I decided to fill the buckets with some potting soil and sow a few seeds to see how a fully grown plant would look inside it. To my surprise, it looked absolutely fantastic!
In this article, I’ll be walking you through a list of vegetables you can grow in 5-gallon buckets for a perfectly compact garden. Let’s get right into it!
1 – Mustard Greens
People who don’t know about mustard greens are always quick to think it’s some kind of a plant that pours out mustard. Yeah…that’s not the case.
It’s a leafy green that has leaves similar to cabbage, except they’re a little peppery and bitter. You can grow them easily from seeds in a 5-gallon bucket by planting them around mid-spring and letting them thrive in slightly cooler conditions.
2 – Cucumbers
We all love some juicy cucumbers, don’t we?
Well, good for us they can be planted in empty 5-gallon buckets easily. You can fit up to 3 cucumber plants in a bucket of that size! Once the risk of frost passes, you’re free to plant cucumbers whenever you want; that can be 2-4 weeks before the last frost date or right after it.
3 – Squash
Although it will be a little difficult to fit large quantities of squash in a 5-gallon bucket once they’re fully grown, you can still do it very effectively. I mean…I grew tons of butternut squash in my empty 5-gallon buckets, so it’s definitely possible.
When the temperature warms up adequately and the last frost date is past, only then consider sowing squash seeds.
4 – Eggplant
With high quality, well-draining potting soil and frequent use of a balanced fertilizer, you can grow eggplants in a 5-gallon bucket fairly easily.
Start seeds 8-10 weeks before the last frost date and ensure there’s no risk of frost as it can definitely damage the plant.
5 – Bok Choy
This peppery-flavored, cool-weather green can be grown in a bucket effectively. Because it needs a lot of water, the 5-gallon bucket ensures adequate soil and moisture can be held inside and plants will be well hydrated.
6 – Broccoli
Yes, even bad old broccoli can be grown in a 5-gallon bucket. Just make sure the soil is adequately deep and keep the bucket in an area that receives plenty of sun. Plant it 5-7 weeks before the last frost date and harvest around late fall.
Enjoy your broccoli then I guess…
7 – Potatoes
Potatoes can be planted in buckets easily and they’ll grow fairly well. You can grow up to 2-3 pounds of potatoes in a regular 5-gallon bucket! It’s simple and takes up very little space in the garden or anywhere for that matter.
8 – Kale
Kale will taste sweeter after undergoing a period of frost. Many people suggest planting it 3-6 weeks before the last frost. Although you won’t be able to fit a lot of kale in a 5-gallon bucket, it’s still plenty. If you have more than a few buckets lying around, that would be ideal.
9 – Spinach
Another tasty vegetable you can grow in 5-gallon buckets: spinach. Consider early spring planting, 5-7 weeks before the last frost date since cooler temperatures will be beneficial for enhancing the overall flavor of the leaves. Ideally, you should be able to fit around 18-20 spinach plants in a bucket (if planted densely).
10 – Peas
Peas are extremely easy to grow and they don’t require as much attention as some of the other needy vegetables. Because they tend to climb, I personally planted peas in my garden to add some vertical interest.
Early spring planting, around 6-8 weeks before the last frost date is ideal for planting peas because they thrive in slightly cooler temperatures.
11 – Carrots
Since 5-gallon buckets are quite deep, you can even plant vegetables that grow beneath the soil like carrots, and have no problem.
Sow carrot seeds around early fall 3-4 weeks before the last frost date and let the light frost enhance their flavor for a sweeter harvest.
12 – Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be grown quite well in buckets. Sow seeds directly into the potting soil 8-10 weeks before the last frost date and water them very often. Juicy tomatoes will call for large amounts of water and a lot of mulch.
13 – Onions
Though you’ll be surprised to hear this, a 5-gallon bucket can actually grow up to 10 onions at a time!
They’re an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants. Plant bulbs 8-10 weeks before the last frost date and enjoy a good summer harvest.
14 – Peppers
