Growing peppers

[Cody Gearhart]

Hey all. So i have some questions here. I bought some plant pots called Calypso plant pots at lowes. They're self watering. My thing is I saw on the bottom and it said to punch holes where the x's are for better drainage. Should I have done this? if i do, is it wise to use a pie pan to gather all the drained water or would it heat up and cook the roots or is it not close enough to do? I did use a soil mix that has fertilizer and it says it feeds it up to 9 months. Also should i be using pine for the top so it holds the moisture in or just leave with the potting mix and just water maybe twice a day? It's rained a lot today so i don't need to water right now.
Thanks!

 

[Raissermesser]

Some questions:

1. Are these the Bloem Self-Watering Calypso pots?
2. Were the X's on the bottom inside the pot or on the bottom outside the pot?
3. Is there a lip on the bottom on the side for watering?

As to the rest, first know I've never grown peppers in pots. That said, you don't want to over-water. When I grew peppers, I watered them once a day. When you say pine for the top, I'm not sure if you mean pine straw or something else. Mulching is good for cutting down on water loss. I have mulched peppers set out in the ground for that reason. With any mulch, you want to make sure that the water goes through the mulch and doesn't just soak the mulch and not go into the soil. I'd look up care for the type of pepper you planted. A good source might be your state agriculture extension office website. Agricultural extension offices offer all sorts of good regional information free of charge.

As to a pan below the pot, that makes me think you punched holes on the bottom outside the pots. If this is the sort of pot I think it is, I fear it may have defeated the self-watering aspect. The self-watering pots I've seen are essentially a pot within a pot, with the outside pot serving as a reservoir. If that's the case here, it's just converted the pot from self-watering to a standard pot. If you think a pie pan would get too hot, gardening centers sell plastic and ceramic pans that serve the same purpose.

 

[Cody Gearhart]

Some questions:

1. Are these the Bloem Self-Watering Calypso pots?
2. Were the X's on the bottom inside the pot or on the bottom outside the pot?
3. Is there a lip on the bottom on the side for watering?

As to the rest, first know I've never grown peppers in pots. That said, you don't want to over-water. When I grew peppers, I watered them once a day. When you say pine for the top, I'm not sure if you mean pine straw or something else. Mulching is good for cutting down on water loss. I have mulched peppers set out in the ground for that reason. With any mulch, you want to make sure that the water goes through the mulch and doesn't just soak the mulch and not go into the soil. I'd look up care for the type of pepper you planted. A good source might be your state agriculture extension office website. Agricultural extension offices offer all sorts of good regional information free of charge.

As to a pan below the pot, that makes me think you punched holes on the bottom outside the pots. If this is the sort of pot I think it is, I fear it may have defeated the self-watering aspect. The self-watering pots I've seen are essentially a pot within a pot, with the outside pot serving as a reservoir. If that's the case here, it's just converted the pot from self-watering to a standard pot. If you think a pie pan would get too hot, gardening centers sell plastic and ceramic pans that serve the same purpose.

1. Yes they are.
2. they were on the outside. it said to punch holes where the x's are to have better drainage. (This is where I got confused).
3. No there isn't.
What do you mean by mulching peppers? Yes I mean pine straw to cut down on the moisture loss. Or could I just water twice a day?

 

[Raissermesser]

Mulch is material, usually organic, that acts as a cover to reduce water loss and discourage weeds. In this case, the mulch would be pine straw. That shouldn't hurt your peppers. Whether or not you need to water twice a day depends on water retention of the soil, how much is used by the plant, temperature, humidity, and so fourth and so on. I'm really hesitant to give a hard water twice a day "rule." Basically you want the soil to be moist, but not too much so, and you also don't want it to dry out. And keep in mind peppers like plenty of sunlight.

 

[davent]

I grow all our peppers in pots. I use a mix of seven parts peat moss, three parts compost and one part heavy construction sand. I mix in some fertilizer i mix up from soy meal, bone meal, kelp meal, gypsum, dolomite and ground limestone. I'll then feed with fish emulsion when watering.

Water when they need it. When you water make sure the soil is saturated and can't absorb anymore. Pick up the pot and get an idea at how heavy it is when the soil is saturated. To check to see if they need water lift the pot, if it's noticeably lighter, water, if it's still heavy it's fine. If it's a blazing hot day and the plants are flagging but the pots are still heavy you can spray down the plants with water or shade them in some way and they'll bounce back.

Watering needs will vary with the weather and the size of the plant, whether they'rer protected, how much sun exposure they get, how windy it's been and so on, there's no one size fits all. Lift and check then decide if water is needed.

