actually I have become a big fan of MG shake and feed for tomatoes. I never had good luck with bell peppers until I started using that, I've been buried every season since. and, it's nice, I only have to do a couple of applications a season.
Pam

For in-ground, once or twice a year, I till in a good 2-3 inches of compost with a scattering of cottonseed(or feather), bone, and kelp meals, and just a tad of fast acting gypsum(for the clay and early Ca, while the bone breaks down). Every month or 2, I'll give a dose of fish ferts and/or compost tea. Midway through the season, I'll add a bit more each of the meals. They may not help for THIS crop, but it's a perpetual thing for when I start to pull the plants, retill, and plant my winter veggies.

I do the same thing with my barrels. Refresh each year with more compost, maybe some more peat and perlite, and the meals. After about 4 years, it's pretty broken down(not so porous) and it goes into the garden.soil. Sometimes, I'll add a few TB of 15-30-15 right after the 1st big harvest. But, I have found it really isn't necessary -- I'm always drowning in peppers....lol

For my #15 pots and smaller, I use 5-1-1. So, CRF's and fast-acting gypsum(Ca) when making, and about 6 months later, more CRF's. Weekly half doses of MG All-purpose and some epsom salts for the Mg.

Kevin

I've found a remarkable difference adding Azomite , a trace mineral supplement, to container plants and garden soil. The effect with peppers - really great flavor - is more noticeable than with tomatoes, but that may be my tastebuds.

I get it here at a farm and ranch shoppe, but its also available on Amazon.

Big difference with garlic flavor as well. Much stronger.

Here is a link that might be useful: wiki article.

Other than NPK, comes Calcum and Magnesium. Most goog fertilizers have the rest of minor trace elements. Also, most soils have them.

So, there you have it : N, P, K, Ca, Mg.

Mater food works great here,no hoops or loops to jump thru
"Simple" really does work,make it as exciting as you need it in your world.
Looks GREAT on forums . . . . . . .

You should add trace elements of some kind. Not many in the soil, although some areas have more than others, a soil test is always great to see where you're at. But the harvest removes minerals, so you need to replace them.
Pots or in ground.

In my containers I'm using Marine Cuisine.

Both in ground and in containers, I like to add sulfur and calcium.

I add the sulfur by breaking off the heads of matches and putting them into the pot or the hole just below where the roots go. Peppers seem to appreciate the sulfur and reward it by producing more generously.

I add the calcium to both peppers and tomatoes. I do that by adding a spoonful or two of crushed egg shells to the pot or the hole the same way as with the peppers. This prevents blossom end rot, but you have to beware of possible salmonella contamination in the egg shells. I fight that by putting the shells into a cup, pouring boiling water on them, and only then crushing the eggs and using them.

And of course compost, compost, compost!

Angie