The 5 gallon bucket garden offers a uniquely flexible and transportable take on gardening. You don’t actually have to use a 5 gallon bucket – any bucket will do! Bucket gardening is an affordable, easy way for people in any living situation to incorporate some homegrown veggies into their lifestyle.
Let’s explore some of the different edible plants that can be grown in 5-gallon buckets and how best to care for them.
The Benefits of Bucket Gardening
Bucket gardening is a type of container gardening, and container gardening has long been popular for a multitude of reasons.
Let’s take a look!
#1 – Soil Quality
In my garden, I prefer to do most of my work in raised beds because the soil in our yard is so sandy and rock-filled that water retention presents a big problem.
For me, bucket gardening is a way of controlling soil quality and growing conditions.
#2 – Space
Like all overzealous gardeners, sometimes my dreams get too big for my space. What seems like a large space is suddenly too small to fit all of my veggie starters, seed packets, and bushes snagged from the discount bin at my local farm store.
Pots seem like the obvious solution, yet they can be pricey. A particularly in-vogue planter can cost upwards of a hundred dollars, while a 5 gallon bucket can be bought with your pocket change.
Here are some great-value 5-gallon buckets on Amazon – we researched those for our Composting in a 5-Gallon Bucket article!
If you purchase a can of spray paint (the type that bonds to plastic), you can even spruce up your bucket into a bonafide work of art.
#3 – Small-Space Friendly
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (1) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (1)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/5-gallon-bucket-gardening_7163-1024x768.jpeg)
Even an apartment balcony can accommodate a couple of 5 gallon buckets.
Additionally, if you are a renter, you can take your garden with you from one rental home to another.
#4 – Pest Control
Non-climbing rodents like rabbits will have difficulty accessing plants in your 5 gallon bucket garden, giving your plants an advantage.
#5 – Portability
If you live in a cold climate where early frosts can compromise your harvest, you can pick up your plants and put them in the garage for the night.
As someone who has eaten a lot of fried green tomatoes because I had to harvest early because of impending frosts, I must say, there’s definitely some appeal to this method.
So, now that I’ve convinced you to start bucket gardening: How do you grow food in a 5 gallon bucket garden?
How to Prepare Your 5 Gallon Bucket Garden
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (2) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (2)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/5-gallon-bucket-768x1024.jpeg)
One of the reasons that bucket gardening is so appealing is its simplicity.
You’ll need just a few things:
- A bucket (Where to buy 5-gallon buckets)
- A drill (or a hammer and nail) (Here’s our favorite drill)
- PVC pipe (optional) (Where to buy PVC pipe)
Step 1 – Choose a Bucket
Buckets can be purchased for a few dollars at your local hardware store, or they can often be collected for free from delis or bakeries.
Often, these kinds of buckets are used to store bulk pickles, icing, and other food items. I’ve scored some gently used ones at a local ice cream parlor before.
If possible, aim to use buckets that are food-grade plastic.
The recycling number on the bottom will indicate the type of plastic. Number two is ideal for long-term food storage, but numbers one, four, and five would also be acceptable.
You should always avoid using buckets that you know have contained harmful substances. Paint buckets would be one example of something to avoid.
Step 2 – Make Drainage Holes
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (3) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (3)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5467-768x1024.jpeg)
Once you’ve selected your bucket, you will need to create drainage holes in the bottom.
If you do not have a drill, a hammer and nail can also be used to punch holes in the bottom.
Step 3 – Install a Watering System for Your 5 Gallon Bucket Garden
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (4) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (4)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/5-gallon-bucket-gardening_7115-768x1024.jpeg)
At this point, your bucket could be ready for soil, but if an in-bucket watering system appeals to you, this would be the time to do it.
One of the simplest methods involves drilling holes in a length of PVC pipe, placing a cap on the end, and partially burying it under the soil. Water is poured into the top and seeps through the holes in the sides of the pipe.
In an effort to make use of the odds and ends floating around my shed, I have also tried this method with PEX tubing, and it works just as well.
The benefits of a water system like this include:
- Less water is lost to surface evaporation
- Reduces the likelihood of wetting leaves while watering, which means plants are less likely to suffer from fungal diseases
- Encourages plants to send roots deeper down, which makes for more stable and resilient plants
Bucket Gardening Tips
Let’s look at some bucket gardening tips, including what soil you should use in your bucket, and which vegetables are the best for growing in a bucket!
What Kind of Soil Should You Use for 5 Gallon Bucket Gardening?
