Since are often remodeling home gardens there seems to be quite an abundance of used 5 gallon bucket plans laying around. And I too found myself in need for some containers to plant pot gardening in since do not have much of an outdoor garden space available yet. Empty buckets + Need for pots = Use containers for pot gardening.
So the first thing I did was go to a Home Depot and pick up a couple of 5 gallon bucket planter boxes. I had already picked up a couple of containers from my local Home Depot as well so I really did not have to try and fill them. I went home with my new five-gallon bucket planter boxes. My first task was to spray paint the containers. I did not have any of the fancy spray painting tools so I just sprayed the tops with the cheapest spray paint I could find at the store.
The buckets I got were plastic. I know, you might think that is a silly material to use for pots. But the buckets I purchased were not the same as the ones they sell at your local hardware store. You see, most buckets these days are made out of plastic. They have a lid and a handle, but they do not have a design to them. This is what caused me to have trouble when I was spraying the paint on.
With container gardening I find that it is much easier to apply the paint with the handle of the bucket. Plus you do not have to strain your back trying to get that handle into those tight little holes in the pot. What’s even better is you can reuse the buckets. I use mine every time I get plants. So I have four of them. Plus they have the handles so I can put them in my car.
Now that I have the containers I need, I went to the hardware store and picked up a roll of plumber’s putty. This stuff is awesome because it actually sticks to the fiberglass. So now when I spray paint on my plants, I do not have to worry about them being stuck on the fiberglass. Also if I want to use one of my empty 5 gallon buckets, I do not have to go buy another one. I can just take the plumber’s putty roll with me. This is much better than buying more 5 gallon buckets.
I started to fill the buckets with water and spread the plumber’s putty all over the surface of the container. I also put a small amount in the bottom holes of the bucket. Then I turned on my watering cans and went to bed. When morning came, I checked the buckets and they were still filled with water.
Next thing I did was go through my vehicles and threw out any plastic containers that had no handles. I went to the garage and threw out the ones that were plastic and did not have any holes. Then I went to my flower garden and threw out all the pots and tubs that were not working properly. I put those in the back yard to use as watering cans.
So, this worked out really well. The buckets are now going to my flower garden. And I am going to start putting some of those pots in the back yard. That way, when I am done watering my plants, I can just throw the bucket into the drainage material and go get some water. Plus, the holes in the bucket to allow for extra drainage material. No more running out of water!