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Post by daylilydude on Dec 23, 2010 5:15:03 GMT -5
They come in handy as a tote and a seat in the garden, but do you use them as pots? What do you grow in them?
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Post by coppice on Dec 23, 2010 7:51:42 GMT -5
I use them sawed down to about half tall as training pots for newly collected bonsai-to-be. Sometimes I take pretty fearsly pruned stumps. The first year I want a white pot because it is less stressful on what looks nothing so much as a baseball bat planted inna pot.
Hence my handle...
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 23, 2010 8:41:35 GMT -5
We had lots of buckets on the farm for carrying water to the barn in winter. Once the handles broke or they sprung a leak, I began using them as containers for peppers, eggplant and the occasional tomato plant. In this area, black is a good colour to use for eggplant and peppers. It means I actually get some eggplants before frost hits. But I've heard of folks down south actually painting dark buckets a light colour to reflect heat instead of holding it.
Adding a few drainage holes at the base with a small holesaw is a good idea.
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rintintin
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Post by rintintin on Dec 23, 2010 20:34:36 GMT -5
@ Coppice:
Since you are cutting them in half, you can use the top (bottomless) halves buried in the garden to control root spread on invasive plants such as mints.
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Post by stratcat on Dec 27, 2010 22:47:15 GMT -5
I'm still using one as a tomato planter with holes in the bottom.
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Post by coppice on Dec 28, 2010 0:30:54 GMT -5
@ Coppice: Since you are cutting them in half, you can use the top (bottomless) halves buried in the garden to control root spread on invasive plants such as mints. I've only got two bottoms that made the trip here to appalachia. But yes the rings do make good cloche or soil barriers. |
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Post by w8in4dave on Dec 30, 2010 23:33:22 GMT -5
they are great to plant stuff in but then when you need a 5 gallon bucket they are either used up or you go to fill one up and it is full of holes lol..
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rintintin
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Post by rintintin on Jan 1, 2011 5:13:13 GMT -5
You can often get them free at many fast food/chain restraunts. Often they get coleslaw, tartar sauce, breading mix, etc shipped to them in 5G buckets. If you know the mgr, or frequent any place often, just ask. Otherwise, they have to throw them in their dumpster that they pay to have hauled off. Make sure to take some lids also, they are very handy for storing many things too.
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Trudi
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Post by Trudi on Jan 1, 2011 8:50:51 GMT -5
You can use them for growing DET toms and other small veggie plants. Just turn the bucket over, then use a power drill or a hammer and a nail, and make drainage holes--probable a good twenty because a drill or a nail aren't very wide.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2011 11:04:11 GMT -5
I use them for my early tomatoes, which I start way early and move in and out of the house on warm days until last frost date, and I use them for hot peppers. Our local nursery went out of business (retirement) and I picked up quite a few 3 gallon containers so the buckets, which are getting brittle from the sun will probably be retired.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jan 23, 2011 22:51:23 GMT -5
I have been growing upsidedown tomatoes in 5 gal buckets, ever since we had a soaked summer, rotting my tomato plants. This way, I have at least 15 every year (though last year, I grew a pepper and an eggplant in the UD pots, so I only had 13). I also have grown eggplant right side up, which did better, and I grow peppers in smaller, 4 gal buckets, as they don't seem to need quite as much soil as the tomatoes and EP. |
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adobo
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Post by adobo on Jan 26, 2011 0:58:09 GMT -5
is it true that you can just ask for those 5 gal containers there in the US for free?
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rintintin
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Post by rintintin on Jan 26, 2011 1:38:42 GMT -5
Yes. Many fast food places get some of their supplies in them. They usually just toss them out.
I recently found a guy selling the 55 gal food drums (second hand) for $10 each. He probably gets them free at work.
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adobo
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Post by adobo on Jan 26, 2011 1:45:52 GMT -5
cool. I can only get those 5gal containers in junkshops selling at P50(approx $1) each. sometimes I can get it at P20 on construction sites if I'm lucky.
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littleminnie
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Post by littleminnie on Feb 2, 2011 21:35:55 GMT -5
When I was 20 or 21 I had my first garden of about 3 dozen horse wormer buckets with tomatoes in them in the driveway and a 4x4 raised bed with herbs and beans and who knows what else. The tomatoes did not do too bad. I worked with horses back then and had plenty of buckets and manure to use.