And i do mulch the plants with more of the compost from our compost bins.

dave

 

[Cody Gearhart]

I grow all our peppers in pots. I use a mix of seven parts peat moss, three parts compost and one part heavy construction sand. I mix in some fertilizer i mix up from soy meal, bone meal, kelp meal, gypsum, dolomite and ground limestone. I'll then feed with fish emulsion when watering.

Water when they need it. When you water make sure the soil is saturated and can't absorb anymore. Pick up the pot and get an idea at how heavy it is when the soil is saturated. To check to see if they need water lift the pot, if it's noticeably lighter, water, if it's still heavy it's fine. If it's a blazing hot day and the plants are flagging but the pots are still heavy you can spray down the plants with water or shade them in some way and they'll bounce back.

Watering needs will vary with the weather and the size of the plant, whether they'rer protected, how much sun exposure they get, how windy it's been and so on, there's no one size fits all. Lift and check then decide if water is needed.

And i do mulch the plants with more of the compost from our compost bins.

dave

What pots do you use? I'm using the Calypso Ariana self watering pots. Or should I use a air prune pot? Like a milk crate with some fine mesh lining?

 

[davent]

Hi,

I'm mostly using standard 12" clay pots and a few plastic that can withstand the drop of being knocked off a bench by racoons.

Each pot sits in a pan. I'll slowly water from the top until water appears in the pan, move to he next pot and so on until back to the first. The first pan is probably dry again so i'll a bit more water until it appears in the pan again, then cycle through the pots as many times as it takes to be sure the soil has absorbed all it can then i'm done. Any water still in the pans i just leave, it evaporates and/or some of it may still get drawn up into the soil in the pots.

Last year was brutal for the rest of the garden but the potted peppers did terrific.

dave

 

[Cody Gearhart]

Hi,

I'm mostly using standard 12" clay pots and a few plastic that can withstand the drop of being knocked off a bench by racoons.

Each pot sits in a pan. I'll slowly water from the top until water appears in the pan, move to he next pot and so on until back to the first. The first pan is probably dry again so i'll a bit more water until it appears in the pan again, then cycle through the pots as many times as it takes to be sure the soil has absorbed all it can then i'm done. Any water still in the pans i just leave, it evaporates and/or some of it may still get drawn up into the soil in the pots.

Last year was brutal for the rest of the garden but the potted peppers did terrific.

dave

Oh! So terracotta plant pots. Don't you think the terracotta plant pot would get too hot in full sun? On self watering pots like the calypso self watering plant pot is that a good one? Also i am still wondering by poking holes on the bottom like it said i wonder if i ruined it. But i may be trying those 50 cent walmart grow bags or a regular grow bag. Also I'm getting some pie pans as well to put on the bottoms.

 

[CurtisB81]

Don't over water..If you won't heat, skip three or four days of watering..Seeds from nmsu are the very best....

 

[Cody Gearhart]

Don't over water..If you won't heat, skip three or four days of watering..Seeds from nmsu are the very best....

Do.. what??

 

[davent]

You'd think it might be a problem plus they sit on concrete pavers with a south exposure in the longest sun spot in the yard. Not an issue as long as you're vigilante with the water.

Last year was a year of extreme heat and very little rain. Our garlic which i've been growing on for over twenty years had bulbs here and there with pulpy soft cloves, yellow, waxy and soft. Checking out what it could be and it wasn't disease, it wasn't bugs turns out it was the result of extreme heat, roasted cloves of garlic, never had that issue before.

Waxy breakdown on garlic

Last year the peppers were the stars, they thrived.

dave

 

[davent]

Do.. what??

If you're growing hot peppers or various herbs, plant stress is suppose to enhance the heat/flavour of whatever you're growing.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I'm going to have to try using the pots. We don't have enough sun in the yard for a garden (tried and failed) so that could be a great way to grow a few plants where there is sun.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Cody Gearhart]

If you're growing hot peppers or various herbs, plant stress is suppose to enhance the heat/flavour of whatever you're growing.

Ah i see. I just checked the soil on my pepper plants using my finger. all the way through the soil was dry and yesterday it rained pretty good. I think I'm going to need mulch for the top layer. Maybe pine straw?? or what about aquarium rocks?

