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peps_22

Give up planting peppers in-ground?

peps_22
6 years ago

My garden conditions are far from perfect. I get 6 hours of sun, tops. The raised bed soil mix I used from miracle-gro drained very poorly during our wet summer last year, holding the peppers back with their "wet feet." (here is what I used - Miracle Gro Raised Bed Soil Mix)

I'm thinking of growing peppers exclusively in pots from now on, and just putting tomatoes in ground. I was wondering what people think of this.

A. Is there an amendment for me to use for the raised bed soil to drain better, or is it a waste of time and I should abandon in-ground entirely?

B. If I go to exclusively pots, I want to do it in a way that is more economical and saves space. Right now I use random round pots, but I don't think it's a good use of space. Does anyone use any trough-like pots that are long and save space?

Comments (24)

  • erect and thornless
    6 years ago

    i'm not experienced enough to compare in-ground versus container pepper vitality. most of my pepper plants are in containers, and the couple I planted in the ground last fall have yet to become large enough to yield fruit.

    but my thai pepper variants are doing well in these boxes. they're about 15 inches long and 8 inches wide, and they're fairly space efficient. i get them from home depot for about $5 each, and they're the right size for that particular plant. (they're too small for the serranos and datils i'm growing.)

    they lack drainage holes, but it's easy to poke holes in the bottom with a thumb tack. my gardening area gets only 4-6 hours of sunlight per day, depending on the time of year, but I use wooden stools to elevate the plants to increase their sun exposure. the stools are about two feet tall, and I get the ones with cosmetic defects because amazon sells them at a discount; these imperfections are immaterial, as the stools are going to get weathered anyway outdoors.

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I grew peppers in pots for years and it always worked out for the better. I moved to PA and tried to grow in ground raised garden bed and I have to say it took peppers longer to mature and the size of the plants were smaller compared to ones grown in pots. Pots warm up faster than raised beds in my opinion. In a warmer climate I would probably grow in ground again but not in PA I will not. I tried growing in trough-like planters standards size and my biggest issue was the plants were so top heavy they kept tipping the planter over, you would need to secure them in some fashion to not tip over. Also they are shallow and require more frequent watering. Unless you can find really large planters then that may work.

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  • peps_22
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    The only success I have had with peppers in-ground in the Northeast was when I had a house with a garden that received 15+ hours a day of sun. With current conditions, my pots have vastly outperformed the raised bed. I think you've convinced me to go to pots, or find a better house with more sun :-)

  • isgen
    6 years ago

    I'll put my vote in for containers. It's not like in-ground is not feasible, but there seem to be so many things going for containers in our NE climate.

    • - Ease of hardening-off and to protect from cold nights in early and late season

    • - Warmer root zone temperature earlier in the season

    • - Can be moved/located for better light exposure

    3-5 gallon pails with lots of holes works well for me, as long as you have a well-draining mix.

  • bossyvossy
    6 years ago

    I was more successful growing bell peppers in containers. However, it wasn’t a huge production at end of day, so cheaper to get at store for 3x$1

  • erect and thornless
    6 years ago

    also in favor of containers: for those in colder climates, moving the plants indoors for overwintering doesn't involve digging them up.

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    6 years ago

    Growing in pots solves a lot of the problems associated with growing in ground. If you are having trouble with in ground growing, I would make the switch. I have an "above ground" garden that I grew peppers and other plants in for several years and they grew really well. About three years ago, my peppers didn't do very well and they haven't since then. I have tried adding amendments and fertilizers, but nothing seems to work. I have given up using it for peppers and will grow peppers exclusively in containers for now on. I plan on trying something else just for fun in the above ground garden this year.

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I've just about always grown in raised beds, except for my very beginnings of green thumbing - where I remember having the most loaded jalepeno and banana pepper plants in 5 gallon buckets.

    I get what I would call decent production in the raised beds but nothing like those plants had - I am seriously considering moving back to containers - both to free up space in the garden and maybe more importantly to get better production out of the peppers.

    At the very least, this year I'm going to do a blend - some in the garden raised beds and a few in containers on the deck. Maybe a direct side by side will give me what I need to switch completely over.

  • Mokinu
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I use plastic 10-gallon and 18-gallon moving totes from Walmart. Get them in the store (not online, if you can help it). They're a few dollars each, and peppers seem to love them. Peppers grow much faster in them than in the ground in our clay-loam-like soil, it seems. I'm located in SW Idaho. I have a feeling they'd do a lot better in the ground with more organic matter, though. Using black plastic to help warm the ground might help.

    I put 1-2 plants per 10 gallon tote and 2-3 per 18-gallon tote.

    I don't recommend getting totes larger than 18-gallons (they'll be too unwieldly).

  • lucky_cloud
    6 years ago

    Anyone used those fabric pots for peppers? I've got some 7gal ones that I'm thinking of trying.

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I just buy 5 gallon pails and one or even two plants will do fine in them. I personally think anything over 7 gallons for most peppers is overkill. They will probably provide some extra growth, but with the cost of potting mixes, it isn't worth the difference for me. You can find the 5 gal pails free from a lot of sources or buy them at the home improvement stores for about $2.50 on sale.

