If you decide to give the gritty mix a try, I would think that it would be just be a matter of increasing the turface and decreasing the granite portion until the wicking you needs works well for you..:-)

You may have to play around with the mix a bit until you get the desired results..

Mike

Sorry,

But may I ask you a question too?

Why would you want to use the gritty mix when it is a bit more expensive to make, and really used for the same plantings you plan on keeping in the same container more than a few seasons?

Wouldn't it be a bit easier, and economically wise to use the 5.1.1 mix with a bit more peat, if just for one season for your peppers?

Just a thought..:-)

Mike

Outdoors, I think peppers grow slightly better in a mix closer to Al's 5-1-1.
During the winter, when I bring my peppers indoors, I re-pot them in a mix
that is closer to the Gritty - free-draining, very open, never saturated.

Both the Gritty and the 5-1-1 are top-watering container mixes. They are built
to drain freely, but not necessarily to wick water upwards. Therefore, as
Mike mentioned, you'll need to modify the mix to increase water retention.

Josh

This is my first year to grow peppers, and they currently in SWC using 3-2-2 (potting soil:bark:perlite) mix.

I don't treat them as annual, so I want to keep them as long as they can. I definitely don't want to repot them every year . The gritty mix is good for more than 1 season without repotting, so it suits my need. That's why I have this idea.

Josh, my plants are outdoor, and my zone is 9. Do I need to move them indoor during winter?

bubblegarden,

I'm using a gritty mix this year in my SWC's 1:1 bark:turface. Because I also want them to last several years. Previously, I used one starting with gritty mix for 4 years straight and it was still ok.

Wicking is a concern. My SWCs are relatively shallow, so they can wick with a gritty mix. A plastic mulch though is needed to make sure the top inch doesn't dry out.

Your current mix ratio is what I've found to be overall ideal for normal plants in deeper containers (5 gallon bucket, 18 gallon totes,..) It might hold up for a few years for peppers, but it is pushing it. The peppers would probably do better with a grittier mix.

I'm in SF Bay area also, had pepper in a garden where 1/2 of them lasted two years (other half died in frosts). If you put your pepper containers on a south facing wall with an overhang to protect during frosts, they should be ok outdoors all winter.

emgardener,

I am glad to hear that you have experience using gritty mix in SWC.

How deep are your SWC? My containers are 5 gallon buckets.

Any advice on how to solve the wicking problem?

Thanks for your information.

bubblegarden,

My garden supply SWC's have about 5" of soil depth (doesn't include the wick depth). The 5 gallon buckets I've used have about 12" of main compartment depth.

Here's something I wrote awhile ago:

"I tried indeterminate tomatoes once in a 5 gallon bucket with a fast draining mix, no plastic mulch. Interestingly once the plant was big it always wilted in mid-day even though the reservoir was full. The top inch or two was dry but below that the mix was damp. As soon as I gave it a top watering in mid-day it recovered.

My conclusion was that the mix was too porous and the roots couldn't make enough contact with the mix to drink fast enough in hot weather.

So I'd say you probably need some peat in the mix, plastic mulch for a 5 gallon big tomato plant and some sort of automatic watering setup. But every climate is different"

Bubblegarden,

Good choice in the gritty mix then for your need.... A little tinkering will help your peppers last a very long time..Great information on this thread..:-)

Mike

I will give it a try. Thanks for everyone's input.