When planting peppers and tomatoes in containers, the same steps are followed. In fact, the identical procedure holds true for most garden plants that are grown in containers. The only thing that differs is the choice of container.
Following are steps on how to plant peppers (or tomatoes) in 5-gallon buckets:
1. Buy a new or re-purpose a 5-gallon plastic bucket. I recommend nothing smaller than a 5-gallon bucket for peppers and tomatoes, because the roots need the depth to grow properly. You can purchase new buckets at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, or most Ace Hardware stores. If you re-purpose your own bucket, make sure it is clean and free of any paint or other foreign substance.
2. Assemble the tools you are going to need. I use a cordless drill and a 13/64 drill bit. Don’t forget to always use protective eye wear and gloves when drilling the holes in your bucket.
3. Get your drill ready and drill holes randomly in the bottom of your bucket with the bucket turned upside down on a steady surface. I used a TV tray to sit my bucket on.
4. Hold your bucket up to the light to make sure you can see through the holes. Sometimes loose plastic gets stuck in the holes, so you may need to clear the holes of any obstructions.
5. Cover the bottom of the bucket with small rocks. These can be any kind of rocks. I got mine from an old flower bed in my back yard. You can also buy a bag of rocks fairly cheaply at Home Depot for around $3.00 or a small bag of rocks from Dollar Tree for $1.00. Clay pot shards work great, too. The rocks or shards work two-fold because they permit better drainage helping to prevent root rot; plus, weigh the bucket down so it doesn’t blow over easily by the wind.
6. When preparing the bucket for planting, I use two types of soils: a.) potting mix, and b.) potting or garden soil. I am not particular about brands; therefore, I like buying the cheapest ones or catching sales. I bought these two bags on sale, 1 cu. ft. each, for $5.00 a piece at Home Depot. If you want to spend more to use only organic soils, by all means, buy those. However, since I like saving money, the cost savings to me outweighs the theoretical benefits of organic soils; but, that is strictly my opinion.
7. I use potting mix first to cover the rocks up to about 2 inches on the bucket. Next I scoop in about 3 to 4 inches of garden soil and 3 to 4 inches of potting mix. With my big dinner spoon, I mix these two together being careful not to disturb the first layer of potting mix that is covering the rocks. Potting mix drains better so you want it next to the rocks. I keep alternating these two soils and mixing together until the bucket is filled within about 2 inches from the top.
8. Now it’s time to chose your plants. I decided to start my own pepper plants from seeds because I love watching them grow from the beginning! However, keep in mind, it is perfectly fine to buy your plants. That can be fun, too, and saves time if you want to get your garden going quickly. The peppers below show about 24 days of growth.
9. On one side of your bucket dig out a hole about 5 inches deep. Note that I transferred the plant identification stick to the bucket so I don’t forget which pepper goes in this bucket.
10. Using your big spoon, scoop out one of the pepper plants, making sure to get plenty of soil with it. I usually water these first before transplanting so the soil will hold together when removing from the seedling container.
11. Place the pepper plant in the hole and gently fill in the hole with the soil you piled to the side. Be extremely careful not to break the main stem. New plants are very tender and will break off easily. Fill soil around the plant covering up the two small leaves that are at the bottom of the stem. These will form roots as the plant grows.
12. Next, dig another hole about 5 inches deep on the opposite side of your pepper plant.
13. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for transplanting the other pepper plant in your bucket.
14. Be sure to make a new wood stick that has the name of the pepper and the transplant date. I also write it on my calendar in case the stick becomes unreadable.
Follow all the above steps for planting just about any garden vegetable in containers. I wanted to mention I usually only plant one pepper seedling per bucket, but I read in the 2018 Edition of “The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide” that it is a good idea to plant two per bucket so they can structurally support each other. I thought I would give it a try and see what happens. I’ll let you know! I even planted 3 peppers in my other bucket, so that is really an experiment. I figured if they get too crowded, I can transplant one to another container.
15. The next thing you need to do is place your buckets of plants in a sheltered location for 1-2 weeks, depending on your climate, so they can “harden off.” I place my buckets in a part-sun location and out of the wind for about 1 week. This gives the tender plants time to toughen up before they have to survive on their own out in the real world!
16. The last thing you need to do is water your plants thoroughly to make sure water is draining out the holes on the bottom of your buckets.
You’re done and you did it yourself! Have fun watching your container garden grow!