I wonder why you two can't post pictures??? Is there a Photo button at the bottom of the text box? Click Photo then go find the pic on your hard drive.

Did you use the same potting mix for both 'containers'? Lack of green is sometimes a nitrogen insufficiency. Try the pics again.

"My question is, why are the leaves darker green in the bucket and
lighter green in the VegTrug? I fertilize the plants with epsom salt in
water (not every day) and also threw in broken up egg shells."

The difference in the green color is due to the different levels of nitrogen in the soils.

Neither epsom salts nor egg shells are fertilizers. Epsom salts supplies only a small amount of magnesium. Plants only need a very small amount anyway and it is normally available from the soil. In containers it is easy to create magnesium-toxic soil when it is used too much. Egg shells take 10-18 months to dissolve and even when they do they supply a very small amount of calcium only and in a form that plants can't use.

Plants need actual fertilizer (either organic or synthetic)- nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and several micro-nutrients to thrive and plants growing in containers need all those things on a regular basis. Strongly suggest you do some research into fertilizers and plant nutrient needs.

Dave

To add to Dave's comment... It's not just magnesium toxicity that can be a problem, Epsom Salt is just that... salt. In a best case scenario, salts will cause plants to under-perform, and at worse, can kill many vegetable plants over-night.

Epsom salt, in trace amounts, can help in the specific circumstance where mg deficiency symptoms are clearly apparent, and there is no way to get better sources of mg into the soil quickly. Using it as a prophylactic addition is not a recommended practice. There are many easily obtainable, inexpensive, and simple to use sources of trace minerals like mg. For those gardeners with acidic soil, dolomite limestone can be used instead of ca-based limes. But most organic fertilizers have plenty of mg.

The take away is... if you don't have the visible symptoms of mg deficiency, you probably don't need epsom salt or any other major source of mg. A soil test is the best way to know for sure of your mg levels.

Thank you all very much. I should have said I applied the Epsom salts twice and stopped after that. I also neglected (I was so frustrated with not being able to post photos) to say that I do fertilize with plant tone every few months. I will look up more info on that, but thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I have been posting photos with no problems at all to this site. But today, it just would not work. I will try again. About the soil, I did use different soil. Interesting. Thanks again!

Which is the "better" plant? The darker ones? or the lighter ones? I will look up nutrient info on line shortly.

summerlee, if I may, 'better' is not really a word I would use in such a case. All things being equal, the darker green is probably healthier. However, each variety within a plant species has its optimum variances, color being just one aspect. One plant may be very healthy at one shade of green, another just as healthy at a different shade. Some plants are not green at all and are very healthy.

The one performing best (with vegetables that is usually measured in yield and condition of the fruits) is what I would consider favorable.

Thank you rgreen. I was able to post photos just now - As I had mentioned above, the darker ones are in the 5 gallon bucket the lighter ones in the VegTrug. And they are both the heirloom tie dye plant The lighter leaved ones have ripe tomatoes, the darker ones, not yet. Bottom line - I just picked a few and they are scrumptious! I have a lot to learn, but it's fun.

summerlee, can you describe the soil that you used in both of your experiments?

The one in the VegTrug was soil bought in Costcoand I think it was potting soil with compost (I can't recall exactly) and the soil in the buckets is MiracleGro potting mix.

Give some nettle feed to the brighter ones, I bet within a few days they will turn darker.

Thank you. I will see if I can find it at my local garden store.