 

[davent]

I wouldn't rely on rain to water the pots. The plants will fill in and shield much of what falls from reaching the relatively small surface area of the pot.
dave

 

[Cody Gearhart]

I wouldn't rely on rain to water the pots. The plants will fill in and shield much of what falls from reaching the relatively small surface area of the pot.
dave

Ah thank you Dave. If the soil is dry doing the finger test just water? or do i just wait a couple days still? My other question what pepper plant pot types/brand have you used? Or is it the terracotta that you have experience with?

 

[davent]

Hi Cody, For pots i've always just used a standard style, either clay/terracotta or plastic with a separate drip pan. I do line the clay ones with plastic and that that may cut down on water loss through evaporation.

How big are your plants at this point, do they look like they need water? Even when plants look fine i always give the pot a lift to see if the weight is still there, the top bit of soil could be dry but the rest may still have enough moisture to supply the plant.

When i water i saturate the soil so the roots will spread out through the whole pot not just stay in the spot that gets some water.

That's probably not much help...

I do the same thing with my seedlings under lights in the basement. Yesterday they looked fine but lifting a tray showed things were getting pretty light so i bottom watered/fed with a half strength fish emulsion (set the cell packs in a pan with some fish emulsion). Let them soak until the surface was damp then pulled then from the pan and back under the lights. They could be good for another week or more.

dave

 

[Cody Gearhart]

I wouldn't rely on rain to water the pots. The plants will fill in and shield much of what falls from reaching the relatively small surface area of the pot.
dave

Thank you Dave! What mulch do you put down to minimi

Hi Cody, For pots i've always just used a standard style, either clay/terracotta or plastic with a separate drip pan. I do line the clay ones with plastic and that that may cut down on water loss through evaporation.

How big are your plants at this point, do they look like they need water? Even when plants look fine i always give the pot a lift to see if the weight is still there, the top bit of soil could be dry but the rest may still have enough moisture to supply the plant.

When i water i saturate the soil so the roots will spread out through the whole pot not just stay in the spot that gets some water.

That's probably not much help...

I do the same thing with my seedlings under lights in the basement. Yesterday they looked fine but lifting a tray showed things were getting pretty light so i bottom watered/fed with a half strength fish emulsion (set the cell packs in a pan with some fish emulsion). Let them soak until the surface was damp then pulled then from the pan and back under the lights. They could be good for another week or more.

dave

In 3 days they have grown a ton. I know the the claypso ariana self watering plant pot has a seperate tray inside as it said it helps with roots getting water. the claypso ariana plant pot is plastic. I know i try to water my pepper plants everyday but i may try to stress them out now. They haven't produced fruit yet. With me putting holes in the bottom it is going to be a standard tray plant pot now. Is it a good idea to just have water in the bottom and that the excess water in the tray and the plant will be able to reach the water? Also what type of plastic do you use to line your clay pot?

 

[davent]

Hi Cody, For mulch i just use handfuls of finished compost from one of our bins, spread it over the surface of the pot.

To line the clay pots i use plastic shopping bags big enough to fill the pot. Cut a big hole in the bottom so the water can drain. You can see them in the clay pot's picture up above, the handfuls of mulch will hide those too.

Water in the tray under the pot should be fine. Capillary action will draw the water up into the soil as it dries out, self water, but you don't want the roots sitting in water (or overwatering) as you can drown the plant, they need oxygen too.

If things get too hot weather wise plants may start to throw their flowers and there'll be a lull in fruit setting but once it cools off a bit you start getting fruit set again, tomatoes will do the same.

dave

 

[-EdG]

Hi,

I'm mostly using standard 12" clay pots and a few plastic that can withstand the drop of being knocked off a bench by racoons.

Each pot sits in a pan. I'll slowly water from the top until water appears in the pan, move to he next pot and so on until back to the first. The first pan is probably dry again so i'll a bit more water until it appears in the pan again, then cycle through the pots as many times as it takes to be sure the soil has absorbed all it can then i'm done. Any water still in the pans i just leave, it evaporates and/or some of it may still get drawn up into the soil in the pots.

Last year was brutal for the rest of the garden but the potted peppers did terrific.

dave

Wow! VERY impressive bounty there! Watching this thread with interest. Trying to grow some peppers of my own this year.

Don't have much experience at it, but this is what I've got going on so far. They've been in the ground for almost 4 weeks now.

Fore to rear: Ghost, Ghost, Tabasco, Tabasco, Carmen, Carmen. I heard marigolds are good companion plants and the cedar mulch should help retain moisture as the summer gets hot.

The Carmen (Italian sweet peppers - supposed to be good for roasting) are really growing fast and look as though they'll be bountiful. The Ghost and Tabasco plants are growing, albeit quite a bit more slowly.