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3 gallon pots vs. 5 gallon pots

meinchoh

meinchoh

I'm growing 7 Pot Jonahs, Red Habaneros and Congo Trinidads and will be potting them up in about a month. They are coming along quite nicely, but slowly. I am using 4 23 watt, 1600 lumens CFL's that are about 18" above the plants, which I believe are causing the slowness but I'm not concerned about it.

My question is this - All things being equal (soil, nutes, watering and lighting), what would the typical difference be between using 3 gallon pots as opposed to 5 gallon pots? I realize that 5 gallon pots would produce larger plants, i.e. larger yields, but since I can pretty much get unlimited 3 gallon pots free of charge, that's my incentive to use the 3 gallon pots, Currently the plants are all in solo cups.

Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated (but not from Ted TFBI)...Just kidding!
 
personally for any of the trinidad varieties, I would not go less than 5...3's may give you a fair yield but those plants want to grow big and remember root ball size limits the size of your plants...see if you can go to any of your fast food restaurants and ask them if they have any 5 gallon buckets you can have for a meager price or they may just give you a couple...hit a few stores and you may get enough for everything...
 
Well I think you know the answer but 5 gals allow your plants to require less overall maintenance. You do not need to water as often and it is easier to apply nutes without shocking plant. And like you said bigger plants and more peppers. Why do you think most of the big guns plant straight in the ground!
 
I usually only use 3 gallon pots with annums and other small varieties that don't top out at much more than 2 feet... most of the chinenses will continue growing if you give them more root space.

Last year I got about twenty 5 gallon tubs from asking around bakeries. Most large bakeries in department stores use 5 gallon tubs for their frosting, though many are changing their policy now so they don't give them out as frequently. Still worth looking into. Just clean them out, drill a few holes in the bottom and you're good...
 
Thanks guys!! As this is my first season, officially, of growing, I may just stay with the 3 gal pots since I already have about 15 of them with nothing to put in them :) ..Next year I should know more of what to expect. That is - if I want larger plants and, above all, how green my thumb is. Obtaining 5 gals wouldn't be an issue but, as I said, I already have the 3 gal pots and was hoping for some HUGE difference in going with 5 gal. Also, they'll be staying in our sunroom most of the time (too many deer and critters around here to leave outside)..Since I have more of the Hab/Congo Trinidad plants, I may plant in 3 and 5 gal pots side by side and go from there....

Appreciate all the help! You guys are the best!
 
+1 on the 5 gal.

Also a few places to look into are Chinese/Japanese restaurants, and painters. They usually will hook it up for nothing.
 
Geez! Ok! I've got another 100 or so seeds coming by next week, so I'll be on the hunt for some 5 gal pots and grow in both! Space is now severely limited..probably have to fill the hot tub with soil and use it....
 
farm them out to neighbors...surely others around you have gardens of some sort...or maybe they would like a couple of container plants for "landscaping"
 
your 3 gallon pots may produce somewhat smaller plants but they will make plenty of peppers in them as well. there's no absolute need for 5's if you already have a supply of 3's. my only plants in 5's are over a year old.

the crazy plants luigi posted the 2 photos of in one of the morouga threads looked like they were in something even smaller.
 
The size pot depends on your climate. If you live in zone 5 you will want a smaller pot then if your in zone 9. In the right zone peppers grow like trees!!!! Had a Jalapeno in a 2 gal that produced countless peppers, fertilizer is very important.
 
AlabamaJack said:
farm them out to neighbors...surely others around you have gardens of some sort...or maybe they would like a couple of container plants for "landscaping"
Click to expand...
I could do this, AJ...Thanks!

AlabamaJack said:
farm them out to neighbors...surely others around you have gardens of some sort...or maybe they would like a couple of container plants for "landscaping"
Click to expand...
This wouldn't bring about cross pollination issues, would it?

Capsicum said:
The size pot depends on your climate. If you live in zone 5 you will want a smaller pot then if your in zone 9. In the right zone peppers grow like trees!!!! Had a Jalapeno in a 2 gal that produced countless peppers, fertilizer is very important.
Click to expand...
I'll check my "zone"...Hopefully, 3 gal will be ideal for me..
 
Stack the 3 gallon pots. Fill the one with the plant in it to the top with your growing medium. Fill another one half or three quarters full of your growing medium. Then put a couple of big holes in the bottom of the pot the plant is in and stack it on the other one. Worked for me.
 
Capsicum said:
The size pot depends on your climate. If you live in zone 5 you will want a smaller pot then if your in zone 9. In the right zone peppers grow like trees!!!! Had a Jalapeno in a 2 gal that produced countless peppers, fertilizer is very important.
Click to expand...
Zone 6a, so I should be good with 3 gal..
 
About the same zone as me. Yes 3 gal will be fine provided when at their peak in grow season when temps are hot and peppers are growing fast you give then plenty of water and fertilizer to give you the production of a larger pot. Another thing I find is a bamboo stick in each pot helps plant from falling over due to heavy loads of peppers. I use 2 gal and will be happy to post some pictures this year.

BTW:I am sure you know but I say plenty of water and fertilizer. I only mean like consistent fertilizing at very low strength like 1/4 or even 1/8 of what it says. Peppers are not huge eaters, you can alwaying increase the fertilizer if new leaves are a little yellow. Not to get off subject.
 
Man I was gonna start a similar thread tonight. I am trying to decide if I want to use 5 or 7 gallon pots not buckets. The 5 gallonpots are smaller than the 5 gallon buckets it seems. I need to use 5's for space but 7's would be better for the plants. Do nursery size 5 gallon pots work ok for super hots ?
 
I know you got the free 3 gals...and they will work. I watched craigslist and found 5 gal heavy duty nursery containers for 50 cents each. They had 7 gals for $1 and I wish I had picked some of them up too. More gallons also equals more soil...which equals more $$$ its all a trade off and finding what you're comfortable with. The obvious answer for your plants is bigger is better though!
 
5 gallon nursery container will hold ~3.9 gallons....yes, less than a 5 gallon bucket...I use 5 gallon nursery containers for most of my first year plants..
 
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