... I just posted some of this on another site, but now realized I left a bit out.
Either way, in my 5 gal buckets I mixed a combination of the absolute cheapest potting soil money can buy with the same equivalent of pine bark fines - and for extra filler there was some plain top soil too.... All got mixed until it was nice and loose feeling.
Soil @~1.99/bag

Bark @~3.99/(MASSIVE bag)

When filling the holes I added a bit of azomite and Micchoriazhae (Sp?) to the mix...(forgot to add this on the other site)

Really cheap filling material, and plants are doing quite well...

I water w miracle gro, and now the cheaper walmart equivalent "expert gardener"

Jay

:o wow

Bonemeal takes a long time to become available....and far longer in containers because the reactions don't happen as quickly in a container.

I keep it simple. Straight transplant, sometimes with an extra sprinkle of Osmocote.

Josh

Hey Jay:
I like that great idea for keeping deer and other critters away from the peppers. But I would put up a sign to keep out, just in case the white rope isn't enough.

Ha!
Not many deer round my area Bruce, it's actually to keep the lawn crew away from them. Can't even count how many pots they've destroyed with their weed whackers any more, and not to mention their industrial leaf blowers! No matter how many times I told them - it kept happening. I'm renting, and they're just part of the deal... If it were my place I'd have fired those hooligans long ago!

Jay

Yah, I figured it was for people rather than deer.
But, I live in Wisconsin, so tons of deer. Funny thing is that I haven't had any trash my plants. I have only seen one in my yard but they hunt them right across the RR tracks behind my property.
I do all my yardwork so human problems aren't an issue. My dog is my biggest pest though. Every so often he decides a pepper plant is a toy even though he would have had access to them for weeks before and never bothered them. I have signs up for him but he doesn't read any better than he listens.