Gardening in buckets allows flexibility to grow food anywhere, even when space is limited. And selecting the right crops makes fresh harvest possible all year long, with minimal effort. Here are 5 productive foods that thrive when bucket grown.
Lettuce & Greens
Leaf lettuces, spinach, kale, and chard will happily grow in 5-gallon buckets. Go for cut-and-come-again varieties. Simply cut outer leaves while allowing the plant to continue producing.
Herbs
Many culinary herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme and sage can be grown in containers. Select small plants or start from seed. Trim often to encourage bushy abundant growth within the compact space.
Tomatoes
Cherry tomato varieties are well-suited for 5-gallon buckets. Ensure the container offers adequate drainage. Tomatoes require at least 6 hours of sun daily and benefit from a cage or stake for support once fruit sets.
Peppers
Compact pepper varieties produce abundantly in a 5-gallon container. Select smaller fruited cultivars like ‘Sweet Banana’ pepper. Place in full sun and provide supportive staking.
Bush Beans
Pole beans require extensive trellising but bush beans set large crops while remaining compact. Look for dwarf or bush green bean varieties bred for container growing.
Continual Harvests
To keep your bucket garden producing, pay attention to seasonal conditions. Add cold-hardy greens in fall through winter. Then transition to warmth-loving tomatoes, peppers and beans as temperatures rise.
What foods would you most like to grow? Let me know if you need any other container gardening tips!
