bucket well and let it air-dry.
2. Drill six to eight half-inch-diameter drainage holes through the bottom of the bucket to prevent water pooling around the roots. Space the holes evenly for best results with drainage.
3. Fill the bucket two inches from the top with a well-draining vegetable potting soil available at garden supply stores.
4. Mix a slow-release vegetable fertilizer into the soil to provide nutrients throughout the growing season.
5. Dig a 4-inch deep hole in the center of the bucket. Remove the cucumber seedling from the growing container and set the root ball into the hole so the first set of leaves is just above the soil level.
6. Place the bucket in an area that receives full sun. Set the bucket on two bricks or wood blocks to keep the bottom elevated for proper drainage.
7. Soak the soil with water until it flows out the bottom drainage holes. Apply water to the soil, instead of pouring it over the plant. Monitor the soil moisture and provide supplemental water three or four times a week to keep it evenly moist. Container growing environments dry out quickly during periods of no rain.
8. Harvest the cucumbers once they reach a mature length to stimulate new blossom and cucumber growth. Read the information listed on the seedling package or seed packet to determine the approximate mature length of the variety planted.

Step 4: Onions

Personally my favorite! Growing onions in container gardens is much like growing onions in the ground. You need good soil, adequate drainage, good fertilizer and plenty of light.

You can grow onions in 5-gallon buckets, but you may only be able to grow 3 or 4 onions per bucket as onions need at least 3 inches open soil around them to grow properly. Plant them in the soil by the bulb, not seed.

I hope this helps you and your gardening challenges!