5-Gallon Bucket Planting Pros And Cons
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It is always best to use a brand new bucket when growing crops. Buckets get filled with all kinds of junk, fluids, and garden scraps that could kill your plants or make them harmful to consume.
A bucket that has previously housed swimming pool chemicals, asphalt, or chemical pesticides should be avoided entirely. Plant diseases are often spread by the use of contaminated tools and containers.
Plastic buckets are far more suited for growing groceries than metal ones. Metal buckets will rust and allow the rust to leach into the soil and ultimately, your food source.
The only real con to growing in 5-gallon buckets, or any type of container garden, is the watering chore. The container can easily become either waterlogged or dried out. Drilling a sufficient number of holes in the bottom of the 5-gallon buckets is essential, but consistent checking of the soil for moisture or dryness will still be necessary.
To check the soil of a food growing container, press a finger into the dirt down to the second knuckle. If the soil is moist at this level, you do not need to water.
Many container gardeners buy or make a self-watering system for each bucket so they can tackle this ongoing chore more easily. Watch the video below to learn how.
Not all dirt is created equal. It is vital to the growing process that you buy or compile the right type of soil for container gardening. Even though the plants can grow in subpar dirt, the anticipated yield will most likely be far less than desired.
There is a big difference between topsoil and potting soil.
Topsoil is composed of dirt scraped from fields and is mixed with compost, sand, and manure – among other natural ingredients. Topsoil is designed to provide a much denser planting mixture than potting soil.
Unlike topsoil, potting soil is sterilized. This significantly reduces the chance of any plant fungus or diseased matter harming your seeds or plants. It also helps to sift out other possible impurities like insect eggs, larvae, or weed seeds.
Potting soil often doesn’t contain any soil at all. Potting soil varieties contain bark, sphagnum moss, vermiculite, coconut or coir husk, and peat moss. Peat moss expels water instead of soaking it up. The first time you water the 5-gallon bucket containers, they will require a bit of extra tending.
Mix a small amount of slow-release fertilizer with the potting soil. This type of fertilizer is always best to use in container gardening so the plants don’t become overwhelmed. Then, mix the potting soil with a bit of water, add it to the container, and repeat this until the container is full to ensure the plants garner enough moisture.
When these ingredients are mixed together, they form a solid texture that helps growing roots. Potting soil offers much better drainage than topsoil, which is extremely important when growing in containers.
Repeat each step for all of the 5-gallon buckets you are using to establish your container garden. The video below shows what can be accomplished with a bucket garden.
It is also possible to grow vertically with 5-gallon buckets to increase your crop cultivation space. You can stack buckets on top of each other to grow root crops like potatoes, onions, beets, and carrots as long as you cut wide holes into the sides of the bucket with a power drill. A clothesline style vertical setup can be used to hang two rows of buckets without casting too much shade on the lower containers.
How you choose to lay out your portable garden will depend on both the dimensions of your property and the spaces which offer enough sunlight for the plants to thrive.
Do not crowd the buckets too closely together. Each plant will need proper ventilation in order to reach its full potential. Spacing the buckets at least six inches apart will also make it a little bit harder for insects to traverse from one plant to another.
When purchasing buckets for your container garden, try to find some that have been manufactured to food grade standards. If using an old bucket to grow crops, wash it with warm and soapy water and dry it thoroughly. Next, scrub it inside and out with distilled white vinegar to completely disinfect it. You can rinse out the bucket after cleaning it with vinegar or simply allow it to dry outdoors in the sun.
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says
For plants that don’t require a deep soil you can put crushed milk jugs in the bucket before adding your soil-less soil needed and way lighter.
says
The only thing I see problems with here is the idea that you will be able to take the buckets with you if you bugout. 5 gallon buckets are heavy and a tad conspicuous. Also, one might have issues with moving agricultural items across state lines. You might be able to take them in a car but if you have to transition to a bike or on foot, they will probably get left
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5-Gallon Bucket Planting Pros And Cons
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