I have 1 globalbucket/5 gal bucket SIP. What I do at the start of the season is use a Wall-o-Water on top. That keeps it plenty warm. I'd take a picture of mine and post, but it's pouring out right now, and I'm off to work. Maybe tomorrow.

So you're growing something in a plastic bucket? The soil or mix that's in the bucket in the sun will heat up faster than soil in the garden. You're thinking too hard. If you're new to gardening, don't bother with such details - just get a successful harvest in. After you can do that, you can start thinking about getting tricky.

I have very little land to speak of at the moment jonfrum- Im planting bell peppers & a lot of people are having problems with them on this forum who are probably much more experienced than me. If organic veggies were more affordable I wouldnt be so determined to try to get it right the first time- hence the "thinking too hard" :)

This forum is not emailing when there are replies- I changed some settings so it should work now- Im not given the "post replies emailed to you" option unless I reply again so thats what this is

This forum is not emailing when there are replies- I changed some settings so it should work now- Im not given the "post replies emailed to you" option unless I reply again so thats what this is

My night time temps are in the 40's F (4-6 C) through June, soils won't warm up until July. So I do my peppers and okra in containers - the soil warms much quicker.

If possible, place the containers on the west side of a building where the heat buildup would be maximized. If its too hot, you can always move them. Otherwise, just place them where ever they'll get the most sun.

There is such a thing as too hot, too. I agree with Jonfrum. Concentrate on getting the basics right (mainly that soil choice/aeration/good watering habits thing ..... light and nutrition, too). Most often, excess heat is a significant factor when growing in containers, so you should have little trouble keeping soils warm enough for happy peppers and good yields.

I use the 5:1:1 mix, light grey containers that hold about 4 gallons of soil each:1 plant, and Foliage-Pro 9-3-6. I get all the bell peppers I can eat from 3 plants, and they always do very well - never had a problem with peppers.

Al

Thanks tapla and david for the info- I may have more questions as the season progresses

Just to answer your original question, I think the water would return to ambient temperature within less than an hour in the reservoir and within no more than an hour in the mix. It would be a waste of time. A dark container set on a sun soaked dark surface like asphalt, with the soil covered with black plastic would be a little more effective in holding heat. Of course, once the heat of summer kicks in, these measures could backfire. But if your night temperatures are below 50, your peppers will slow down or stop growing. It's best to wait to plant out until you can count on night temps above 55F.

Here's my one lonely SIP. Not sure how warm the WOW keeps the container, but it sure keeps the plant inside growing.

I suppose it's more difficult for those without the space to grow an actual garden using the ground, but I have found that organic methods work much better where Mother Nature is more in control, and a more inorganic approach works well for the confined spaces of containers where we, the gardeners, are more in control. Even so, we do have more control over which fertilizers we choose, the water we use, the soil, etc...

Science tells us that warmer water freezes faster than cold water... and I would not dump hot water on any of my plants. I generally use tepid, room temperature, un-softened water on my container grown plants.

I would agree with Tapla... the basics are important to learn... and then comes the more involved knowledge as one gets used to the general ideas of growing in containers.

I find that "Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention XVI" is a good place to begin reading... the thread has been bumped to the front page within this forum.

Thanks everybody!- your replies have increased my understanding- and I'm sure Ill have plenty more questions