[FarmerShawn]

I don't have enough expertise to address your fertilizing question, but I do have an idea to address watering. I bought some cheap dollar store plastic kitchen colanders that, when I snipped off the handles, fit perfectly in my five gallon pools. I cut a hole in the side of the pail just below the top of the inserted colander big enough for the hose to pour into. Now I have self watering buckets that only need a quick hit from the hose once a day which results in nice, even bottom watering, just like the Earthboxes do. I also drilled small holes all around the buckets for additional aeration, but I'm not sure how necessary or effective that is. I'd say the peat is a necessary component of your soil mix for good water absorption and movement. I suppose you could also put a bit of compost tea into the watering hole occasionally to boost nutrients, but I never felt the need for my purposes.