Chuck - Hot Pepper questions

[Chuck]

Chuck - I bought some 7-gallon fabric containers - I was thinking of 2-plants in each container though I know one each would be better. Do you have a brand of compost that might be available at Lowe's that you might recommend?

I got my seeds from Pepper Joe's too, and a free sample 2-small dried Carolina Reaper pods. I'm going to add them to my next batch of habanero hot sauce!

I think all they sell at Lowes is Scotts and Miracle Grow stuff. Miracale Grow has come out with an OMRI rated soil/compost so it might be alright. Just make sure it has OMRI on the bag. I have never used the GroBags. The diameter of the filled bag is what is important as peppers don't have the same type of root system a tomato does but if the plants are not supposed to get big like a tomato 2 plants should do OK. Make sure you save the seeds from the reaper pods. PJ's has good stuff.

 

[The Zen Master]

The dried pods are oven dried so the seeds are dead, dead, dead

But I have two packages of Carolina Reaper seeds (+/-20 total) and one of Red Scotch Bonnets (+/- 20) so I should be set for next spring, plus any I get from however many peppers my current plants produce.

This morning's hot sauce is nice - comes on slow and then turns into lava!

Not really, it is hot, but real nice!

 

[DrMike27]

That's because of lower light intensity. Where I live it is the same as you in the winter, even in a heated greenhouse. But the summers here are perfect for peppers if one can keep them watered. This year was a pitiful year for tomatoes here but it will be an outstanding year for peppers. Many of my plants are already loaded and the best growing time is still yet to come.

I can’t agree more with the light intensity affecting fruit growth. My only holdover from apartment to house living is my Serrano plant that I grew from seed. I have it set up on the west side of my shed and right underneath my AC outflow pipe to catch the water drainage from my AC unit (free drip system!). I noticed when I pulled out the planter slightly so it gets more morning sun that the fruits absolutely exploded. I was originally trying to protect it from getting sunburned, but it seems to have adapted quite nicely and I don’t do anything to it except an occasional pruning. Get consistent production from April-November/December and then dormant from December-March-ish. Funny thing though: The last two years they have all been red peppers, and this year they are all green. Anyone have any idea about why that is?

 

[Chuck]

I can’t agree more with the light intensity affecting fruit growth. My only holdover from apartment to house living is my Serrano plant that I grew from seed. I have it set up on the west side of my shed and right underneath my AC outflow pipe to catch the water drainage from my AC unit (free drip system!). I noticed when I pulled out the planter slightly so it gets more morning sun that the fruits absolutely exploded. I was originally trying to protect it from getting sunburned, but it seems to have adapted quite nicely and I don’t do anything to it except an occasional pruning. Get consistent production from April-November/December and then dormant from December-March-ish. Funny thing though: The last two years they have all been red peppers, and this year they are all green. Anyone have any idea about why that is?

All peppers start out green then turn to their appropriate color when mature. You just missed seeing the green stage.

BTW your plant is getting way too much water. See the lack of foliage, the leaf margins browning and leaves yellowing? It only needs a good soaking about every 7-10 days. I am surprised it doesn't have root rot yet. Fertilize it and gradually move it into full sun.

 

[The Zen Master]

Chuck - does your watering advise apply to my location too?

 

[Chuck]

Chuck - does your watering advise apply to my location too?

It applies everywhere. A plant can only uptake x amount of water and by watering too often the soil stays saturated and becomes oxygen depleted. This is why good drainage is important. You cannot over water a plant with too much water but you can and will kill a plant by watering too often thereby keeping the soil oxygen depleted and causing all sorts of bad things.

 

[The Zen Master]

I was talking more about watering once in every 7 to 10 days. I wondered if drying out that much between watering is what you meant? I think the containers would be very dry by that time and wondered if the plants will survive that? My plants are looking very healthy and even the leggy plants are filling out.

Truth is, I was surprised how fast the ground does dry out here, even in the high humidity! It actually starts cracking something like one might expect in a dessert. I don't know if the water just rolls off the clay or it drains down through it very fast.

 

[Chuck]

I was talking more about watering once in every 7 to 10 days. I wondered if drying out that much between watering is what you meant? I think the containers would be very dry by that time and wondered if the plants will survive that? My plants are looking very healthy and even the leggy plants are filling out.

