Growing your vegetable garden doesn’t always require having acreage to plow.

Creating a planter from a 5-gallon bucket is an excellent alternative. Container options are endless. Many vegetables will thrive in containers if you follow a few steps to ensure success.

Growing in buckets allows for easy control of water, nutrients and harvest. You can also move them around to maximize sunlight exposure. Extending the season is as easy as tossing a bed sheet over them.

Choose your container, making sure it doesn’t contain any toxic material and giving it a good washing. Drill holes into the bottom to ensure proper drainage to prevent root and stem rot.

Place a bucket lid or tray under the bucket if placed where draining water would be a problem. Placing on grassy areas will cause grass to die.

The type of soil used for growing your plants should support the plant’s needs. A well-draining-nutrient rich soil is a must. Don’t use garden soil, it will compact too much for a bucket garden. At the end of season, you may dump your soil out on a flat surface and add fresh potting soil or compost, mixing well and letting it sit overwinter before reusing next year. Plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants must have fresh soil each year. Soil from buckets may also be added to your compost pile.

When planting, consider the mature size of the plant as the weight of its fruit may become a problem, so consider determinate or dwarf varieties. Ensure the root formation does not become crowded, allowing proper planting into your buckets.

A few that require one plant per bucket would be tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and sweet potatoes. Vining zucchini, cucumbers and summer squash are also one to a bucket with a sturdy support system. Make sure you don’t overcrowd spinach, lettuce or kale, and space carrots, beets and radish according to package directions.

In hot weather, the buckets will need to be watered more often, at least once a day. Water from under your plants as water on the foliage will cause sunburn in some plants. Use a liquid fertilizer once a month as nutrients are leached out when watering. When placing your bucket garden, arrange the tallest plants toward the back of your collection with smaller ones in front to maximize sunlight exposure and air circulation.

Edible flowers and herbs also can add some color to your bucket garden. These could include pansies, nasturtiums, calendula, chamomile and chives. You also could paint your buckets creating a colorful “Monet” landscape.