Please check the search digdirt linked to and you will get many ideas on what sort of hydroponic system is best for you if you go soilless. Hydroponic systems are generally more expensive to set up[ and operate than growing in containers for a small quantity of plants, especially when the plant is not a highly productive variety. Cost-effective is a very subjective term and the most pleasurable growing experience for your money may not be the same for you as someone else. It is too late to start tomatoes this season for central FL no matter what system you use, though I suppose you could buy transplants if you hurry up and get them planted. The next chance to do your own crop is for the fall season. Good luck. PC

Well, the great re-use the bucket/soil experiment went well. Very well. I was able to get TWO additional crops of veggies so far, against the advice of many who said to simply junk the soil and start fresh. Mind you, I still haven't tried another pepper in this buckets...that will be the true test. But to get a fall crop of kale/broccoli/cauliflower was so awesome. They grew outstanding. And then, in March, after all the harvest has been done, to get yet another crop of sugar snap peas in the SAME soil? Sweet. I even threw a Zucchini start in one of the smaller buckets just to see and its BOOMING!

I tried it a few years ago with an extra sungold that I didn't have room for in the garden. The one in the pot looked great after a month or so, better than the ones in ground even. But as it filled the pot it became cramped and by end of summer it was in much worse shape than the ones in ground. Smaller in size, pale in color, not as much production. So I can confirm what the others have said, a 5 gal pot is too small. When I pull my plants in the fall I'm always surprised how far some of the tomato roots go. Sometimes a runner will go several feet before it snaps off. Who knows how much farther it extended beyond the break point. It's no wonder it did poorly in such a small pot.

One question I get asked a lot is " how much dirt do I need to buy to fill a 5 gallon bucket?" Here is the answer. https://youtu.be/8B7BaAJMsMY