Truth is, I was surprised how fast the ground does dry out here, even in the high humidity! It actually starts cracking something like one might expect in a dessert. I don't know if the water just rolls off the clay or it drains down through it very fast.

Watering every 7-10 is about average for in the ground plants. Sandy soils will be different than clay soils for instance. Watering plants in containers is dependent on numerous factors, what material the container is made of, the temperature and wind, what is the growing medium and even what type of plant etc. Soils should dry out between waterings. I stress my plants when they are in bloom and only water after the plants show that they NEED water. I even go a couple of days past this point at times. But for the average home gardener if he will just stick his index finger into the soil about 2 inches deep he can basically tell if the plant SHOULD be watered. If your finger can feel moisture then the plant shouldn't be watered as there is still sufficient moisture for the plant to maintain growth. There is a big difference between NEED and SHOULD. A plant NEEDS water when the plant is droopy and wilted in the early AM hours say about 7 or 8 AM. In the afternoons wilting is not a factor. A plant SHOULD be watered when the soil about 2 inches deep is DRY. The roots of a plant are deeper than 2 inches so the root system of a plant under normal conditions should not be allowed to go dry. Does this make any sense to you? It's kind of hard to explain.

 

[The Zen Master]

Actually it seems very clear! I've never let them come close to drooping but I will start, today!

Thanks again!

 

[Chuck]

Actually it seems very clear! I've never let them come close to drooping but I will start, today!

Thanks again!

That's not what I said. I said I stress mine and let them droop and wilt during times of blooming. This is mainly for tomatoes as most tomatoes have a set bloom time. This is when a plant needs to be watered, not when it should be watered. During normal times you water when you should, when the soil is DRY about 2 inches deep. And when you water, really water, saturate all of the soil until water stands on top.

 

[The Zen Master]

Gotcha! Bottom line is I've probably been watering too often.

 

[Chuck]

Gotcha! Bottom line is I've probably been watering too often.

I don't know why but just about everyone does. I read somewhere that there are more plants killed each year from overwatering than from all diseases combined. Just think about it. Does it rain every day? Does all of the earth's soil stay muddy? If not then why do we think that we have to keep everything sopping wet?

 

[The Zen Master]

My greatest watering challenge is understanding how fast the ground or cotainer soil dries out even in the high humidity! In Arizona container vegetables get watered, every day, or the container will feel like it weighs ounces - bone dry.

 

[Chuck]

My greatest watering challenge is understanding how fast the ground or cotainer soil dries out even in the high humidity! In Arizona container vegetables get watered, every day, or the container will feel like it weighs ounces - bone dry.

Yep, low humidity and high temps literally suck the moisture out of the soil. There is no fast rule as to how often to water as everyones soil and conditions are different. Just remember that there is no such thing as too much water but there is such a thing as water too often. I have tried different moisture meters but no two of them will show the same thing so I just use the old standard measuring tool, my finger. And you should keep in mind just where the roots of your plants are. Depending on the plant, most plants roots are fairly deep, probably around 4-6 inches deep so if the soil is dry at 2 inches at 6 inches it is still moist. So, to make your plants roots go deeper in search of moisture and nutrients, every so often let the top of the soil dry to 3 inches. It just takes a lot of trial and error to know when to water but it is better to water less often than more often in most cases.

Containers are another problem for many gardeners. Containers are mostly made of plastic or clay and some of the plastic containers look just like clay containers. You have to water more often in a clay container than in a plastic container because water evaporates through the sides of a clay pot plus the top but the amount of water you use at one time stays the same. Complete saturation of all the soil whether it be plastic, clay or in the ground.

Then there are the people who water a little every day. They think that watering enough to keep the plant from wilting is enough water. They go out and water their lawn or tomato plant enough to get the soil on top muddy and think that is plenty, It's not. Enough water should be put down to make it muddy at least 6 inches deep. They always say that watering deep is a waste of water, that there is nothing there to water, no roots no nothing so why bother. The reason to water is because you want roots to be there. Deep strong roots enable the plants to produce more and in the case of lawn grass make the grass much healthier and thicker. It is a fact that a deeply and correctly watered lawn actually uses about the same amount of water but the end product is much better and less expensive than an incorrectly watered lawn. Well, that's my rant about watering today

 

[The Zen Master]

What would make the growing tip leaves of hot pepper plants turn dark green and appear to be stunted or shriveling up, but not shriveling up - - almost a little curling kinda?