In my tiny courtyard vegetable garden, space is limited. I’m always looking for ways to maximise the amount of space I have in order to grow as many vegetables as I possibly can. I purchased a few grow bags from Amazon which have proven really great for plants such as potatoes and peas. However, the bigger the container, the more compost needed to fill it.
As well as having to buy compost constantly, I also find the grow bags to be quite expensive. So when someone suggested I try growing my tomatoes in buckets, I was completely sold on the idea!
Not only are these B&Q buckets the perfect size for a single tomato plant, the are only a pound and so it makes complete sense to use them for growing in! Here’s how I got the buckets ready for growing:
- First drill some holes in the bottom of the buckets. Drainage holes are important. The water needs to drain away from your plant so it’s not sitting in a pool of water, which will eventually make it rot and die!
- Fill with compost right up to the top of the bucket.
- Plant your tomato as deep as the first leaves. Tomatoes are incredible plants that can produce roots out of their stems, whatever depth they are planted. Planting them deeper means they can root themselves in properly and keep themselves secure.
- If placing your bucket onto concrete, keep the bucket raised slightly from the ground so that the water can drain away.
One of the best things about growing tomatoes in buckets is that they are so easy to move about the garden. Tomatoes need a lot of sun in order to produce a great crop, so if your garden comes shady in the afternoon or morning time, you can simply pick it up and move it.
Here are some more tips for keeping your tomatoes healthy and happy in a bucket:
- Keep cutting off suckers. This is any stem that grows at a 45 degree angle from the main stem.
- Feed your tomato plant with a liquid seaweed every 2 weeks. This is especially important when they start to flower as they will need lots of energy to produce their fruit.
- Pots dry out easily in hot weather, so keep watered. If your plant is wilting, you will know it needs a drink!
I’ll be sharing some more updates on my courtyard garden soon!
