Nannette Richford is an avid gardener, teacher and nature enthusiast with more than four years' experience in online writing. Set your buckets out in a well-ventilated environment, preferably in a spot where you can spray the buckets from all sides. One with a lid will mean that you do not have to contend with unpleasant smells during the process. Now for the fun part! Adjust to daily watering during hot dry spells. A few strawberries popped up in our raised bed again, and we still have herbs. First, cut a 1-inch hole in the bottom of a clean 5-gallon bucket — McFadden recommends using a cordless drill to make the initial cut, then a hole saw to open that cut to 1 inch. Growing tomato plants in 5 gallon buckets is nothing new, my relatives would grow them on their front porches for decades. Pick your buckets & drill holes in the bottom for drainage My buckets had giant holes due to being previously used for a failed upside-down-tomato-growing experiment. How to Build an Elevated Garden Bed, ← 3 Hot Outdoor Trends In Store at World Market. Install support in the form of a stake or a tomato cage into the bucket right after planting. What is kinda new and unique is having self watering tomato buckets that are practically maintenance free. Here are just some of the plants that grow well in a 5-gallon (19 L.) bucket, and how many of them can be grown in one: Tomatoes – Cherry or bush tomatoes work best. Jan 28, 2018 - I'm finally getting around to gardening this year. Jun 5, 2020 - This Pin was discovered by Graciela M. Drake. Soil in containers also dries more quickly than garden soil. Wrap a 12 ft piece of rope around the top diameter of the bucket, just inside the outer lip. Richford holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from the University of Maine Orono and certifications in teaching 7-12 English, K-8 General Elementary and Birth to age 5. At the basest level, you really only need a 5-gallon bucket, some growing medium/soil, and the plants or seeds themselves. Jun 22, 2018 - I'm finally getting around to gardening this year. Just plan on trying a couple of containers for tomatoes, peppers or herbs. Below is a supply list for a set of three planters. (Full-sized plants need a 5-gallon bucket.) Allow paint to dry, and I recommend then flipping over the buckets face up to check for any spots you may have missed. Push your tomato plant down into the soil through the hole in the bucket, up to the first set of sturdy leaves. Oh ya', Let's Do This. And while I could have gone out and purchased new planters for this project, I prefer to upcycle things when possible (and save a few dollars!) Commercial planters exist, but you can do just as well with homemade versions. You could be fancy and glue the ends to the bucket, but I'm a lazy DIYer and chose to tuck each rope end into itself. My husband had a set of 5, 5-gallon buckets stacked in the corner of the garage. A few strawberries popped up in our raised bed again, and we still have herbs. As the plant grows, attach … Position the seedling in the center of the bucket with just the top two to four leaves above the surface. If you dream of juicy, red tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum; USDA zones 10 through 11) right from the vine, but think you don't have room in your yard to grow them, you might be surprised to learn how little space they really require. 3 5-Gallon Buckets (total cost: $8.91, if purchasing), 2 Cans of Outdoor Enamel Spray Paint. 2. Fill your planter buckets with gravel or lava rock (optional) then gardening soil. Last year, I grew some of my plants in 12" plastic pots that I purchased at Home Depot. You can find cheap buckets from your local stores, and even Amazon has a relatively inexpensive 5-gallon bucket. They’re easy to move around the deck or patio to maximize sunlight exposure, and come fall, the plants can readily be protected from early frosts by simply tossing a bed sheet over them. A 5-gallon bucket is cheap, readily available, and perfect for growing a variety of vegetables. Water thoroughly whenever the soil feels dry 1 inch below the surface. Drill 1/4" holes in the bottom of each planter bucket. We really enjoyed our 5-gallon upcycled planters this summer and got a good bit of tomatoes from them! Can You Grow Sugar Pie Pumpkins in a 5-Gallon Bucket? Use a mixture of equal parts peat moss, perlite or sand, and potting soil rich in organic material to fill the buckets halfway or up to three quarters full. Supplies Needed to Make these Burlap Planters . We did add stakes to the pots as the plants grew. For tiny cherry tomato plants, choose a 1-gallon bucket. Repeat every 10 to 14 days. 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