How to Plant Tomatoes in 5-Gallon Buckets
- 1). Place the bucket upside down on a sturdy surface or floor and drill four drainage holes ¼ inch in diameter through the bottom. Turn the bucket right side up and place it on the drainage tray.
- 2). Remove the bucket's lid and place soil in the bucket. Use either a commercial potting mix or a mixture of half sand and half vermiculite, according to the University of Florida. Leave at least 8 inches at the top of the bucket for the tomato plant.
- 3). Remove the tomato plant from its container. Loosen the tomato plant's root ball by carefully pulling the roots apart from one another. This prevents the roots from continuing to grow in a tight circular pattern.
- 4). Place the tomato plant in the bucket. Position the tomato plant so that the base remains 3 inches below the top of the bucket.
- 5). Fill the bucket with soil until it is level with the base of the tomato plant. Smooth the soil out to fill in air pockets, and press down lightly.
- 6). Water the tomato plant until water drains from the drainage holes. Feel the soil a few inches below the surface to see if the potting medium is wet or dry and water accordingly.
- 7). Place the tomato plant in a sunny location that provides at least six hours of direct light per day. Washington State University warns that tomato plants do not grow well in low light conditions.
- 8). Fertilize the tomato plants every two weeks. The type of fertilizer should be alternated by using calcium nitrate at one feeding and a 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer at the next feeding, according to Florida State University.
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