Whenever someone sees fields and grasses, they think that the cropping and all these fruits, vegetables, and farming can be done on specially dedicated agricultural lands. It is not possible in gardening or in city settings. It requires a lot of effort and space to do.
But the people who have a hobby of gardening, who are eager to grow anything, or eager to try anything related to gardening, always try. And actually, we all know now gardening is a widely practiced hobby. Whoever has got a little space whether it is in a city or corporate setting always goes for gardening.
And yet, many people who don’t have space and still have a hobby of gardening opt for many different substitutes and alternatives. They go for vases, hanging containers, etc. even those who have space for gardening also go for these alternatives to fulfill their hobby of gardening more effectively.
That’s why you can also go for it easily. If you don’t have a space, or if you are looking for extra space beside your gardening space, you can opt for 5-gallon containers. These buckets provide enough room and depth for the vegetables in which they can grow easily.
In this way, you can easily plant vegetables, and you can secure the food supply of your home. You can become partially self-sufficient in terms of vegetable supply. We are going to discuss how growing vegetables in 5-gallon containers will help you in this regard.
Why plant vegetables in 5-gallon containers?
First of all, if you don’t have a space at all, or if you have a gardening space but you want to extend. The 5-gallons containers are a great choice. They are able to provide a very good alternative to vegetables. Because they are wide and deep you can not only plant regular vegetables but also root vegetables as well.
These containers are able to store soil fertility. As the nutrients are concentrated in a smaller space. So the vegetable plant you are going to plant is going to get most of the nutrients as compared to the plants in the open gardens.
Also, these 5-gallon containers are space friendly. You can adjust them in many ways. They don’t only make you free from the tension of the space but also act as decorative vases in home settings. It gives a great scene and view of your home.
Also, one other benefit is the portability of 5-gallon containers. You can place them according to your ease and according to the needs of plants as well. Moreover, pest control in the containers is easy than in the gardens or other fields.
In short, there are a lot of benefits that you can easily and effectively get from the plantation of vegetables in containers. Containers have got such qualities that all other spaces lack. Also, it fulfills the needs and cravenness of hobby of the gardening among many people.
How to prepare a 5-gallon container for vegetables
Once you have decided to plant vegetables in the 5-gallon containers. You need to prepare the containers. It is not as difficult. You just need to follow some of the basic steps and adhere to basics of the gardening. Then you are good to plant the vegetables in the containers. Actually preparing is the most important basic step in container gardening. Once it is done properly, you just have to transplant the plant and grow it steadily.
Getting the 5-gallon containers
First of all, you need to arrange for the 5-gallon containers. You can go for any material, but most of the containers with space and a magnitude of 5 gallons will be of plastic material. It is not a problem. you can grow vegetables in easily in plastic containers as well.
While selecting the containers, just make sure they are able to contain the soil and plant inside them. Minor cracks and holes are ok. But if the cracks are bigger, they might not be able to hold the soil when filled. That’s why take care in this regard. It will help in avoiding mess afterward.
Creating/ Making Drainage Holes
Once you have go the 5-gallon containers now it’s time to make drainage holes in them. Drainage in plastic containers is the most important thing when used for the plantation. It is because as we all know excess of everything is bad. And in the plastic containers water will be not able to get out of them.
This excess of water can cause root rot, and waterlogging. It can destroy root vegetables. But when we will make the drainage holes in the containers, the excess water will get out. Make the holes on the bottom and sides of the containers.
Filling the 5-gallon containers
Now as you have prepared the containers, now you would have to fill them with the required culture so that you can plant vegetables in them.
But before doing this, get the placement of the containers right. It is because empty containers are easy to move and fit. You need to place the containers in a way that they get enough air and sunlight. Especially sunlight.
It is because most of the vegetables are green. And green plants need a good amount of sunlight. When sunlight will be enough you would be able to get good food in the form of vegetables. For example, lettuce and other vegetables, wholly consist of green leaves that need a good amount of sunlight.
Now as you would have placed the containers in the right way at the right position. Now you can fill them. Fill these containers with gravel till around half. Now add the potting soil or the gardening soil to the containers. Keep the space of 3 t 4 inches from the upper limit of the containers.
You can get potting soil from any gardening shop. Do add the organic composed matter in the soil as well. This will help in fulfilling the nutrient requirements for the vegetables you are going to plant.
Planting vegetables in the 5-gallon containers
As of now, you have prepared the container for the vegetable plantation. Now you have to sow the seeds and transplant the plants of different vegetables into the containers. You will have to adjust all these vegetables accordingly.
While choosing vegetables, you can go for many vegetables as you want. But make sure each has enough room to prosper and grow steadily. It is because some vegetables have stems, and their plant grows wider. So plant only one plant of these vegetables in the 5-gallon bucket.
While some vegetables consist of only leaves, like lettuce, etc. or some vegetables only consist of the only roots or bulbs like onions, carrots, etc. you can grow these vegetables easily more than one, actually quite a lot in one container of 5-gallon capacity.
So, now you have understood the types of vegetables, and how to make the decision of planting them. Here we are going to mention some of the common vegetables which are being planted and consumed. You can choose from them, and also choose any of the vegetables you want if it suits the container, climate, and settings.
There are many vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, melons, squash, eggplant, pepper, beans, onions, garlic, lettuce, beets, turnip, carrots, reddish, cauliflowers, pumpkins, bitter ground, and a lot of other veggies you can opt any of them.
You can also go for herbs as well. These herbs are used in kitchens as well as these are used as medicine. Opting for these will not require you an extra effort. Rather it will come along anyways.
Taking Care of the Vegetables in 5-gallon containers
Take good care of the vegetables. Keep them in sunny spots. As they need a good amount of sunlight. Also, add sticks to the plants which need support to grow well. Keep them moving according to the availability of sunlight and according to climate.
Water them regularly. You can check the moisture of the container with your finger and then add the water to the particular container. Don’t go for over-watering. It will cause roots to rot. Little excess water can be handled from the drainage holes.
The addition of fertilizers in containers is important. You can add water-soluble fertilizers to the containers. These will act well in the container settings.
Pests and diseases are subject to area and climate most of the time. It is suggested that you should contact the local horticulturist if you see any of the symptoms. It is good to take care of the time.
In a nutshell, growing vegetables in 5-gallons containers are quite an easy and enjoyable experience. It is because it really rewards a person in a very easy way. You just need to follow the basic steps of gardening and you are good to reap the vegetables from 5-gallon containers.
What can be grown in a 5-gallon bucket?
You can grow multiple types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the 5-gallon buckets. You have to understand one rule regarding this. Grow whatever you want until it has no large stem. It is because the fruit plants which has large stems, that have very large roots which cannot be contained in a 5-gallon bucket.
Almost all types of vegetables can be grown in 5-gallon buckets. Even the plants which have not stayed in the pots like melons etc. In the case of fruits, you can plant fruits that don’t have large stems. You can paint all kinds of berries. Like strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Also, you can go for other fruits like lemon, citrus, fig, pear, cherry, guava, star fruits, and others. But most of the time, it is used for vegetables. Not for the fruits. Only small fruits are planted in the 5-gallon buckets.
