Can you grow zucchini in a 5 gallon bucket? Yes, you can! Also called summer squash, Zucchini is an excellent vegetable for small-space gardeners making it the perfect plant to grow in a 5-gallon bucket.
Many gardeners believe that zucchini is a prolific grower. However, that doesn't mean the plant can't use little assistance from the gardener.
If you are thinking of growing zucchini, we say go for it. And it’s natural for you to wonder if you can grow zucchini in a 5-gallon bucket. Zucchini can be grown in a 5-gallon bucket.
This post will cover all you need to know about growing zucchini plants in 5-gallon buckets and the best variety of zucchini to grow in 5-gallon buckets.
Table of Contents
Can You Grow Zucchini In a 5 Gallon Bucket?
Yes, Zucchini plants can grow perfectly in a 5-gallon bucket. More so, it is easy and straightforward to grow zucchini plants in containers.
The trick to growing zucchini in a 5-gallon bucket is to get the right variety of the zucchini plant. Species like ravens, silver bush, etc., thrive in containers.
How Many Zucchini Plants Per 5 Gallon Bucket?
Zucchini plants have large taproots that increase as they grow; this follows that your zucchini won't be able to expand in the bucket indefinitely.
As the zucchini grows, it will require bigger and bigger containers. To be on the safer side, it best you limit one zucchini plant to a 5-gallon bucket.
How to Grow Zucchini in A 5 Gallon Bucket
A 5-gallon bucket is perfect for growing zucchini plants because they have an extensive root system that can grow up to three feet long.
The bush-type cultivar is well-suited to growing in a pot that's about 16 inches wide and 16 inches deep. Below are the steps to take in planting zucchini:
- Zucchini seeds or seedlings are best planted in the spring when the soil temperature is between 70-85°F. Once you have the seed ready, make a 1 deep hole, plop the seed inside, and gently cover it with potting soil. A seedling will require a larger hole of about 2'' deep. Loosen the roots of the seedling and place them into the hole. Fill the gap with soil and pat gently.
- The gallon should be made out of porous material like terra cotta, cement, or unglazed ceramic. These types of containers are ideal because they provide additional drainage for the plant.
- Ensure that the gallon bucket has drainage holes at the bottom. Using a drill or a nail & hammer, make one hole every 3 inches
- Fill the gallon bucket with potting soil; the potting soil should contain ingredients like peat, compost, and fine bark, along with either perlite or vermiculite. Regular garden soil is best avoided because it may have pests and weed seeds.
- The zucchini seeds start to germinate in 7 – 10 days. Remember that the zucchini plant requires at least six hours of sunshine a day. Move the container around so that the zucchini plant can get an adequate amount of sun.
- Water the plant regularly. Keep in mind that while the zucchini needs plenty of water, they don't like soggy conditions. To know the best time to water the zucchini plant, check the top 2 inches of soil – if they feel dry to the touch, water deeply. When watering, water soil and not the leaves.
- Zucchini plants need pollinators. If you don't have many bees in your garden, plant some early-blooming flowers like borage or alyssum near your squash.
The Right Variety of Zucchini to Grow in a 5 Gallon Bucket
When opting for growing zucchini in a 5-gallon bucket, you must remember that some zucchini grows much more extensive than others and thus might not precisely thrive in a 5-gallon bucket.
It thus becomes imperative that you choose the right variety of zucchini to grow in a gallon bucket.
Some exciting varieties to consider include:
- Astia
- Black Beauty
- Burpees Golden Zucchini
- Cube of Butter
- Emerald Delight
- Max’s Gold
- Raven
- Silver Bush
- Spacemiser
- Verde di Milano
Related Posts:
- Can You Grow Okra In a 5 Gallon Bucket?
- How Many Tomatoes Fit In a 5 Gallon Bucket?
- What Can I Grow In a 1 Gallon Container?
- Can I Grow Vegetables In 5 Gallon Buckets?
- Can I Grow Okra Plant In 5 Gallon Bucket?
Conclusion
Growing plants in 5-gallon buckets are becoming popular day by day, especially for households with limited spaces.
Growing plants in gallon buckets are increasingly used for ornamental purposes. Thus even homes with larger space are sometimes switching from the ground to buckets.
This post has successfully answered the question, can you grow zucchini in a 5-gallon bucket? Now, you know that the zucchini plant is a popular container plant provided you choose the right variety to grow in a container.