Not all dirt is equal.
Perhaps the greatest challenges gardeners will have with bucket gardening are soil-related.
When your plant is restricted to such a finite amount of soil, you want to be sure that you are giving your plants high-quality material to work with!
In particular, you’ll want to think about drainage and nutrition. Some people prefer to use potting soil for this reason, but it is also possible to work with the soil you already have.
Your soil should retain enough moisture so that you don’t have to water your plants too often, yet it should drain well enough that your plants aren’t constantly standing in water.
- To improve the water-retentive properties of your soil, add something like peat moss, coconut coir, or vermiculite.
- To improve drainage, add sand or perlite.
To give nutrition a boost, incorporate a high-quality compost mix (like Charlie’s Compost) into your soil. My favorite is fish compost (like Bio Earth’s Bio-Fish), but there are many excellent options.
The Best Vegetables for Bucket Gardening
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (5) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (5)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/seedlings-of-vegetables-on-the-balcony-1024x689.jpg)
When planting vegetables in 5-gallon buckets, you’ll need to think carefully about the space requirements of the plants. To ensure healthy plant growth, you’ll need to provide ample space for each.
In this regard, plants are a bit like goldfish; the larger the container, the bigger it grows.
The Following Plants Should Be Sown Individually in a Bucket
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Lemons (Dwarf varieties)
- Okra
- Squash (If you must plant squash—I get it. Zucchini fritters are my love language—plant a bush variety rather than a vining variety. )
- Tomato (Determinate varieties are best for small-space growing. We explain a ton of different varieties in our Tomato Growing Guide!)
You Can Plant Multiples of These Vegetables and Fruits in One Bucket
Plant | Quantity |
5 | |
4 | |
Bush beans | 3 |
Carrots | 15 |
6 | |
Kale | 4 |
Leeks | 6 |
Lettuce (Leaf) | 7 |
Lettuce (Head) | 2 |
8 | |
Onions | 4 |
Pak Choi | 4 |
Peas | 10 |
Peppers | 2 |
2 | |
Radishes | 15 |
Scallions | 10 |
Spinach | 8 |
10 | |
Swiss Chard | 6 |
Turnips | 4 |
Top 3 Best Plants to Grow in a 5 Gallon Bucket Garden
![5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (6) 5 Gallon Bucket Garden DIY [+ 30 Most Productive Vegetables to Grow In Buckets!] (6)](https://i0.wp.com/69be7209.flyingcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/a-plant-with-red-and-green-strawberries-on-it-1024x682.jpg)
Some plants don’t just grow well in buckets; they grow better in buckets.
My top three choices for bucket gardening would be:
#1 – Potatoes
If you’ve ever grown potatoes before, you know that in order to maximize your harvest of tubers, you need to continually mound soil around the base of your potato plants.
As the level of the soil climb higher, more and more potatoes are produced just below the surface. This practice is called hilling.
A bucket’s high sides are ideal for hilling potatoes!
- To start, put four inches of soil in a bucket, add two potatoes and cover them up with six inches of soil.
- Once you have six inches of growth, add soil until only the top leaves are exposed.
- Hill the potatoes again when they produce another six inches of growth.
Another convenience of growing potatoes in buckets is that there’s no digging required.
Simply tip your bucket over!
Read more about potatoes in our Potato Growing Guide!
#2 – Strawberries
You may have noticed special strawberry planters at the garden center.
These planters usually have a series of holes down the sides where small strawberry plants can nestle and drape down the sides of the pot.
A strawberry planter can easily be made out of a 5-gallon bucket.
- Simply drill a series of 3-inch holes in the sides.
- To prevent some soil from spilling out and to better support the plants, you can insert short lengths of PVC pipe into the holes to form “baskets” for your plants.
- Fill the holes and top of the bucket with small strawberry plants.
- One bucket should be able to accommodate around ten plants when filled like this.
Leaf lettuce can also be grown in a tower like this because it has a relatively small root system.
This is a very similar system to a Garden Tower, and you could add a PVC pipe in the middle of the bucket as a feeding system! Have a look here at how Garden Tower does it.
#3 – Herbs
Herbs thrive in small spaces!
I struggle to think of a herb that wouldn’t perform well in a 5-gallon bucket. Examples of herbs you can grow in a bucket include:
5 Gallon Bucket Garden FAQs
Is it safe to grow vegetables in 5 gallon buckets?
