I have tomato and pepper plants growing in 5 gallon buckets. Is there anything I can do to help them grow big

I did it last year but the tomatoes did not get very big. I have them in full sun and they get lots of water (rain). I also use Miracle Grow. I am growing a different kind of tomato this year as well. Any new suggestions of ideas?

I have tomato and pepper plants growing in 5 gallon buckets. Is there anything I can do to help them grow big
I use mushroom compost I buy in 40 pound bags. It is high powered soil that plants really like. I also use 15 gallon round pots I buy at my Big Lots for a good price. Yes, drainage holes are very important but make sure you put an inch of medium sized gravel stones in the bottom. Sometimes the drainage holes can get clogged by the soil otherwise. I fertilize with a liquid based water fertilizer (I use Peter's made by Scotts Lawn Care but Miricle Gro is good too) constantly. But I have it very much diluted so that I do not overfertilize. Put pots in direct sun and stand back. You should have great tomatoes. I can't grow in my yard because of deer so its all deck veggies for me where the deer do not nibble. Good luck.
Reply:If you can transfer them into the ground, that might help.
Reply:You need to water them daily, and use miracle grow every 7 days.





This may sound a little excessive, but Tomatoes actually like this much attention. Only water the peppers 3 times a week, and give them a little more shade.





Oh yeah...you need drainage. Drill holes in the bottom of the buckets. And if you can find a place, plant tomatoes in the ground, they like that better, but you should still be fine with buckets.
Reply:Sunshine, water, fertilizer.
Reply:Water them make shure you add chemicals that can be used on foods I don't know if yoyu can use mirracle grow in vegetable garden, but the soil type and the tomato type is important. The big boys usually grow big, but the cherry tomatoes are small so check your tomato kind.
Reply:make sure there are small drainage holes in the bottom of your buckets, also water them once a week with miracle-gro
Reply:water every day, have them in a saucer so water will wick up.
Reply:maybe you should try a bigger pot so they can have extra room to grow I don't know much about plants..
Reply:The last three seasons my yard was infested with hungry rabbits. I used large pots to grow my tomatoes and they came out delicious and big. I used beefsteak tomatoes and the cherry tomatoes in another pot. I can eat the cherry tomatoes like they were potatoe chips they came out so sweet and tasty. My beefsteaks were juicy and delicious. I just watered everyday and I used miracle grow or whatever tomatoe food they had on sale that month. Let them get sun, and lots of water when the rainy season stops.I loved getting up on a sunny morning and walking outside to look at my garden, the strawberries and tomatoes were my breakfast and lunch right off the vine, yumm ! good luck, make sure you use good drainage soil ,mix it with some potting soil w/fertilizer. When I was growing up , my dad would use the horse manuer as fertilizer and it made delicious large juicy tomatoes. no it doesn't smell as you would imagine. just let it dry out and mix it with the soil.I come from Long Island, so our soil is nice and sandy like it should be but mix with the bagged soil with fertilizer if you can't get hold of horse manuer. good luck!
Reply:is it cold where you are? bc my dad had the same problem until he built a green house. or you could just bring them inside the garage at night, that may help them. also, make sure you have stakes in the bucket with them so they have something to grow up. . . they are both climbers and that really did seem to help my dad's garden. good luck!
Reply:steriods, barry bond flavor lol