Grew a Roma very successfully this year (30+ tomatoes) in a 5 gallon bucket with 3-2-1 mix (with Osmocote, lime and a tablespoon of garden sulfur) on the deck with 4-5 hours of sun. Still producing several smaller tomatoes this late in the season. No BER at all. Here are a couple of hints to maximize production: 1. Plant DEEP and fill container almost to the top (there will be some settlement during the season). If roots become exposed due to watering be sure to add more mix. 2. DO NOT pinch out the first 3 suckers! These will become fruit producing just like the main stem. 3. Pinch out all suckers on the main stem after the first 3 have started to grow and pinch out ALL suckers on the 3 new growing stems. 4. BE SURE to cage the plant securely, it will become tall and heavy with tomatoes so secure your poles or cage to the 5 gallon bucket. Mine is 4' tall. 5. Water daily and fertilize (I used MaxiBloom Hydroponic 5-15-14) at 1/3 strength once a week (remember it has Osmocote that will last a few months) and mid-season water with a quart of water with a table spoon of Epsom Salts. 6. Trim leaves BELOW tomatoes that have been harvested so as to produce more plant energy toward the tomato production. Hope this helps with growing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. May not work for everyone but did for me. Also used this to grow a very productive, 6" tall Marmande tomato this year! Cheers...

I disagree that planting 2 or more is a good thing. I've been growing peppers for quite a few years and last year bought some transplants with a few that had 2 in each cell. Rather than culling the weaker ones, I decided to let them grow as is. Even in the GROUND, I noticed the peppers off those were much small than the ones that I planted singularly. Regarding container size, most people will tell you that 5 gal is sufficient for peppers, but I've noticed a tad bigger would probably be best(7-10 gal), especially if you have a long growing season. Kevin

Thanks for the info on the BER. First year container gardening so this is a whole new experience for me. I made my mix myself, Peat Moss (1/2 bag), garden lime (3 handfuls), perlite (1 bag), composted cow manure (1/2 bag) and 10-10-10 (12oz cup) and 2 cups coffee grounds mixed up well in wheelbarrow. Buckets/Containers 5 gallon with 1 1/2" to 2" rocks in the bottom and holes in the bottom of the buckets for excess to drain.

A lot of people seem to say 5 gallons for peppers. If you are only planting one per pot, I'll agree. If you are wanting to plant more...I'd recommend the matrix found on Love Apple Farms website. They have a very good chart (link below) for many common veggies. I started using their chart this past year for tomatoes and other veggies and the results speak for themselves. 9 foot plus tomatoes at "first fruit set" using Al Tapla's 5-1-1 mix, olla irrigation, and containers sized as per their chart. The difference in quality, disease resistance and productivity is remarkable. Best of luck to you! Here is a link that might be useful: Love Apple Farms Container Size