Can You Grow Brussels Sprouts in Five Gallon Buckets?

Design Drainage

• Before you start planting, modify the 5-gallon bucket. Most planters have holes in the bottom designed to allow excess water to drain through. Whether you overwater manually or the rain fills up the planters, water that can't escape causes the brussels sprout roots to rot. To create drainage, turn the bucket over and drill two to four 1/2- to 3/4-inch-diameter holes in the bottom of the bucket.

Planting Particulars

• Use potting soil or make your own. Brussels sprouts grow best in a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5. Mix sand, peat moss and loan in equal parts, suggests North Carolina State University. Fill the bucket with soil, leaving an indentation in the center large enough for the plant. Place one seedling in the center and fill in around it with soil. As you fill the hole, adjust the brussels sprout seedling until the base of the stalk is level with the soil. A 5-gallon bucket is large enough to grow one brussels sprout plant.

Careful Care

• Put the bucket in a spot where it will get at least six hours of sun per day. Twice a month, apply 1/2 teaspoon of liquid balanced fertilizer (a 5-10-10 or a 10-10-10 is good) mixed with 6 cups of water. Water the soil in the 5-gallon bucket when it feels dry, usually once or twice a week in mild weather and daily in dry weather.

Pesky Pests

• Watch for pests like cabbage worms, cutworms and cabbage loopers. Look for holes in the leaves and green or brown worms doing the damage. Pick them off as you find them. Also keep an eye out for aphids, tiny insects that cluster on the leaves. Start by washing aphids off the plants with water, but if they keep coming back, spray the infested area of brussels sprout plants with a ready-mixed insecticidal soap spray.

Harvesting Hints

• The small, round brussels sprouts grow along a tall stalk. Harvest brussels sprouts when they mature, about 90 days after you plant the starts or seedlings. Pick each brussels sprout off the stalk using your fingers or a knife. Once you harvest, get rid of the plants. Brussels sprouts won't continue growing after the first season.