has reached a new level of popularity with more and more people living in apartments and small spaces wanting to enjoy their own little bit of nature.
But, did you know that you don't need special to successfully grow plants?
Different color and sized buckets
| Bucket Do's | Bucket Don'ts |
|---|---|
| Buckets should be: |
! They're inexpensive, readily available, often food-grade, and they're deep enough to give root systems the room needed to grow.
Once you've chosen the perfect bucket, you need to . Plants soak up more than just water from their soil — they also absorb nutrients from the soil. .
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If you plan on growing a plant that likes very well-draining soil — like a cactus — consider drilling a few holes in the side of the pot, roughly an inch from the bottom.
The last step in preparing your containers for planting is to add the drainage layer and soil that your plant will grow in.
Overall, the material you grow your plants in is vital to the health of the plants. .
| Drainage Layer | |
| Soil |
- Sand - Compost - Worm Castings - Perlite - Coir - Peat Moss - Vermiculite - Pine Bark |
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Purple container garden with growing plants
. When picking the perfect plants, it's important to match the plant size to the container, and not overcrowd your bucket.
| Vegetables | Each container-grown broccoli plant needs a separate 5-gallon planter. Provide 14 to 16 hours of sunlight for seedlings and six hours for mature plants. |
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| One 5-gallon bucket can grow 12 carrot plants. They need six hours of sunlight daily. | |
| Fruit Trees | Plant three everbearing strawberry plants in a bucket that's 12 to 14 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep and place the container where it'll receive six to eight hours of sunlight. |
| Dwarf blueberries can be grown in containers 20 to 24 inches wide and at least 12 inches deep when placed where they get six to eight hours of full sun daily. | |
| Container grown raspberries require a pot at least 16 to 22 inches wide and 12 inches deep. They need to be placed where they'll get six to eight hours of sunlight. | |
| Flowers | Garden mums are perfect for containers at least 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Chrysanthemums need six to eight hours of full sun daily. |
| You can grow geraniums in pots with at least 10 inches of space per plant. Most geraniums require six to eight hours of sunlight, but you can find part shade varieties as well. | |
| Fuchsia works well in deeper containers that allow its flowers to drape over the edge. Look for a pot at least 12 to 16 inches in diameter and place your fuchsia in a partly shaded location where it receives four to six hours of sunlight daily. |
Container gardening saves space, but it requires you to keep a close eye on the temperature and moisture of the soil in your pot, since water evaporates faster in containers than those planted in the ground.
Grow Buckets of Happiness!
Using unconventional pots to grow plants is an excellent way to re-purpose old containers while saving space in your yard or home. Be sure to pick the proper plant for your container size, and invest some time in getting the bucket clean and ready for planting. Enjoy your container gardening and be sure to pass your knowledge along to friends and family!
