Have you ever dreamed of growing your own fresh produce but felt limited by space?
Bucket gardening is the perfect solution, offering a host of benefits for those with small outdoor areas.
Whether you live in an urban apartment, have a tiny backyard, or just want a convenient way to cultivate plants, buckets make it possible.
Tomato
- Plant Type: Fruit (culinary vegetable)
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Loamy, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
You should choose varieties like cherry tomatoes, roma, and patio princess because its compact root system of tomatoes is ideal in buckets.
To successfully grow tomatoes in buckets, start with a high-quality, loamy, and well-draining potting mix and place it under full sunlight.
Tomatoes typically have a growth duration of 60-80 days from planting to harvest. In a 5-gallon bucket, you can expect a yield of about 5-10 pounds of fruit.
Besides, you need to watch for aphids and blight and plant basil and marigold to repel pests and enhance growth.
Bell Pepper
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Sandy loam, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
The relatively compact size and shallow root system of bell peppers make them perfect candidates for growing in buckets.
You should choose some varieties such as california wonder, mini bell, and gypsy and plant them in sandy loam soil that drains well.
Bell peppers generally have a growth duration of 60-90 days since sowing seeds. A single 5-gallon bucket can yield around 5-10 peppers.
Additionally, keep an eye on aphids and spider mites and consider planting basil and onions to enhance the growth of bell peppers.
Cucumber
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Loamy, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Cucumbers are an excellent choice for bucket gardening as their trailing vines can be easily managed with staking or trellising.
You should opt for varieties such as bush champion, spacemaster, and patio snacker, use loamy soil and fertilize every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Cucumbers typically grow from seed to harvest in about 50-70 days. A single 5-gallon bucket can yield approximately 10-15 cucumbers.
However, neem oil should be available for you to manage cucumber beetles and powdery mildew, and consider planting radishes to deter pests.
Lettuce
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Loamy, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
With a shallow root system and compact growth habit, lettuce can be easily grown in buckets and helps you enjoy fresh, homegrown greens.
You should choose seeds from varieties such as butterhead, romaine, and looseleaf, sow about 6-8 seeds per bucket, then thin to the strongest seedlings as they grow.
Also, remember to place your bucket in partial shade to protect the plants from excessive heat.
With proper care, your lettuce typically matures in 30-45 days and a 5-gallon bucket can yield approximately 5-10 heads or bunches of leaves.
Especially, watch for common pests like slugs and aphids, and use organic remedies if necessary.
Radish
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Sandy loam, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Radishes are an excellent choice for bucket gardening due to their rapid growth and minimal space requirements.
The shallow roots and compact size of some varieties like cherry belle, French breakfast, and sparklers are particularly well-suited for container cultivation.
To grow radishes in buckets, use sandy loam soil, apply balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks and sow about 10-15 seeds per bucket.
Radishes mature quickly, typically in just 20-30 days and you can hope for 50-100 radishes per 5-gallon bucket.
Besides, you need to watch for common pests like root maggots and use organic methods to control them.
Spinach
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Loamy, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Varieties like bloomsdale, baby’s leaf, and space are particularly well-suited for growing in buckets thanks to their compact growth habit and shallow roots.
When planting spinach in buckets, you should sow about 8-10 seeds per bucket and place the bucket in partial shade to protect the tender leaves from excessive heat.
You can harvest spinach after 30-45 days in the spring or fall. A 5-gallon bucket can yield about 1-2 pounds of fresh spinach leaves.
Additionally, keep an eye out for common pests such as aphids and leaf miners, and use organic treatments if necessary.
Strawberry
- Plant Type: Fruit
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Sandy loam, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
With the shallow roots and compact growth habit , varieties like albion, seascape, and ozark beauty are well-suited for container growth offering excellent yield and flavor.
You should plant 2-3 strawberry plants per 5-gallon bucket and apply a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season.
Strawberries typically have a growth duration of 60-90 days and a 5-gallon bucket can yield about 1-2 pounds of strawberries.
Slugs and aphids are common pests on strawberries, as a result you have to prepare organic treatments already to manage them.
Blueberry
- Plant Type: Fruit
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Acidic, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
With limited space, you should opt for varieties like bluecrop, patriot, and sunshine blue blueberries because of their shallow root system and adaptability.
Remember to plant one blueberry bush per 5-gallon bucket, use an acidic soil mix (pH 4.5-5.5) and apply an acid-specific fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.
In mid to late summer, after 60-90 days to fruiting, you can hope for 1-2 pounds of blueberries per 5-gallon bucket.
However, you need to harvest fast and watch for common pests like birds and aphids by netting or organic treatments.
Cauliflower
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Rich, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Snowball, graffiti, and mini purple are an excellent choice for bucket gardening with compact growth habit and relatively shallow root system.
Plant 2-3 seeds per bucket, keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize every two weeks with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.
Cauliflower typically takes about 60-85 days to mature and you can harvest one large head of cauliflower.
However, be careful with cabbage worms and aphids, and use organic treatments if necessary.
Eggplant
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, sandy loam soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Eggplants flourish with minimal space and types like ‘Fairy Tale’ and ‘Little Fingers’ are compact, perfectly suited for container growth.
Eggplants benefit from staking as they grow, so you should make a trellis to support their weight and prevent breakage.
If you plant 1-2 seeds per bucket, you’ll harvest 3-5 fruits per 5-gallon bucket after 70-85 days.
