Don’t have room for a traditional garden? You can still grow an abundance of fresh, juice tomatoes using 5 gallon buckets!
When we first tried this method back in 2017 (when this post was originally published), it completely exceeded our expectations. Now, 11 years later, we’re still using this approach.
The plants grew quickly, produced plenty of tomatoes, and required much less maintenance than a regular garden. There were no weeds to pull, it took up very little space, and the buckets could be hung almost anywhere that gets plenty of sunshine.
If you’re looking for an easy way to grow your own tomatoes on a patio, shed, fence, or small backyard, this simple DIY project is a great option.
Supplies Needed
- Cordless Drill
- 1 inch hole saw
- Stainless Steel Rigid 2 hole conduit strap ½ inch
- Screws
- Potting soil
- Tomato plants
- 5 gallon buckets
How to Grow Tomatoes in 5 Gallon Buckets
Step 1: Drill the Drainage Hole
Turn the 5-gallon bucket upside down and drill a hole in the center of the bottom of the bucket using a cordless drill and 1 inch hole saw for the tomato plant.
Step 2: Insert the Tomato Plant
Remove the tomato plant from the container. Carefully feed the plant thru the hole until the roots hit the bottom of the bucket.
Step 3: Fill the Bucket
Fill the bucket with quality potting soil, making sure the roots are completely covered. I used Miracle-Gro potting mix, but any good potting soil will work.
If you’d like, plants herbs such as basil, parsley, or oregano on top of the soil. They grow well alongside tomatoes and make great companion plants without getting in the way.
Step 4: Hang the Bucket
Place the bucket in a sunny location and secure it by the handle using stainless steel rigid ½ inch two-hole conduit straps and screws.
We attached ours to the front of our shed, but you can also hang them from a fence, pergola, deck, or any sturdy structure that can support the combined weight of the bucket, soil, plant, and water.
Step 5: Water and Care
Water the tomato plants thoroughly after planting. Tomatoes need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day to produce the best harvest.
Before long, you’ll be rewarded with fresh, homegrown tomatoes for salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, or straight off the vine.
Emily says
Do you think you could hang this from a couple shepherd’s hooks if you do t have a good area to drill into on shed/house?
Sharon says
A 5 gal bucket of dirt will be HEAVY.
Alison says
You don’t have to fill it completely full, just enough to sustain the root system for the plant.
Shayeeb says
Very good gardaing ideas
gee says
do you not worry about too much rain getting in the bucket and drowning the plants?
Alison says
No because excess water drains out the bottom.
Deborah says
Do these have to be cherry tomatoes? Can you plant “big boy” tomatoes on these buckets?
Alison says
Nope. We’ve planted big boy tomatoes this way and they turned out great.
Mark C says
Does it ever get too heavy and fall out of the bucket
RR says
The roots will grow extensively throughout the dirt in the bucket clinging to the dirt. There’s no way the massive root ball could be pulled out of the 1″ hole.
Alison says
Nope, never.
robb says
Can gallon milk jugs be used like this???
have many empty ones
Alison says
No those are too small.
Terry Gilcrease says
Could you use a smaller bucket
Alison says
Possibly a 2-3 gallon bucket might work but will dry out quickly on hot days.
Robert Dingess says
Could you feed the plant root from bottom instead of feeding whole thing through top
Alison says
No, it won’t fit through the hole. You want the hole to be supported.
Zeke says
Great idea, what Tomatoes do you recommend using?
Alison says
Cherry or roma.
Kim Oswald says
How do you water them?
Alison says
I spray the hose and water the top of the bucket or spray the top of roof of my shed and let the water run down into the bucket.
Robin says
Hi Alison, would it be possible to grow strawberries this way
Alison says
no
Jeff S says
A good way to grow strawberries is to use a rain gutter as a planter. Grab a gutter and 2 end caps from your local hardware store, install the end caps and hang the gutter along your fence or wherever. Drill a few drainage holes along the gutter, then fill with dirt, then your plants. The beauty of strawberries is they don’t need much dirt to grow and the gutter allows them to expand. Keeps the rabbits away.
James Ringrose says
Looks from the pictures you have two or three buckets inside each other ,whatthe reason for this?
Alison says
It’s just one bucket. Must be the style of the bucket that is making them look like that.
hopkins tom says
Great idea. Will try it
Kristina says
We tried this years ago with no success so it’s nice to see that it worked really well for you. I’m going to give it another try and hope it works. Your plants look beautiful!
Alison says
Thank you. We’ve been doing this for several years and works good every time.
Hudson Wise says
can you put 2 plants in one 5 gallon bucket?
Alison says
You’re going to need enough room for the roots so I would suggest only one plant per bucket.
Big Daddy says
Is the bucket filled all the way to the top with dirt / soil ?
Alison says
A little more than halfway.
Doug says
I tried this last year but ran into a problem. When it got windy on the bucket stayed stationary on the hook but the tomato plant want to move. This caused the base of the steam to twist and break off after about 4 weeks. UGH! Any ideas on how I solve this?
Alison says
I’m not sure. In all the years I have been doing this I never had that problem.
Donna M Sockabasin says
any tips on how to do cucumbers?
Alison says
I plant them in a raised garden and use a trellis.