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Planting something, watching it grow, and enjoying the fruits of your labor is one of life’s greatest joys. There’s something incredibly rewarding about planting, nurturing, and finally enjoying the results of your own garden.
Bucket container gardening can be as fulfilling as large-scale farming when it comes to growing and harvesting your own food. It can be especially useful for urban homesteaders or those living in apartments or areas with very small backyards who don’t have enough space to grow fruits and vegetables.
You don’t need much—just a few buckets and some care to watch your plants thrive. Bucket gardening is a practical solution for small spaces, allowing you to grow fresh produce right on your balcony, patio, or tiny backyard. It’s a manageable way to grow your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs, no matter where you live.
Whether planting in your backyard, on a balcony, patio, or urban homestead, here are some of the best plants that are perfect for growing in buckets.
What You Need for Backyard Bucket Gardening
Plants need certain things to grow. Gardening, no matter the scale or type, needs the same basic things. To have a successful bucket garden, there are five key things you will need to make sure you have:
- Space for the plants to grow
- Large enough buckets
- Easy access to water
- Enough hours of sunlight
- Time to care for your plants
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow in a home garden; tomatoes are also perfect for buckets, as the root systems are not overly extensive and thrive with minimal care.
Related post: How to Support Tomatoes
2. Lettuce
Many varieties of lettuce can be grown in a homestead bucket garden. It’s an excellent way to keep fresh lettuce on hand for your salads.
3. Strawberries
With a more compact growing habit and a good ratio of plant space to crop yield, strawberries work quite well in buckets and are a good way to get fruit into your garden space.
4. Peppers
Pretty much any variety of pepper, from jalapenos to bells to chillis, can be grown in buckets, making a wonderful staple crop.
5. Onions
Onions can be grown in buckets with minimal care, as long as the bucket is deep enough to allow the bulbs to grow properly.
6. Beans and Peas
You have plenty of options with beans and peas, such as green beans, black-eyed
7. Eggplant
Eggplants can thrive in large buckets that support the root system and provide enough room for the plant to grow freely.
8. Broccoli
Depending on the size of your bucket, you can grow several broccoli plants in a single bucket on a balcony, patio, or any other outdoor space with ample room.
9. Cabbage
A little harder than some other crops, cabbage is still a good choice for a homestead garden limited to bucket gardening because of space constraints.
10. Potatoes
While you will need large, deep buckets for them, potatoes are another edible plant that works well in a bucket setup and doesn’t require much space overall.
11. Dill
Small in size but packed with plenty of flavor, dill is a common herb in homestead gardens. It thrives in buckets and does well outdoors in a variety of environments.
12. Basil
A staple of kitchens everywhere, when you want fresh basil for your cooking adventures, there is no better place to get it than your container garden.
13. Parsley
While it is often grown in the garden among other plants, parsley can also thrive in buckets, making it a great addition to your gardening layout.
14. Oregano
One of the big appeals of oregano is that it can be easily grown in a bucket and offers a wonderful aroma that makes any outdoor space all the more inviting.
15. Garlic
With big flavor and small packaging,
16. Rosemary
Grown as a flowering plant and a cooking herb, rosemary is another herb well-suited for growing in buckets and can be placed in small buckets among your other crops.
17. Chamomile
Anyone who wants fresh sleepy-time tea will love having a pot of chamomile on hand for those sleepless nights or when it is time to sit back and relax with some fresh tea.
18. Lemongrass
Full of flavor and tantalizing aroma,
19. Cilantro
A common addition to many recipes, cilantro can be kept in your garden all season long by growing it in a bucket.
20. Catnip
If you have a furry feline friend at home, consider making them their own little potted plant and keep some fresh catnip on hand for them to enjoy.
21. Blueberries
Blueberries grow very well in buckets, which is a great way to get fresh blueberries. You can use them to make your favorite homemade blueberry preserves or as a topping on your pancakes.
22. Arugula
Arugula, a fast-growing annual leafy vegetable in the Brassica family, thrives in buckets. Its rapid growth, aided by fertile soil and consistent moisture, allows multiple harvests in a single season.
This super green continues to produce until the ground freezes, yielding a significant yield from each plant.
23. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard thrives in buckets because the soil’s consistent fertility promotes robust growth. Grow Swiss chard and add it to your favorite recipes.
24. Beets
Beets, loved for their nutritious roots and greens, grow quickly and taste best when harvested young. The entire plant is edible and can be enjoyed in salads or roasted. They flourish in buckets.
25. Carrots
Carrots, a cool-season crop, can be planted in spring and late summer. They are crunchy, sweet, and nutritious, thriving in buckets where the loose, deep soil promotes unobstructed root growth. This results in straighter, larger carrots without the stunting or deformities common in compacted soil.
26. Radishes
Radishes are among the fastest-growing vegetables. They can be ready to harvest in just three weeks and add a peppery flavor to salads and dishes. Due to their rapid growth and minimal space requirements, radishes are well-suited for growing in buckets.
