When you want to start growing a vegetable garden, you have many great options for where to get seeds and starter plants. You can visit a local seed nursery to choose from an array of perennial and annual vegetables. There are also many websites with excellent information about container gardening and vegetable gardening. If you have no experience with vegetable gardening, it can be intimidating to try to plan your first plant. With a little help, however, you should be able to plan a successful container garden.
Pick The Right Plants Choose carefully the vegetables you will grow in your container garden. Smaller-statured vegetables do better in smaller buckets, since they require less direct sunlight. Typically dwarf or ground tomato varieties do the best in small buckets, since doing well in the outdoors as well as indoors. Other good vegetable choices for these pots include pole beans, winter squash, kale, eggplants, carrots, beets, zucchini and clementines.
Choose The Proper Soil Choosing the proper potting soil is crucial to your plants’ health. Buy a good organic soil with good water retention properties. Potting soil should drain easily and retain moisture, which is especially important for vegetables. Different plants need different soilless soils, so experiment to find the best for your particular crops.
Build Your Soils One of the biggest challenges for starting a bucket garden is working up a proper soil base. You want the soil to drain easily and remain moist, so it’s important that it drains slowly. Soilless mix can be purchased in a wide variety of sources, and you can make your own at home if you like. Place one inch of each soil type into a large pot, and fill with water. If it seems wet after just a few days, add a little more water. For plants that will go into the ground quickly, use one part potting soil to one inch of gravel or sand.
Grow And Water Your Plants In A Bucket Garden Growing food in containers is a low maintenance way to feed the family and save money at the grocery store. Choose varieties that will do well together, such as small tomatoes, green beans, onions, squash, cucumbers, carrots, herbs and others. Be sure to plant varieties that will grow tall. Most plants can grow up to three feet high. Choose plants that will flower early in the year and produce fruit during late summer and fall, and that are hardy and will withstand frosts.
Consider Using Herbaceous Vegetables And Herbs Tomatoes, peppers and herbs are often grown best when they’re harvested, but you can pick them while they’re still green and tender. Dried herbs are also great. If you don’t have time to harvest your plants often, keep an eye on them and remove any damaged leaves or flowers before freezing or drying. Keep your herbs fresh and in your garden until you’re ready to use them.
When you’re ready to harvest your vegetables, there are many methods for drying quickly and easily in order to have delicious fresh tasting food. Keep in mind that your container does not have to be so large that the roots of the plants won’t get enough water. You can use large pots filled with soil or even a self-watering pot to get great results.
Plant Lettuce, Carrots, Parsley And Peppers In A Bucket This is a great way to use the natural decomposition of your food scraps to add nutrients back into your soil. By using large chunks of wood or other solid materials you can build up layers of organic matter deep inside your soil and as it breaks down the material it releases its nutrients to the ground below. After your first harvest you will notice a difference in how your soil looks and feels. Your plants will have built up layers of compost and these organic matter layers can help your plants stay healthier and more productive. If you plan on planting other organic matter like grass or beans, you can even use your compost to improve and increase the quality of those crops as well.