    Plus, if you need/want to move them, it is a lot easier with a 5 gallon pail full of soil than an 18 gallon container.

  • bragu_DSM 5
    6 years ago

    try a bakery for inexpensive buckets … they get frosting … well, by the bucket in them ...

  • Mokinu
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    In my experience, peppers are more vigorous and prolific, with larger fruit in 10 gallons of soil vs. 5 gallons.

    (I'm not recommending you do it, but I break the traditional rules and use garden soil for free, since potting mix doesn't give plants the nutrients they need to withstand our strong spring/summer sun here; plus, as a seed-saver, I don't want to acclimate our plants to opposing kinds of soil, since I may want to plant them in the ground some year; the fungal disease factor doesn't seem to be a big issue in my semi-arid climate.)

    Using multiple plants per tote makes it so the soil inefficiency factor isn't an issue (since it's still approximately 5-gallons of soil per plant).

    I think two plants in a 10-gallon tote also do better than one plant in a 5-gallon bucket; however with 2 in a tote vs. 1 in a tote, the fruits and plants are still somewhat smaller, at least for some varieties. Wider and shorter containers seem to have advantages over taller and narrower containers.

    2-3 plants in an 18 gallon tote have some advantages over 1-2 plants in 10-gallon totes (they don't need watered as much, and plants have potentially slightly more soil per plant).

    A 30-gallon tote is pretty much like not using a container. I don't recommend it. It's way overkill for peppers, and it doesn't seem to work well, anyway. However, if anyone does try it, be sure to put it somewhere where it is easy to water.

    I can't speak for potting mix or anyone else's soil/climate. You could be right about it being best in 5-gallon containers for most people, for all I know. :) Potting mix is definitely looser and it's probably warmer. It's possible I've just tried the wrong kinds of potting mix, but with good results in free garden soil, I don't see the point in paying all that money.

  • Mokinu
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    That said, I should note that I had a great experience with Ring of Fire and Orange Carbonero in 4 or 5-gallon buckets, and I grow Aji Omnicolor in 4 and 5-gallon buckets with reasonable results. I haven't had particularly good results with Lipstick, White Cloud, and Feher Ozon in 4-gallon buckets (maybe it was 5 for one or more of those), but those did well the next year in totes (1 per 10-gallon and 2 in an 18 gallon), from saved (potentially crossed) seeds, although the fruits looked the same (Lipstick may have crossed with Feher Ozon, though, as the walls were perhaps thicker/fleshier). Chervena Chushka did well with three plants in an 18-gallon tote, but it didn't do well in the ground for me (I haven't tried that one in a 5-gallon bucket, but it grows tall plants, compared with some peppers).

  • defrost49
    6 years ago

    I'm in NH. I grow all of my peppers in the ground but some are in a high tunnel with the sides rolled up. They don't get rained on and even with the sides rolled up, the temperature is frequently around 100F on sunny days. My outside peppers are planted in lasagna beds which are usually built the year before and result in beds with a high percentage of composted material. I've never been a fan of Miracle Gro products but don't remember why not.

    When I have grown vegetables in pots, I thought they drained too quickly. Tomato plants needed at least a gallon of water a day even when we had rain.

    Since I tend to grow a lot of varieties but only a single plant or two of each, I have seen some varieties just don't product very much. Last year my best bell pepper was Buran (seed from Pine Tree) which was very productive. I don't think I'm going to bother with an Ace varieties anymore. All the cayennes seems to be prolific. Lemon drop was prolific. Perhaps it is a problem with what varieties you are growing.

    The lasagna beds condense more each year and get topped with composted horse manure in the early spring. I also add fertilizer or amendments including crushed eggshells to each planting hole. A local grower is famous for his tomatoes (rusty's heirloom tomatoes) and maybe you would find some of his tips and tricks to be useful for peppers.

    https://static1.squarespace.com/static/530f7171e4b0aa9562852da1/t/5525397ce4b0ca314c1ee8d9/1428502942399/Tips%2C+Tricks+and+Techniques+and+Organic+Strategies.pdf

    In NH we can buy potting soil, fertilizers, etc. thru the organic farmers association at a bulk price. The orders are due by 2/28 and you do not have to be a member. Pickup is on a date in March. I usually get potting soil, seed starting soil, and various fertilizers including liquid fish fertilizer. Perhaps there is a similar deal in MA. Oops, there is but orders were due by 2/1. Maybe next year.

    I have built a lasagna bed in the early spring and then made planting holes filled with soil and composted manure for large seeds (i.e. squash) or plants. You could try re-filling your raised beds with some lasagna layers and then top with the old soil and composted manure.

    The Ace peppers that did poorly are also in a bed that I might have to abandon because it is too close to a mature maple tree. Although beyond the drip line, fine roots still infiltrate the bed. I am considering putting pots in this area this summer.

