Gardening in small spaces can mean adding a container garden to your patio or balcony, and you may be wondering how to start your own small growing space. Let’s begin with how much soil for 5 gallon pot container gardening.
Calculating How Much Soil for a 5-Gallon Pot
A standard 5-gallon bucket typically holds approximately 0.67 cubic feet of soil. That’s about 2/3 of a cubic foot bag of soil, and each bag will weigh approximately 40 pounds of soil.
This estimation assumes the bucket is filled to the brim without any compaction or settling of the soil. However, in real-world scenarios, factors such as soil density, moisture content, and compaction can affect the exact volume of soil that fits in the bucket.
Keep in mind that you’re not going to fill to the brim of the bucket, using less. Additionally, you are going to water it down which will pack it down some, using slightly more.
.67 cubic feet gives you a good idea of how many bags of potting mix you’ll need to purchase. Manufacturers like to sell them in different sizes, so just be sure to check the labels.
Check out this soil calculator at Smart Pots when figuring how much soil for 5 gallon pot or any other size containers.
Why 5 gallons?
Firstly, a 5 gallon bucket is easily and inexpensively found at most garden centers around.
Secondly, several new gardeners begin their food-growing journey by learning about square foot gardening. A 5 gallon pot or bucket is roughly one square foot, so this measurement is one of the most popular options for those that are new to container gardening.
Container Gardening
Reasons why you should consider container gardening:
- Maybe you’re renting, and your landlord won’t allow you to till up a patch of ground.
- You don’t have any ground in which to garden. Apartment tenants or condominium owners often find themselves in this position.
- You are new to gardening, and you aren’t sure that you want to create a permanent garden space yet.
- You simply want to add some life to your outdoor living spaces.
If you find yourself in one of these situations, you will find that container gardening will solve your dilemma. Figuring out how much soil for 5 gallon pot is imperative in these circ*mstances.
Container Sizes and Types, including the 5-gallon Bucket
You need to first research each type of plant that you’d like to plant before deciding on what size container to put them in.
Carrots for example, only need minimal surface area, but their containers need to be at least 9 inches deep, and possibly deeper for longer varieties. In a 5 gallon bucket, you know that your container is plenty deep, and you can fit 16 carrots in that space.
Tomatoes, on the other hand, have a lot more networking to their root structure. They require lots of water and feeding, so you only want to grow one plant per 5 gallon bucket.
Herbs, lettuces, and other plants with shallow root systems will be just fine in 1 gallon buckets or pots.
Importance of Choosing the Right Soil
Choosing a soil that both holds moisture and also drains excess water is important. Furthermore, the nutrients in containers will be depleted faster than in ground plants. Select a bagged soil that will feed your plants for a while.
We love all of the Foxfarm brand bagged soils for any size pot. Choose the type of soil that best fits the variety of plants that you’re growing once you’ve figured how much soil for 5 gallon pot.
Factors to Consider Before Planting in a 5-Gallon Pot
If you’re in a particularly hot growing zone, pots, with nonporous sides, such as hardware buckets, will hold moisture better for you.
Alternatively, high humid areas will benefit from fabric pots, also known as soil bags, that allow a little more air flow to the roots and soil. Just make sure that you water them enough so they don’t dry out.
Terra cotta pots work well for everyone when placed in a dish that holds water in the bottom. The clay pot will soak that water up from the bottom so that your soil remains damp.
Some new gardeners like to add small rocks in the bottom of the pot for good drainage, but this is unnecessary. Just add drainage holes to the bottom of each bucket if needed.
Good drainage will ensure that you don’t suffocate your plants at the root with water-logged soil.
How Much Water for Container Plants
Not only is knowing how much soil for 5 gallon pot important, but answering the age-old question, “How much water should I give my plants,” is equally important.
My answer is not objective. Stick your finger in the soil at the base of the plant. If the soil is dry underneath, water it. You’re probably fine if it’s damp.
If you’d like an easier way to tell because you’re afraid that you can’t rely on your own judgment, try these moisture meters. They are a simple solution to questioning when to water.
Maintenance Tips for Container Gardening
Plants in container gardens often burn through important nutrients faster than their counterparts in the ground. For this reason, make sure that you feed your plants in containers more frequently.
You can use plant spikes once at the beginning of the season, and then forget about feeding them again.
You can also add appropriate soil amendments to your containers at planting time. Tomatoes, for example, will thrive when given some added epsom salt and chicken litter. The magnesium and nitrogen will continue to feed your plants through the growing season.
Once you’ve decided how much soil for 5 gallon pot you might need, you can remove just a little and replace it with compost. This will add nutrients too.
Mature plants will naturally begin to lose some leaves. Make sure that you prune them off and remove them from the container.
What Should I Plant?
Asking what you should or could plant will take a little bit of planning. Considerations that you should make when deciding what to plant include:
- What do you eat?
- How much space do you have?
- What variety will do well in your space?
1. What do you eat?
Don’t plant the foods that you or your family won’t eat. That’s a terrible way to prove that you can grow something. Instead, get their input. Maybe give each child in your home one 5-gallon container to grow something in. This will only add to the joy of growing that you are looking forward to.
2. Space
Remember that you have to budget your space wisely here. You can easily “add” growing space by growing vertically and adding trellis features to your containers. Pole beans or sugar snap peas are excellent options for growing up.
Another option is to hang larger containers from an eve so that vining plants like squash or tomatoes can trail downward.
Herbs take up very little space, but add a huge bang for your buck. You can grow several different herbs using multiple sized containers, and actually save money on purchasing them. Even a small flower pot can grow a sizable basil plant.
Landscape architects would probably hate me for this, but you could easily build this bucket holder to create a miniature home garden. If it holds 12 5-gallon buckets, you are creating the same growing space as 3′ X 4′ garden bed. Moreover, what if you built two? You don’t need a backyard raised bed, when you add these to your back porch.
3. Varieties for Containers
Be sure to grow plants that are known to do well in your area. I wouldn’t attempt to grow a tropical citrus, a lemon tree for example, in zone 2a. That is justa great way to set yourself up for failure.
Furthermore, consider varieties that have been hybridized to remain compact for the containers.
Determinate tomato plants like Tiny Tim are a good option if you want a tomato. Fairy Tale eggplants are a container plant that you could choose too.
So figure out what it is that you want and research what varieties would be a best fit for you.
Conclusion of How Much Soil for 5 Gallon Pot
I hope that we’ve shown you that everyone can grow some of their own food, even if it seems too small to make a difference. I promise you, it does in fact make a difference. It matters to your mental well-being and to your sense of food security. Now that you know how much soil for 5 gallon pot, don’t let your lack of in-ground garden space stop you from growing something. We all have plenty of room to add a container or two of food plants.
Donna and her family have beenhomesteadingfor most of their 20+ years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.
Gardening Homesteading