However, watch out for pests like aphids and flea beetles, and consider companion planting with basil or marigolds to deter these invaders.
Parsley
- Plant Type: Herb
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Loamy, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Parsley varieties such as curly leaf, italian flat leaf, and hamburg rooted are an excellent choice for bucket gardening thanks to its compact growth habit.
Firstly, you should sow about 10-15 seeds per bucket and thin to the strongest seedlings, then water thoroughly to keep the plants stable.
Typically, after 70-90 days, you can harvest 1-2 cups of fresh parsley leaves per 5-gallon bucket.
In addition, watch for common pests like aphids and leaf miners, and plant companion plants like tomatoes to enhance growth and deter pests.
Green Onion
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, fertile soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Thanks to a shallow root system and compact growth habit, you can plant green onions in a bucket and enjoy continuous supply of fresh, mild onions.
Moreover, you need to ensure your onions receive at least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily and fertilizer every three to four weeks to promote healthy growth.
With 20-30 seeds per 5-gallon bucket, you can harvest 30-50 green onions only after 20-30 days. But be careful with thrips and onion flies damaging your onions.
Carrot
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Loose, sandy loam, well-drained soil
- Water Requirement: Consistent moisture, moderate
Carrot varieties such as nantes, little finger, and chantenay are a fantastic choice for bucket gardening due to their long, slender roots thriving in the controlled environment of a bucket.
You should plant about 20-30 seeds per bucket and fertilize with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every three to four weeks to promote healthy growth.
Typically, carrots can be harvested in spring and fall after 70-80 days, with harvest time yielding around 20-30 carrots per 5-gallon bucket.
Moreover, you need to watch for common pests like carrot rust fly and use organic treatments if necessary.
Garlic
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, sandy loam soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Garlic is an excellent choice for bucket gardening due to its relatively compact growth habit and the high value of its harvest.
With varieties such as softneck, hardneck, and elephant garlic, you choose some and plant 6-8 garlic cloves per bucket.
Although these plants are quite easy to care for, you have to wait for 180-210 days to harvest about 10-20 garlic bulbs per 5-gallon bucket.
Similar to onions, you need to watch for common pests such as onion flies and thrips, and use organic treatments if needed.
Kale
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, loamy soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Kale is an ideal choice for bucket gardening offering a rich source of nutrients due to its relatively compact size and tolerance to various growing conditions.
First, you should choose seeds from varieties such as lacinato (dinosaur), red Russian, and dwarf blue curled, then thin to the strongest seedlings once they germinate.
Kale typically has a growth duration of 55-75 days and a 5-gallon bucket can yield about 1-2 pounds of kale leaves.
When caring for kale, you should be careful with common pests like aphids and cabbage worms, and use organic treatments if necessary.
Zucchini
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, loamy soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
With varieties such as black beauty, raven, and astia zucchini, zucchini is an excellent choice for bucket gardening due to its prolific yield and compact growth habit.
Moreover, you should use a well-drained soil mix rich in organic matter and fertilize with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.
By starting sowing 2-3 seeds per bucket, you can yield about 10-15 zucchinis per 5-gallon bucket after 45-55 days in mid-summer.
Besides, watch for common pests such as squash bugs and powdery mildew, and use organic treatments like neem oil if necessary.
Potato
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Loose, well-drained, sandy loam soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
With varieties such as yukon gold, red pontiac potatoes, you can enjoy tomatoes even in limited space to enjoy a bountiful harvest thanks to their compact growth habits.
Furthermore, you need to maintain consistent soil moisture and fertilize with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every three to four weeks.
With 2-3 seed potatoes per 5-gallon bucket, you can yield about 5-10 pounds of potatoes after 70-90 days in late summer to early fall.
Besides, remember to watch for common pests like colorado potato beetles and aphids, and use organic pesticides to manage them.
Beet
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Loose, well-drained, sandy loam soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
In a bucket, you should opt for beet varieties such as detroit dark red, chioggia, and golden beet offering a range of colors and flavors.
Moreover, position the bucket in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade and fertilize with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every three to four weeks.
Next, sow about 10-15 seeds per bucket and after 50-70 days, a 5-gallon bucket can yield around 20-30 beets.
To make use of the space, you can also plant lettuce and radishes besides beets as well as be careful with aphids and leaf miners.
Pepper
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, sandy loam soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Even in limited space, peppers varieties such as bell, jalapeño, and mini sweet peppers can grow well thanks to their compact growth habit.
In addition, you need to maintain consistent soil moisture and fertilize every two weeks with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.
After planting 2-3 seeds per bucket, you have to wait until 60-90 days to harvest 5-10 peppers per 5-gallon bucket.
You also need to watch for common pests such as aphids and spider mites and consider planting basil besides to deter pests.
Arugula
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Soil Requirement: Well-drained, fertile soil
- Water Requirement: Moderate, consistent moisture
Arugula is an excellent choice for bucket gardening due to its compact growth habit and quick maturity.
Varieties like astro, rocket, and wild arugulaIts peppery leavesare particularly well-suited for container and add a unique flavor to salads.
When growing arugula in buckets, remember to sow about 15-20 seeds per bucket and put the bucket in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade.
After 30-45 days in early spring or fall, you can harvest around 1-2 pounds of fresh arugula leaves per 5-gallon bucket .
Besides, watch for common pests such as aphids and flea beetles, and use neem oil to manage them.