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okiedrifter
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Post by okiedrifter on Feb 14, 2011 21:00:58 GMT -5
well I have raised tomatos in them but here lately I have been making my own laundry soap....its easy to make cleans beautifuly and costs about 5 cents a load....if you are anywhere near a farm store where they sell feed in a bucket those buckets are awesome to plant in they are about the size of 1/2 of a 55 gallon barrel but are pretty....I put my citrus trees in them they are that big and nice....they charged me 3 dollars for one.....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2011 23:11:26 GMT -5
Five-Gallon buckets rule. Especially food-grade ones.
The ones that you can buy in your local stores [with their logo on them] are about half as thick-walled as real ones.
The uses for a 5 gallon bucket are endless.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2011 11:49:18 GMT -5
Sometimes you can get the 5 gal buckets free at School Cafeterias or restaurants. Not sure if they re-cycle them, now or not.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2011 21:10:33 GMT -5
I live unfortunatly in a Rental Home (Hope to fix that soon) and Landlord is a real #4%^&jgdgjjgdsg about my garden, so this year, yes, i will get more done if I grow i 5 gal Buckets as well as Reccling Tubs I can get for free, I will be transplanting my winter grown seed project into 5 Gal Buskets as they won't let me rip up the grass inthe yard as I want to? I will be growing Peppers (Hot and Mild) as well as cabbage, Dill, Onions and more, I wanna see what I can do, inthois Limited Format? I will post Pics once I transpant my Window Plant Boxes to 5 Gal and other Pail, OK?
RON
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2011 23:07:23 GMT -5
Pics of my Scarlet Runner Beans in a 2 1/2 Gal bucket, the bigger plants will be 5 gal  More other Pole Beans, as well as Hot peppers waiting to transplant into the 5 gal Buckets I got this week  |
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Post by stratcat on Apr 27, 2011 23:45:22 GMT -5
Hi, Ron. Look forward to hearing and seeing how your container gardening grows.  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2011 12:20:18 GMT -5
StrayCat
You got it man! I look forward to eeing how it goes as well? This is a first for me and I never thoiugt the Mere idea of Planting a garen woiuld arose so Much problem from a Landlord? AS I see it, I will do a Limited Gareden, as she has allowed me, and other wise I will do a Buch more in 2 1/2 and 5 gal Buckets! Not sure if they will produce as well, nor what they will see for yeild? I see it as a Garden of necissity and I will do what I have to? I will be sure to post pics on the Tomnatto trnaspnats as I have more of them then Most other plants, But, as I said Hot and Mild peppers, Cabbage, Dill, Comfrey, as well as other Pole and Runner beans! I have Onion starts now, so will be while till I trnaspant them, but yes, those will go in 5 gallon or other Buckets, I'm considering a Few Re-Cycle containers as they are larger and hold more soil? All sorts of ways to branch out, I see a Neighbor used Plastic 55 gal Drums sawn in 1/2 Vertically as well as horizontally and filled with peat moss he has Hios Totattoes and pappers that way now? More than one way to skin a cat, or a landlord? LOL
Pics to follow, I promise!
RON
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2011 22:42:37 GMT -5
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Post by stratcat on May 4, 2011 13:47:58 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing, Ron!  |
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2011 19:49:47 GMT -5
Thanks straycat, be it ever o Humble it is what I have!
RON
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2011 8:05:35 GMT -5
Where there is a will there is a way. I am curious, how are they doing now?
Are you going to get any tomatoes?
I'd think the hot peppers would do great.
Got any new pics?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2011 22:01:34 GMT -5
I use a few 5 gallon buckets with a false bottom for water, sphagnum moss wick into the soil. Just have to add water to the bottom, helps prevent BER & can leave it for a few days without watering it. This one (hanging in the GH) is using about 3 quarts of water per day now, a gallon + on sunny days.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2011 16:48:40 GMT -5
Great looken plant dave, looks like you havethe right idea with the false bottom,
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2011 11:04:47 GMT -5
I USE 5 GAL. BUCKETS i fill them 3/4 of an inch from the top with potting soil,not garden dirt .
I also copyed the Topsy/ Terby bag container with a bucket, one out the bottom and one with two holes out the side ,they work great ( no weeds, no bugs) but you need more water. I hang them from 5' to 6' foot stands or set on bricks to help drainage. ill have some pictures as soon as i get batteries for my camera. iI have been play with this container idea for three years and get new ideas all the time , I am building a frame work out of old steel bed frames to hold the buckets off the ground all this in a small area , in side yard in a mobile home park.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2011 19:13:50 GMT -5
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