2.5 Gallon Bucket

[mouka_f_slouka]

Hi,

I have found 2.5 gallon buckets and I was wondering if these were suitable for my tomato plants.
The reason I am asking is because I have grown way more plants than I have room for. So I am looking for a cheap solution to house my tomato plants.
Please let me know as soon as possible as I am out of ideas for places where I can keep my plants.
I know that WalMart has some bags that sell for even less, but I have never liked the idea of having plants in a bag. It just doesn't seem right to me.

Thanks

[TightenUp]

yield will be less than ideal. if you provide sunlight, food and water they will live

[TightenUp]

bags work just fine

[TightenUp]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

bags work just fine

I was referring to grow bags, not grocery bags. Never grew anything in a grocery bag

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

I was referring to grow bags, not grocery bags. Never grew anything in a grocery bag

Re usable grocery bags are made from some kind of fabric. I used a bunch of them last year to grow peppers. The ones I used were from Fred Meyers/Kroger chain.
One of their advantages is aeration. and good drainage.

Grow bags are made of more durable stronger fabric.

Gardeneer

[rhines81]

Home depot you can get 5-gal buckets for less than $3. Most any restaurant, pizza joint, bar, or fast food place will also gladly give you a bucket or two for the asking. An old 30 gallon trash can --- even better.

[mouka_f_slouka]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

yield will be less than ideal. if you provide sunlight, food and water they will live

The sunlight will be plentiful. I don't know what food one gives to tomato plants, but I have some generic vegetables food I plan on giving all my plants. As for water they will have plenty of that. Our summers are almost always very wet and I will keep an eye on them.
Are the WalMart bags better because they are bigger? I can live with those if they can provide my plants with better accommodations.

[Stvrob]

2.5 gallons is just a bit too small. If you use them it will be a real challenge to keep them watered and fed. Can you find anything in the 5 gallon range?

[Worth1]

Lots of people grow in bags they will be far better than a wee 2.5 gallon bucket.
Those buckets will work you to death keeping the plants watered.
You are also setting yourself up for BER.
Worth

[Starlight]

I having the same problem and I looked at all the two gallons I have and wondered if I should try and use them again. I grew tomatoes in 2 gallon pots last year. I didn't know they needed at least a 5 gallon pot. The plants had to be watered everyday. The yield was not very good either.

I went seed happy too and no way do I have enough 5 gallons pots, so I am going to the Dollar tree. Don't know if you have them up there or not, but they sell kitchen trash buckets that equal to a 5 gallon bucket, maybe a tad bigger and they only a buck a container. Just have to cut holes in them for drainage, but would be more stable I think that bags especially since Chicago is a windy city so I have heard.

[bower]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I having the same problem and I looked at all the two gallons I have and wondered if I should try and use them again. I grew tomatoes in 2 gallon pots last year. I didn't know they needed at least a 5 gallon pot. The plants had to be watered everyday. The yield was not very good either.

I went seed happy too and no way do I have enough 5 gallons pots, so I am going to the Dollar tree. Don't know if you have them up there or not, but they sell kitchen trash buckets that equal to a 5 gallon bucket, maybe a tad bigger and they only a buck a container. Just have to cut holes in them for drainage, but would be more stable I think that bags especially since Chicago is a windy city so I have heard.

One thing I learned about repurposing buckets, it's worth the extra trouble to drill holes instead of cutting them. The ones I cut holes in, bottoms break and fall out in no time. Drilled will hold up much better.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by bower

One thing I learned about repurposing buckets, it's worth the extra trouble to drill holes instead of cutting them. The ones I cut holes in, bottoms break and fall out in no time. Drilled will hold up much better.

I agree,a little 3/4 inch hole saw works great.

I should start a tread on tools every gardener needs around the house.

[bower]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I agree,a little 3/4 inch hole saw works great.

I should start a tread on tools every gardener needs around the house.

I agree, please start the thread! (I do love my power tools...if I didn't love my hand tools even more.)

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by bower

One thing I learned about repurposing buckets, it's worth the extra trouble to drill holes instead of cutting them. The ones I cut holes in, bottoms break and fall out in no time. Drilled will hold up much better.

Thanks for that tip.

Gardeneer is right though. The bigger the container the better, but that is a whole lot of money not just for the containers , but for the soil to fill them. It starts adding up real quick when you have lots of plants to containerize.

[Stvrob]

There are plans somewhere here ( in the container forum) for making a self watering type container out of the 18 gallon totes they have at walmart. I believe you would grow two plants in that size. In a nutshell, the bottom part of the container holds a reservoir of water/nutrient solution that wicks up into the soil. Lots of people here use them. I think its called the Earth-tainer. There is another premade system that is popular, cant recall its name though.

If you put your plants in 2.5 gallon containers, do not underestimate how much water they will need. Likely in the summer they will need water twice a day!