A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Peppers in containers

As some of you know, I'm a nut for peppers and tomatoes. We've had some good discussions about container tomatoes, but few about peppers. Who has done peppers in containers, what size container is best and what tips do you have? I have a jalapeno in a 3 gallon pot in front of my N. facing sliding glass door, just for the winter, but the long days have made it blossom! I'm thinking 3 and 5 gallon containers...I'm going to try peppers and tomatoes in these this year, but only semi-determinate and determinate tomatoes,of course. I'd post this in container gardening, but I've noticed this section gets more visits...or so it seems.

We grew two pepper plants 1 cayanne and 1 green bell last year in a 3.5 gallon oval bucket this wasn't the best choice as we had soem cross pollination but they too got watered daily. We had enought that it was an ok crop going to try them in speerate 5 gallones this year and see if they do better.

I have a yellow bell pepper in a pot for fun. Just bought one this year. No blossoms yet, but it will. I do one every year.

I useually grow at least 1 pepper plant in a contanier.I sometimes overwinter 1 plant for early start the following year& won't keep one going more than 3yrs. mostly 3 gallon.I did do cyanne in a qt pot but it wasn;t real happy,but I also wasn't good about watering it.
Curently have a banana pepper in pot and a type of ornamental pepper.I have seeds somewhere's thats a lil round hollow pepper sorta like pimento,but its tabasco type(gee I'd know so much more with the seeds...plant...package.... ) I likes bell peppers also,but haven't sowed my seeds for those yet& have only done my large jalpenos for this year.I normally grow alot of jalpenos the smaller and the larger one cause i'll use some to deter other critters(plus keeps dogs from chewing my furniture.I'm pissed it won't work the same on the blinds& the verticle one cost more...the one THEY love the most!)
I won't even have blossoms till near end of May.

I didn't know a pepper plant will live more than one season ! I thought they croak like a tomato plant.
Hmmm, maybe I'll hang onto mine, and trim off the icky old leaves and see what it does. I'm in California, so it can stay outside year round, although I do cover my plants with large trash bags if we get a frost.

peppers are actually a tropical plant. I have grown almost everything you imagine in buckets....Tomatoes do need the 5 gallon bucket, but I have found that "most" peppers will grow fine in a 3 gallon sized bucket. The reason I say this is at the end of the growing season when you pull up the pepper plant, You should see that it doesn't have a very deep root system, but does spread out, the 3 gallon size has a bigger ?circle then the 5 gallon size, if this makes sense Smaller peppers or ornamentals can even be grown in small containers, Like large flower pots, which yes can be carried back into the house in the fall and over wintered. I had this wonderful small purple hot pepper, that I kept a plant growing in the house just like a house plant, and it produced plenty of fresh peppers. I lost it a few years ago in a move, and all the saved seed I had was too old to germinate, since it wasn't stored properly. I have looked high and low for this pepper and can't find it anywhere.

I've grown Jalapeno's and assorted colored pepper plants in pots/containers..
I wasn't allllll too happy, but we weren't alllll too faithful on diligently watering like we should have... *they were my oldest sons' plants*
but I do know pepper plants have an EXTENSIVE ROOT SYSTEM... and you should take that into account when looking into a pot/container for it..
IMHO, I'd go with the veryyyyyyy largest pot/container you can... and only one to a container..
***I grew 4 jalap's in a rectangle type one and I should have only put in one plant, and it would have done fine.. *but I thought with good soil it'll do fine, nope, uh~uh, I don't think so.....

I will do it again, but I think what I'm going to try this time is, buy some of that dirt that has those polymere crystals in it, and use that for the bottom layer of soil, ***that way, the water retention stays at the bottom of the pot/container making the roots want to go down*** then fill the top layer or rest of it up with a combo of potting soil and compost....
See if that works any better...

I have one yellow bell pepper in an 18 inch pot.
Should do well in a pot that size.
My Celebrity tomato is loaded with blossoms now.
It's my first Celebrity, and I'm curious as to the taste. Have heard good things.
I sure didn't like last years' Early Girls. :p

I agree about the water part, When growing in a bucket or large container, they do seem to require ALOT of water compared to planting into the ground.