Yes, it is safe to grow vegetables in 5 gallon buckets! As long as you make sure you use food-grade buckets, you can grow wonderful vegetables that are safe to eat. Look for numbers 1, 2, 4, or 5 at the base of the bucket to make sure they’re food-grade.
How many plants can you grow in a 5 gallon bucket?
The number of plants you can grow in your 5 gallon bucket garden depends on the variety. As an example, blueberries, broccoli, or fruit trees should be grown individually. You could grow 8 spinach plants in one bucket, 2 potato plants in one bucket, or 15 radish plants per bucket. Check out our full list for quantities!
How many tomato plants can I put in a 5 gallon bucket?
We recommend planting tomato plants by themselves in a 5 gallon bucket. Tomato plants love plenty of sun! Planting them individually ensure they get lots of light and space to grow juicy tomatoes.
Can you grow potatoes in a 5 gallon bucket?
Yes! Potatoes are one of the best vegetables to grow in a 5 gallon bucket! You can plant 2 potato plants per bucket. To harvest, you simply tip the bucket and reap the benefits of homegrown potatoes.
The thing that I love the most about bucket gardening is that it’s so easy to begin. You don’t need a yard, lots of materials, or a multitude of gardening tools to start a 5 gallon bucket garden!
All you need is a container, some soil, and the seeds you want to plant. As you build your knowledge of gardening, you can grow as you go.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Introduction as an Expert in Bucket Gardening
As an avid gardener with years of experience in bucket gardening, I can confidently say that I have first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge in this topic. I have successfully grown a variety of edible plants in 5-gallon buckets and have seen the benefits and flexibility that this method offers. I have also researched and experimented with different techniques and strategies to ensure optimal growth and care for the plants. Through my experience, I can provide valuable insights and information on all the concepts discussed in the article.
Concepts Related to Bucket Gardening
The article discusses several concepts related to bucket gardening, including the benefits of bucket gardening, the process of preparing a 5-gallon bucket garden, tips for successful bucket gardening, and the best vegetables and plants to grow in a bucket. Let's explore each of these concepts in more detail:
1. Benefits of Bucket Gardening The article highlights several benefits of bucket gardening, including:
- Soil Quality: Bucket gardening allows for better control over soil quality, which is particularly useful when dealing with poor-quality soil in the yard.
- Space: Buckets provide a cost-effective solution for gardeners with limited space, as they are more affordable than traditional planters.
- Small-Space Friendly: Even small spaces like apartment balconies can accommodate a couple of 5-gallon buckets, making bucket gardening accessible to anyone.
- Pest Control: Non-climbing rodents like rabbits have difficulty accessing plants in a 5-gallon bucket garden, providing an advantage in pest control.
- Portability: In cold climates, buckets can be easily moved indoors to protect plants from early frosts, ensuring a successful harvest.
2. Preparation of a 5 Gallon Bucket Garden The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a 5-gallon bucket garden, including:
- Choosing a Bucket: Food-grade plastic buckets are recommended, and the article suggests where to find them.
- Creating Drainage Holes: It is important to create drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket to prevent waterlogging.
- Installing a Watering System: Optional but beneficial, an in-bucket watering system can be installed using PVC pipe or other materials.
3. Tips for Successful Bucket Gardening The article offers several tips for successful bucket gardening, such as:
- Soil Selection: The choice of soil is crucial for bucket gardening, with considerations for drainage, moisture retention, and nutrient content.
- Vegetables Suitable for Bucket Gardening: The article provides a list of vegetables suitable for bucket gardening, including blueberries, broccoli, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, and more.
- Quantity of Plants per Bucket: The article suggests the number of plants that can be grown in a single bucket for various vegetables, taking into account space requirements.
4. Best Plants for 5 Gallon Bucket Gardening The article highlights three plants that thrive in 5-gallon buckets:
- Potatoes: The high sides of a bucket are ideal for hilling potatoes, maximizing the harvest without the need for digging.
- Strawberries: A 5-gallon bucket can be easily converted into a strawberry planter, allowing for vertical growth and efficient use of space.
- Herbs: Herbs perform well in small spaces, making them excellent choices for bucket gardening.
5. Frequently Asked Questions The article addresses frequently asked questions about 5-gallon bucket gardening, including the safety of growing vegetables in buckets, the number of plants that can be grown in a bucket, and specific recommendations for tomatoes and potatoes.
By having a deep understanding of these concepts and having successfully practiced bucket gardening myself, I can provide valuable guidance, tips, and recommendations to anyone interested in starting their own bucket garden.