5 Gallon bucket help

[tomatoaddict]

I want to grow a few varieties (cherries maybe) in 5 gallon buckets. I would appreciate any info or tips.
Thanks

[Zana]

Terry,
Are you planning on mixing your own container soil/mix? Make sure you have a few drainage holes. I like to drill mine in about 2cm/1" from the bottom around the outside. I put allot of broken crockery/terracotta/large gravel in the bottom for drainage. I usually mix up a huge batch of container mix at a a time. So I'm not quite sure of the quantities for just one 5 gal bucket. I start with some peat, pearlite and vermiculite, add some lime and slow release organic fertiliser and plenty of compost with some sand and top soil. Once I have a base made up I can reuse it annually by adding more compost, fertiliser and lime as needed.

I store my soil mix over the winter in large wheeled plastic garbage bins/cans. If feeling energetic, I mix in new compost to the mix in the fall before putting it away for the winter. That gets to work in nicely while it sits over the winter and early spring in a sunny spot (lid on tight, but aeration holes provided).
A deep saucer helps if you don't want to be watering more than once a day. Plenty of mulch on top keeps the weeds down and the moisture in when the temps climb.

[creister]

I drill several large (1.25 to 1.5 inch) holes in the bottom of the bucket. I have been filling it with 1 cup of tomato tone and promix soiless potting mix and mixing. I then spray with Neptune's Harvest seaweed/fish emulsion about once every two weeks. You need to water more frequently. The roots of the plants will eventually grow through the holes in the bottom and into the soil of your yard. It's like using the bucket as a individual raised bed.

[amideutch]

Terry, do you have the buckets already or do you plan on obtaining some? Secondly, are you leaning towards cherry varieties because of the size of the container? Lastly where do you want to locate your containers and is your garden fenced? Ami

[tomatoaddict]

Hi Ted,
No fenced garden and I picked cherries so I could isolate them away from the main garden. Yes, I have the 5 gallon containers. They are old laundry detergent pails. I don't know, this is starting to sound like it would just be easier to plant in the garden. That means more space tilled up. whoo hoo!

[Zana]

Not like you don't have the space, Terry. However, the bucket tomatoes could be placed closer to the back door. LOL...snacking distance.

[creister]

Not as hard as it sounds. Really enjoy growing in the buckets. Biggest thing is filling them up takes the longest. Any good soilless potting mix will work.

[Zana]

I agree with creister, about the filling part. If you got some concrete to put them on, they'll heat up faster in the spring and stay viably warm in the fall longer than in ground plants. I can speak from experience on that. I harvested my last remaining tomatoes last year the first weekend of November due to an expected killing frost. The previous year it was closer to the last week of November before I did the final harvest.

[amideutch]

The reason I asked is your going to need support for those cherries. I grew mine in containers and had them on my fence for support and keeping them from getting blown over in the wind. In fact, grow them by a window and all you have to do is open the window and grab a handful.

[Barryblushes]

Tomato,why not try your own earthboxes instead of buckets? Im gonna try three this spring,see how they work.Here is site tells you how to make them. http://www.myhudsonplace.com/diyearthboxes.html

[Barryblushes]

Well I just clicked the site and nothing came up.Try Googling myhunsonplace.com maybe? Or I can email you what you need to make one.Doesnt look too hard to make.

[creister]

For homade self-watering containers, check out the sticky at the top of the page that comes up after you click on Growing in Containers Forum. Almost a must read. Containers work great.

[robin303]

I grow tomatoes all the time in 5 gal buckets. At one time I would go buy 3/8 dowls from the local Homer and sharpen one end for support. I also bought a cheap dolly [$20] to move them around on my back deck to follow the sun. There is one major problem with plastic. If you dont have proper drainage you will get root rot even when the top 5 or 6" of soil seems semi dry. I try to talk people into those 14" clay pots because they will dissipate the moisture better.

[tomatoaddict]

Whoo hoo, it's Robin. For those of you not from Texas, Homer=Home Depot. Here is these parts it means something completely different.

[JohnnyRock]

I wonder sometimes how many millions of 5 gallon buckets get thrown into land fills every year. It would be so much better to re-use those buckets to grow tomatoes! The bucket size is a bit on the small side for larger tomato plants, but surely there are some varieties (dwarfs maybe) that would flourish in 5 gallons, and also would have a respectable level of fruit production. Anyone have suggestions on which varieties might work best?

I'm planning on trying some tests with 5 gallon buckets this year using an EB type setup with a raised screen at the bottom of the bucket, holes in the bucket just below the screen, a hole in the screen for wicking, and I might throw in some of those hair pads (http://www.smartgrow.net/) just for fun. These will be watered on a timer, along with the rest of my EBs/HEBs. It'll be interesting to see how this works out.

JR