My pepper seeds have not germinated as good as I would have liked, but I still ending up with plenty of seedlings, so that is good, germination was just poor for me on the peppers this year. And the bad thing is that it is seed I saved from last year, so it could have been something I did when saving the seed or the storage of it????

I have done peppers in 3 and 5 gallon buckets. They did great in there. I will be doing the same this year in containers. IF that is I can get mine to sprout. I am having a bear of a time getting anything to go.

Triss: Im no expert, but I hear that peppers especially like it warm to germinate, even cool watering will set them back!

Im glad to read this thread! Im doing jalapeno and cayennes in pots this year because I have no room anywhere else, and can hopefully bring them inside in the fall to get red hot on the plants!

Karen

Karen, Yep, I have heard that about peppers as well. I am keeping them warm, watering them warm, and have never had this much trouble before getting them to sprout. To date I have exactly 2 sprouts and both are the same, long thin cayennes. I dunno what the deal is but am going to be working on a "hothouse" for these particular seeds this week. I finally have some space to dedicate to these seeds since other stuff has grown enough to be hardened off.

Triss...you're not alone. I started some rainbow mix bell peppers over 6 weeks ago...still no sprouts. 7 of 12 jalapenos have sprouted, the best of any variety, but out of over 40 seeds, I have maybe 12 tiny plants...I've kept them warm and everything. My tomatoes are so large I'll have to plant them this week, but not so for peppers this year! Is it just a bad year, or what?
I'm going to start more peppers and keep my fingers crossed.

Well I wish yours were growing too Dave. Wonder what is going on with us? I am going to keep plugging away at it and if worse comes to worse, I will be buying plants from the stores!

I had good luck getting my cayenne and jalapeno seeds to sprout, a few days earlier than the projected dates from the packet! (Im not bragging ) What I did was plant in peat pots, on a tray, and put the whole thing inside the clear bag that my daughter's bedding set came in: thick plastic, zipper, perfect size! Sat it next to the heater in the warmest room in the house. I guess being a pack rat and saving that bag paid off!

Karen

I kept my seeds warm also when they were suppose to germinating....Must be something in the air this year that is slowing down the pepper germination for most of us...I am like Dave my tomatoes are getting pretty big, and my peppers are small still. When I thought the seeds from the Bell pepper were not going to sprout I just kept starting more and finally ended up with the amount I need, But on the Jalapeno...I put 10 seeds down and ended up with 3 little seedlings, So I am waiting for more to sprout that in another container I started. Last year my peppers did better then the tomatoes...Strange year I suppose?????? Glad to know I am not alone on this.

Well I totally forgot that I had another set of mixed peppers going. I got 6 or 7 plants out of that one but they are wee small things. I still transfered them to bigger containers and hopefully they will do well there. I also started a dozen California Wonder Bell peppers. I did put 2 seeds in each of the 12 spots cuz of how poorly they have been doing and put them in a south facing window cuz it is getting the most sun and heat. Will see how that space works.

Sorry Triss I have to laugh at this, as you should know since you are tryin to make sure enough sprout...They all will end up sprouting, it is so wierd how plants and seeds do things sometimes. If you have 5 seeds and need all 5 to sprout...1-3 may sprout, but if you have 25 seeds and only need 5 all 25 will sprout. Good Luck Triss.

Here is a picture of my California Wonder Bell peppers plant%20Room/HomePhotos039.jpg" alt="[Linked Image]" class="post-image" style="height:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;"/>

Looks good!

If all 24 sprout, I will be a happy camper! One can never have enough peppers!

I second that motion

This is my 3rd round of peppers and I still have a lot more to go. And I am sure I will end up buying some anyhow to add to that. The plan is peppers between all the flowers and in pots here as well as at MIL's place. I cannot wait to start making ristras!

Oh yes and chili and salsa and all kinds of good stuff!

I use all of my bells for making a special sweet relish, Everyone loves it and begs for a jar I also expected to bring it to any of dinners we are invited to also....Can't disappoint the relish lovers. I'll have a 45' row of nothing but California Wonder, and I plant them kind of close together, about 40 plants.

Have you ever made "Stuffed peppers"??
It's got like hamburger, tomato paste, pepper,
.......some put in corn or rice, then stuff it in the hollowed out pepper, and bake it in the oven???