If you’ve ever looked at your small patio, balcony, or backyard and thought “there’s no way I can grow my own vegetables here,” you’re going to love this. Focusing on Vegetables You Can Grow in Buckets makes it totally possible to grow fresh, healthy produce, even if all you have is a few buckets and a sunny corner.
It’s simple, affordable, and honestly kind of fun once you see those first little sprouts pop up.
I started growing vegetables in buckets a few summers ago when I didn’t have space for a full garden bed, and it completely changed the way I thought about gardening.
You don’t need fancy equipment or a greenhouse. Just a few clean buckets, some good soil, and a handful of easy-to-grow plants that thrive in tight spaces.
Below are 22 vegetables that grow beautifully in buckets, plus why they work so well for container gardening.
1 | Cherry Tomatoes As Vegetables You Can Grow in Buckets
Cherry tomatoes love buckets.
They don’t need much space, and their roots stay happy in deep, well-draining soil.
A five-gallon bucket gives them enough room to stretch and produce a steady flow of fruit all summer.
Place the bucket where it gets at least six hours of sunlight each day and water consistently to avoid split skins.
I like using tomato cages for support so the vines don’t droop.
It’s amazing how one little plant can fill an entire balcony with color and scent.
2 | Lettuce
Lettuce might be the easiest vegetable to grow in buckets. It has shallow roots and grows quickly, so you can plant multiple harvests throughout the season.
Mix different varieties – romaine, butterhead, or red leaf – to keep your salads interesting.
A bucket of lettuce also looks surprisingly pretty, like a bowl of greens sitting on your patio.
Keep it in partial shade to prevent it from bolting, and snip leaves as you need them.
3 | Spinach
Spinach loves cool weather and grows beautifully in containers because it doesn’t mind being a bit crowded.
It’s perfect for early spring or fall planting.
A deep bucket helps maintain moisture, which spinach appreciates.
You can harvest the outer leaves often, and it just keeps growing back.
There’s something really satisfying about walking outside to grab a handful for an omelet or smoothie.
4 | Carrots As Vegetables You Can Grow in Buckets
Carrots might surprise you, but they thrive in buckets when given loose, sandy soil and enough depth.
Go for shorter varieties like ‘Thumbelina’ or ‘Parisian Market’ that don’t need much space.
Buckets let you control the soil texture, which prevents those funny-shaped carrots you sometimes get in rocky ground.
Keep the soil evenly moist and resist the urge to pull them too early, they’ll reward you with crisp sweetness.
5 | Radishes As Vegetables You Can Grow in Buckets
Radishes grow fast – really fast.
You can harvest in as little as three weeks.
That’s why I always tuck a few in between slower-growing veggies.
A shallow bucket works fine, and they love cooler temperatures.
Their spicy bite adds a little thrill to your harvests, and because they germinate quickly, you’ll get that “gardener’s success” feeling almost right away.
6 | Peppers
Whether you love sweet bell peppers or spicy jalapeños, buckets make ideal homes for them.
Peppers need warmth and good drainage, which containers provide perfectly.
Place your buckets in a sunny, sheltered area and water regularly.
The controlled environment also keeps pests at bay.
By midsummer, you’ll have glossy peppers hanging from compact green plants that look just as decorative as they are productive.
7 | Green Beans
Bush beans do wonderfully in buckets because they don’t require staking or large garden space.
You can plant several in a single bucket and watch them grow into tidy, lush plants.
They fix nitrogen in the soil, which helps other plants if you’re mixing crops.
Keep them watered and enjoy their steady harvests for weeks.
It’s one of the most satisfying vegetables for new gardeners.
8 | Cucumbers
Pick smaller or bush-style cucumber varieties for containers.
They love warmth, sunlight, and plenty of water.
A trellis or stake helps them climb and saves space.
The leaves spill over the edge of the bucket in that wild, summery way that makes any corner look alive.
When you see those first little cucumbers forming, you’ll feel like you’ve pulled off a gardening miracle.
9 | Kale
Kale grows tough and steady, which makes it ideal for bucket growing.
It tolerates both heat and light frost, and as long as you keep trimming outer leaves, it keeps producing.
The big leaves look beautiful against a plain white bucket too.
Try curly kale for texture or red Russian for color variation.
Add compost every few weeks to keep the soil rich and productive.
10 | Beets
Beets do surprisingly well as vegetables you can grow in buckets because they prefer loose, airy soil.
