17 Vegetables Perfect for Bucket Gardening
If you don’t have a big backyard, that doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own fresh vegetables!
Container gardening is a fantastic way to grow food in small spaces like patios, balconies, or sunny kitchen windows. Buckets and containers allow you to control soil quality, minimize weeds, and move plants to the best-growing conditions as needed.
Choose vegetables that thrive in limited space and provide a high yield to get the most out of your container garden.
In this guide, I’ll discuss 17 vegetables that grow beautifully in buckets and containers and offer tips to help you maximize your harvest!
1. Tomatoes
- Best varieties: Cherry tomatoes, Roma, Patio Princess.
- Container size: At least a 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes.
- Tips: Provide a cage or stake for support, and fertilize regularly for a high yield.
2. Peppers (Bell & Chili)
- Best varieties: Jalapeño, Bell Peppers, Banana Peppers.
- Container size: 3–5 gallons per plant.
- Tips: Peppers love warmth, so place them in a sunny spot and feed them with a balanced fertilizer.
3. Lettuce & Leafy Greens
- Best varieties: Romaine, Butterhead, Spinach, Kale.
- Container size: 6–8 inches deep and wide.
- Tips: Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage continuous growth.
4. Radishes
- Best varieties: Cherry Belle, French Breakfast.
- Container size: 6–8 inches deep.
- Tips: Radishes grow quickly (30 days!) and don’t require much space, making them perfect for containers.
5. Carrots
- Best varieties: Nantes, Little Finger, Parisian.
- Container size: At least 12 inches deep.
- Tips: Use loose soil to allow carrots to grow straight and long.
6. Green Onions & Chives
- Best varieties: Evergreen, Tokyo Long White.
- Container size: Shallow pots (6 inches deep).
- Tips: Regrows quickly after cutting, making it a great low-maintenance crop.
7. Potatoes
- Best varieties: Yukon Gold, Red Pontiac, Fingerlings.
- Container size: 5-gallon bucket or fabric grow bag.
- Tips: Hill soil around stems as the plant grows to increase yield.
8. Cucumbers
- Best varieties: Bush Champion, Patio Snacker.
- Container size: 12-inch deep container.
- Tips: Use a trellis to save space and keep cucumbers from getting tangled.
9. Beans (Bush & Pole)
- Best varieties: Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder.
- Container size: 8–12 inches deep.
- Tips: Bush beans don’t need support, but pole beans require a trellis.
10. Zucchini & Summer Squash
- Best varieties: Black Beauty, Golden Zucchini.
- Container size: 5-gallon bucket.
- Tips: Keep soil moist and harvest frequently to encourage more fruit.
11. Eggplant
- Best varieties: Fairy Tale, Black Beauty.
- Container size: 5-gallon bucket.
- Tips: Loves warm weather and needs staking for support.
12. Beets
- Best varieties: Detroit Dark Red, Golden Beets.
- Container size: 8–10 inches deep.
- Tips: Sow seeds directly in the container and keep soil evenly moist.
13. Peas
- Best varieties: Sugar Snap, Snow Peas.
- Container size: 6-inch deep container.
- Tips: Provide a trellis or stake for the vines to climb.
14. Lettuce & Swiss Chard
- Best varieties: Romaine, Iceberg, Bright Lights, Fordhook Giant.
- Container size: 6–8 inches deep.
- Tips: Harvest outer leaves often for continuous growth.
15. Garlic
- Best varieties: Softneck, Hardneck Garlic.
- Container size: 6–8 inches deep.
- Tips: Plant cloves in fall for a summer harvest.
16. Kale
- Best varieties: Lacinato, Red Russian.
- Container size: 12 inches deep.
- Tips: Tolerates cold weather and regrows after harvesting.
17. Herbs
- Best varieties: Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme, Oregano.
- Container size: 6-inch pots or hanging baskets.
- Tips: Trim frequently to encourage bushy growth.
Use These Tips To Help Your Bucket Garden
- Rotate crops to keep soil healthy and prevent disease.
- Companion planting can deter pests and improve growth (e.g., plant basil with tomatoes).
- Monitor pests like aphids and spider mites, which can appear in container gardens.
- Water consistently, especially in hot weather, to prevent stress. This is super important during heat waves!