There’s a hole in my bucket

And in this case that a good thing, in fact the more holes the better, as we are going to talk about growing your veg in buckets.

Got a small garden or maybe just a patio area then it makes sense to use buckets. Flowers essentially grow in fancy buckets right so why not veg. It’s a good way to grow some healthy add-ons to your diet and feed the family whilst prices are continually going up. This will be a year on year grower and even if you only get a bit of veg the enjoyment of eating something you have grown is immense.

Easy said, Steph, but what do we need? Well, a large bucket, your local DIY store will have them, some compost, top soil, small rocks and of course seeds. I know we are still talking cost here so be imaginative. Do you live near a bakery, if so ask them if they have any food safe buckets, typically Jam comes in big buckets and they may be glad to get rid of some (also a hotel might have some). What about seeing if there is a local stables or farmer that has compost or manure again they will usually give it away. Look about it doesn’t always need to cost. I guess finally if you have tried growing flowers in large plant pots and maybe left them to die, clear out the large pots and reuse.

Growing in containers is really great, it means you can grow a wide variety of plants in a much smaller space, weeding is reduced, it is a super way to learn if you are a newbie and you can move the plants around if you think they need more light or shade so it really is versatile. You could I suppose use this approach to grow unusual fruits or veg that you don’t know will like your climate but as I am mostly thinking about easier grow veg we will leave that in the hands of those intrepid experimenters. This year in our garden some of the potatoes are being grown in containers as we have planted so many and they take so much space we have adopted a two fold approach. We have also grown our carrots successfully in containers so it can be done. Other plants such as peppers and tomatoes are always in pots for a few months which means we can avoid frostbite when the weather turns unexpectedly cold, the beauty being we pick up the container and bring them indoors. This does mean that you are treating your house like a polytunnel but then by keeping them warm indoors you can grow certain veg for longer. Lastly of course watering is so much easier if you have pots and buckets. Remember though they all need holes in the bottom to allow the water to drain, placing a couple of inches of small stones in the bottom of your containers will help this drainage also.

So what shall we grow?

Some plants are easier than others so if you are new to this try some of the easier plants such as:-

Kale, Lettuce, Chard, Peppers, Courgette, Onion.

But don’t be afraid to try:-

Tomatoes, Carrots, Onions, Mange Tout, Radish

If you are then feeling really adventurous try :-

Cucumbers and Beetroot

But who am I to tell you what to grow, the above are just some ideas and not all will work for you or be something you and your family like to eat, so don’t be afraid to give things a try and remember to

Just Breathe

Steph