A bucket allows for perfect drainage and depth.
Choose compact varieties, plant them about two inches apart, and you’ll get both roots and greens to cook with.
Water regularly but not too heavily, as soggy roots won’t form properly.
They’re also one of the most colorful bucket vegetables once they mature.
11 | Zucchini
Zucchini is known for its big harvests, and yes, it can grow in a bucket – if you give it room.
Use a deep, wide bucket and rich soil.
Zucchini loves the heat, so place it in full sun.
You might only need one plant to feed a family all summer. Keep the leaves trimmed so air circulates, and you’ll have fewer mildew issues.
It’s one of those plants that makes you feel like an expert fast.
12 | Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is gorgeous with its rainbow-colored stems and glossy leaves.
It handles container life beautifully and grows back after each harvest.
The colors alone make your patio feel cheerful.
Keep it in part sun if possible and feed with compost tea every few weeks.
The leaves stay tender and delicious for months, perfect for sautéing or adding to soups.
13 | Onions
Green onions or small bulb onions can be easily grown in buckets.
They don’t need much depth, just loose soil and consistent moisture.
You can tuck onion sets close together and harvest greens early while leaving a few to mature.
The fresh smell of onion tops swaying in a breeze feels like summer in a kitchen garden, even if that garden is on your balcony.
14 | Garlic
Garlic is low maintenance and loves containers.
Plant individual cloves in fall and let them overwinter.
Buckets provide excellent drainage, which garlic needs to form healthy bulbs.
Place them in full sun and forget about them until late spring when the tops begin to dry.
Harvest when the leaves turn yellowish. The flavor of homegrown garlic is honestly unbeatable.
15 | Potatoes
Potatoes might be the most fun crop to grow in buckets.
You can actually watch them develop by peeling back layers of soil as the plants grow.
Start with seed potatoes and add soil as the stems reach upward.
They love deep, airy containers.
When the leaves die back, dump the bucket and enjoy your treasure hunt of golden tubers. It’s oddly satisfying.
16 | Eggplant
Eggplants thrive in warmth and sunlight, making buckets ideal if you can move them to follow the sun.
Choose compact varieties like ‘Patio Baby’ or ‘Fairy Tale.’
They love rich, slightly acidic soil and consistent watering.
The purple fruits look striking against dark green leaves, and they’re so satisfying to harvest when glossy and firm.
17 | Peas
Peas are another great early-season vegetable for container gardening.
They don’t mind cooler temperatures, and their climbing habit makes them perfect for bucket trellises.
Use bamboo sticks or wire mesh to give them something to grab onto.
You’ll get delicate tendrils, white blossoms, and crisp pods all in one container. Plus, they taste sweeter fresh off the vine.
18 | Turnips
Turnips are fast-growing and thrive in cool weather.
Buckets allow you to give them soft, stone-free soil that lets roots form perfectly round.
Harvest the greens young for salads, or wait for the roots to mature.
It’s a great vegetable for learning about timing in gardening since you can see the difference between baby and mature stages.
19 | Celery
Celery loves consistent moisture, which makes it an easy to manage vegetable you can grow in buckets.
Use rich soil and keep it shaded during very hot afternoons.
Growing celery at home gives you that crisp, aromatic flavor store-bought ones never seem to have.
It takes patience, but once you see those crunchy stalks forming, it’s worth every bit of effort.
20 | Herbs (Bonus Pick)
Technically not a vegetable, but herbs pair perfectly with container gardening.
Basil, parsley, chives, and thyme thrive in small buckets. Having fresh herbs nearby makes cooking feel luxurious.
Group them together or mix them with your vegetables to attract pollinators and save space.
The scent alone will make your patio feel like a little Mediterranean garden.
21 | Cabbage
Compact cabbage varieties are great Vegetables You Can Grow in Buckets. They grow nicely in buckets as long as you give them good air circulation.
They need nutrient-rich soil and steady watering.
Watching those tight green heads form is genuinely exciting, especially in small spaces.
Buckets keep pests like slugs at bay too, which is a big win for beginner gardeners.
22 | Broccoli
Broccoli enjoys cooler weather and bucket growing lets you control its environment easily.
Use large containers with at least 12 inches of depth.
Feed it with compost or slow-release fertilizer for steady growth.
When you finally cut that first firm green head, it’s the freshest broccoli you’ll ever taste.
You can even leave side shoots to keep producing smaller florets afterward.
