Pot Gardening in a Backyard

In the past two years, I began using more 5 gallon buckets in my backyard garden. I started to notice that some of the plants I placed in the garden beds, did not get enough sunlight. This specifically happened to my lemon and lime plants and the strawberry plants. Although I am a strong believer in Raised Bed gardening, I realized that some plants would benefit more in pots or buckets turned into pots. So, I started using 5 gallon buckets instead of buying planting pots.

This is how I created the home-made pots for the plants using 5 gallon buckets.

1. I started by using 5 gallon containers from the local hardware store.
2. I drilled holes in the bottom and lower portion of the sides. This way the water could flow through and drain properly.
3. I then added soil that was a combination of compost and potting soil. I made sure to include a few earthworms.
4. I then dugout and place the plants into their own buckets.
5. I added more soil to securely cover the roots and stabilize the plant in the pot.
6. I then watered the pot thoroughly with rain water.

It's a-lot easier to move fruit tree and berry plants around the garden to maximize light, when they are in a pot. I have a handle when the plants a small, and I can use the buckets for a large or small plant. When watering, I check the soil every other day to make sure its not too dry. When it does get dry, I water it until the water flows easily out the bottom and sides. That is all it takes. I plan on using more buckets in my backyard garden, with plants like tomatoes, red peppers and more strawberries for sure.

Thanks for reading, if you have any additional suggestions for Pot Gardening in an 5 gallon bucket, please comment below. Thank you. :)