  • beesneeds
    6 years ago

    I used to grow peppers in the ground, and now grow exclusively in pots. Not because they did poorly in the ground- on the contrary, they grew so great I needed to either temp-greenhouse them in the fall or dig them up and pot them up for the solarium season extending anyway. I quit ground planting because there are other crops that perform way better in ground and it's a better utilization of space. Like my tomatoes :)

    Also, peppers just always grow so well in pots for me. I use 5 gallon tubs the most- used kitty litter tubs with holes drilled in them for drainage. Some smaller peppers get 3 gallon pots. Both sizes are easy to handle even when full grown. I pop the pot up onto a table for harvesting instead of crouching down to the plant. And in the fall if/when I need to do more than just a frost cloth, easy to walk them right through the door to the solarium.

  • nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Self watering food grade buckets! At least for the Chinenses peppers.

  • calamondindave
    5 years ago

    I grow all my peppers in pots now. They do great in pots. I use nursery pots from the hydroponic store because they were on sale good. I prefer pots for peppers because I can put them out early here (like march) because days warm up good, and I can move them inside for a night if a cold snap should come. Gives me an extra jump on the season. Also I can put them on the patio and sunnier places than my yard. I've already picked shishito peppers this season.

  • Barrie, (Central PA, zone 6a)
    5 years ago

    Odd that all responses seem to favor pot growing when I feel that all that may be needed are changes in the inground methodology. Like Defrost I grow many peppers ( over 600 plants each year) in a high tunnel (in the ground) and also grow about double that number outside in the ground.

    There are definite advantages to growing in the soil. Among those are cost, care time, plant growth potential, scope limits and sanitation of materials and equipment.

    All of my inside and outside peppers are grown through black plastic mulch. The mulch warms the soil, a key point to pepper growing in northern areas. While I also grow a few peppers in pots (all ornamental) but I can’t imagine growing some of those varieties that grow over my head in the high tunnel and produce a half bushel of peppers per plant if they were limited to a pot.

  • isgen
    5 years ago

    Barrie,

    I think you make good points there. For sure I'd advise growing in pot if talking about a handful of plants, but when you have several dozens, the potting mix can get pricey and all the associated pre and post work is not negligible. I think both methods can yield great results though.

    I may attempt in-ground again, but not exclusively like last year, where almost everything failed, it really was an "all eggs in one basket" thing for me. I would indeed need to use mulch and a tunnel, or otherwise be limited to planting out no earlier than mid-late June. Spring and warmer soil temperatures are somewhat late for the last several years, but we get a good season extension into late September.

    Unless I change my mind, I'll be doing all in pots this season. Will try two plants per 5 gallon pail for HHW and Jwala, 8 plants of each kind for a total of 8 pails. I already have 4 yellow Rocotos in 4 pails and will have some Biquinho and Habs, bringing up the total to 24 or so pails. That will be a good amount of potting mix to make and management. I do have a few extra HHW seedlings, started later than others, so smaller, perhaps these might be able to make it into 6" pots until mid-June, where I could plant in my beds, just to try.

  • nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    "Odd that all responses seem to favor pot growing when I feel that all that may be needed are changes in the inground methodology"

    @ Barrie, I think it's because of the name of the thread. I responded because I gave up too! I would much prefer to grow in soil, so I'm eager to solutions! My problem is growing on a clay slopes with limited water. I set up several raised beds and did great for years until redwood roots took over all the boxes. The boxes are still there, but I just can't keep them moist enough for most vegetables, especially in the summer.


  • Barrie, (Central PA, zone 6a)
    5 years ago

    Pruning is the first order of business. I’ve had to remove a double row of pines, 250 ft. Long that were starting to shade one high tunnel. It seems like yesterday that for good reason I planted those pines. But when presented with lemons make lemonade. I had lumber sawed from many of those pines.

    Often when trees create root invasion obstacles it’s just a matter of time before sunlight is also lost. You just need to make a decision of what goes and what stays.

  • Juanitos Peppers
    5 years ago

    in ground is fine if you understand the problems. Thousands of farmers still grow in ground just fine.


    - drainage

    If it rains too much your area will flood. You cannot do anything to help

    - weeds

    Any uncovered ground will turn into weeds. after 4 months this will be huge and can affect your plants growth. They also attract pests to your plants.

    - nutrients

    without doing a soil test it's hard to know exactly what you got / what you need.


    Now you can mitigate these problems


    - drainage

    Raised rows (field/plot) or raised beds(smaller area) helps keep the plant stems out of any standing water and should drain faster.


    Amending your soil with larger particles like bark chips / mulch / sand is a must for drainage as well. you don't want your soil becoming a thick mud when it rains. (shout out to all you guys with clay soil lol)


    Plastic / Fabric ground cover helps shed heavy rain


    - weeds

    Plastic / Fabric ground cover helps stop any light from getting through to the weeds and kills them without using any harsh chemicals.


    You can cover everything or You can let weeds grow in the walking aisles between rows. They will keep it from getting too muddy.


    But you need to have a plan of how to keep them in control... Make the row wide enough that your mower will fit is good practice.


    otherwise you will be weeding more than actual gardening your peppers which is not fun


    - nutrients

    just apply everything you know peppers need and hope for the best.

    or something like osmocote smart release mixed in.

    or apply nutrient rich compost tea

    or just water with hydro nutrients


    Some people just find it easier to buy the fast draining potting mix and a few pots and call it a day vs doing the work above.


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