If you live in a place without a lot of room for a garden, bucket and container gardening can be an amazing way to grow food. Here are some easy fruits and vegetables to grow in pots.
Are you living in an apartment or condo with limited space? Maybe you live in a house with a small backyard.
If you have always wanted to grow a vegetable garden but you felt you didn’t have enough space, there is a solution: You can try container gardening.
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Why Try Bucket Gardening?
You don’t need a big backyard to start growing vegetables. Bucket gardening is not only an ideal solution for people who have limited space, it’s less mess and easier to maintain.
In addition to saving space, it also means a fewer number of pests to deal with. It helps eliminate the common gardening problems like rabbits and small animals eating the plants, poor soil, weeds, and plants getting trampled.
Plus, if you are planting in buckets, there are a greater variety of plants that you can plant.
If your plant is not getting enough sun in a specific area, you can simply move it somewhere where it can get enough sun each day. If it is raining too much, just pick up the bucket and move it in a covered area.
What Do I Need To Get Started?
You only need a few things to get started with bucket gardening:
- 5 gallon buckets or other cheap containers to grow vegetables
- Peat moss
- Rocks
- Potting soil
- Compost
You’ll want to line the bottom of the five gallon bucket with rocks to help with drainage and it also helps displace some of the potting soil so that you don’t have to use as much, saving you a little money.
Fruits And Vegetables to Grow In Pots
Whether you are a beginner or a pro gardener with a green thumb, there are a lot of fruits and vegetables that you can grow in buckets:
Lettuce
Lettuce is one of the top choices when planting plants in pots and buckets.
This vegetable also works well in shallow containers. So, you can fill the bucket about three-quarters of the way with bricks, rocks, or something else that allows good drainage, and then fill the upper portion with your soil prior to planting.
You can plant lettuce during early spring or late fall.
If you are afraid that frost can endanger your lettuce, you can take the buckets indoors to extend the growing season even during early winter.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the most popular plant to grow in container gardens.
Tomatoes come in a large assortment of colors – from red and orange to purple, yellow, and even green.
There are also three different types of tomatoes, slicing, roma, and cherry tomatoes. Choose the best one for your needs.
Here are some tips on growing tomatoes in buckets.
Peppers
Peppers come in different sizes, shapes, and flavors. Since it’s a shallow-rooted plant, it grows typically well in buckets and containers.
They are the second most popular choice for gardeners after tomatoes because they are so versatile and easy to grow.
Peppers come in varieties from sweet to hot, hot, hot as well as many beautiful colors.
Arugula
One of the favorite plants among gardeners is Arugula. Arugula is known for its sweet and spicy taste.
Growing arugula in a bucket is fairly easy. Although it can grow in almost anything, a self-watering container works best.
This plant doesn’t love growing in hot weather so it’s better to keep it in a shaded area.
Keep the soil evenly moist and in three to four weeks, your arugula is full-grown and ready for harvest.
Carrots
Carrots, like other root crops, can be easily grown in containers. They are also easy to grow making it an ideal plant for beginners.
Be sure to provide them adequate water but do not overwater. Carrots are known as the perfect health food, so be sure to add them to your bucket garden.
Onion
Onions are simple to grow. They also make a great addition to salads and other recipes.
The green onion tops can be added to soups and as a garnish for other dishes.
You can plant several sets in one bucket but allow at least an inch in between for optimum growth.
Peas
Another vegetable that is ideal for planting in buckets are peas.
Peas grow best during spring and even during the early days of fall.
Since peas are climbing plants, you need to provide a trellis so that the plants can climb as they grow.
Squash
Squash can grow in container and bucket gardens too. Summer squash, bush zucchini, and other small varieties need a fairly deep, nutrient-rich soil to grow successfully.
If you want to harvest squash regularly, you can grow at least two squash plants per bucket.
Parsley
Parsley grows well in buckets. It adds more flavor to many dishes and can be placed on your porch or balcony.
Since it only requires partial sunlight, you can even keep the bucket inside your home in front of a window that allows sunlight in.
Keep in mind when planting parsley, you need to keep the soil moist and avoid overwatering the plants.
Strawberry
Even though strawberries are known to need plenty of room to grow, they can also be planted in buckets.
You can keep your strawberries indoors and enjoy fresh produce all year long. You just need to choose a sunny spot.
Strawberries can also be supplemented with artificial sunlight such as growing lights, especially if you’re growing them during the winter season.
Blueberry
Blueberries grow well in buckets and containers.
They require plenty of sunlight, lots of water, and acidic soil. If you keep them happy by providing all three things, you can produce a healthy blueberry plant in a bucket.
Just because you have limited space doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden. Try your hand at any of these fruits and vegetables to grow in pots.
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