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container How big of container?

W

wordwiz

I'm use to growing tobacco, tomatoes, etc. These plants need a fairly big container, maybe three gallon or more to grow. But in looking at some of the images posted, it looks like peppers can grow in something about 2 quarts, a gallon at most. Is this correct?

I have nearly two dozen plants I want to grow this winter (long story!) and if I don't need a 3-5 gallon container, it will save me dirt and dollars!
 
wordwiz said:
I'm use to growing tobacco, tomatoes, etc. These plants need a fairly big container, maybe three gallon or more to grow. But in looking at some of the images posted, it looks like peppers can grow in something about 2 quarts, a gallon at most. Is this correct?

I have nearly two dozen plants I want to grow this winter (long story!) and if I don't need a 3-5 gallon container, it will save me dirt and dollars!
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Depends on what kind of pepper you are growing? Try and pick out small varieties to grow.
 
also..
Make sure you start small, like a plastic cup, and work your way up, you don’t want wet soggy soil to cause root rot... I try and stick with solid color cups, because I heard somewhere that roots rot when exposed to light, this may be wrong I dunno?
 
wordwiz said:
I have nearly two dozen plants I want to grow this winter (long story!) and if I don't need a 3-5 gallon container, it will save me dirt and dollars!
Click to expand...

They'll grow in smaller pots, but they'll be happier in larger pots. Go browse Potawie's pictures and see how gorgeous his peppers and plants are.
 
My plants are all started in small pots until they need repotting and then they go in pots 1 size up. Most end up in 5 gal pots but usually not until summer. You could probably get through most of the winter(at least 2 months) with smaller pots depending on your setup.
 
Potawie,

I've seen your pics (and am jealous like everyone else) but doesn't moving the plants from one container to another cause a bit of a shock? I was thinking along the lines of letting the seedlings grow in the container they sprouted in, then planting them in dirt. For things like a Thai Sun, I presume a small container would be adequate.

But I can use some advice - I have three habs outside that have probably 50 blooms/new fruits that are growing. Being in Cincy, no way will we go three weeks without a killing frost, though we may get by without the temps getting down into the low 30s or upper 20s.

How do you go about transplanting plants? Pick a larger container, put some soil in the bottom, put the plant with the attached dirt in it, then fill in the sides and water fairly heavily? Also, I can't tell exactly from your pix, but it looks like your containers have a way for water to leak out. Is this important?
 
wordwiz said:
Potawie,

I've seen your pics (and am jealous like everyone else) but doesn't moving the plants from one container to another cause a bit of a shock? I was thinking along the lines of letting the seedlings grow in the container they sprouted in, then planting them in dirt. For things like a Thai Sun, I presume a small container would be adequate.
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They always grow better when I transplant them into new soil, one size bigger pot. I don’t disturb roots like other people like to do. Unless you’re bringing them from the outside, then it’s good to wash everything off and use new dirt.
But the main idea here is not to give your plant to much soil all at once, unless there is very good drainage like you usually get outdoors.

wordwiz said:
But I can use some advice - I have three habs outside that have probably 50 blooms/new fruits that are growing. Being in Cincy, no way will we go three weeks without a killing frost, though we may get by without the temps getting down into the low 30s or upper 20s.
Click to expand...

let them go, hehe. allways next year. I am sure you could save them if you went the extra mile.

wordwiz said:
How do you go about transplanting plants? Pick a larger container, put some soil in the bottom, put the plant with the attached dirt in it, then fill in the sides and water fairly heavily? Also, I can't tell exactly from your pix, but it looks like your containers have a way for water to leak out. Is this important?
Click to expand...

More drainage the better..
 
wordwiz said:
I've seen your pics (and am jealous like everyone else) but doesn't moving the plants from one container to another cause a bit of a shock? I was thinking along the lines of letting the seedlings grow in the container they sprouted in, then planting them in dirt.
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing it that way. It's just a bit easier to manage the proper soil temperature for germination in a smaller seed starting container. Peppers, however, go from the small pots they were germinated in straight into the ground with no problems all the time. People also start their pepper seeds in the ground outside. The amount of earth under the seed does not affect its germination, the heat and moisture do.


But I can use some advice - I have three habs outside that have probably 50 blooms/new fruits that are growing. Being in Cincy, no way will we go three weeks without a killing frost, though we may get by without the temps getting down into the low 30s or upper 20s.
Click to expand...

Were you asking about digging them up to bring inside or to limp them along outside until a few more ripen? I'm pretty good at doing the later, I've picked fresh peppers on Christmas Day before. The plants looked like hell, but I got those last peppers.

I posted pictures around somewhere of my sheet farm. I've also made a mini greenhouse over individual plants with a large tomato cage, the kind made of rebar and fence wire, and a plastic drop cloth. An old swing set stand works well, too. I use a utility light, you know, one of those with the little cage around it and the hook to hang the light where you're working? Anyway, I put a 200 watt incandescent bulb in it and hang it inside the temporary greenhouse.


How do you go about transplanting plants? Pick a larger container, put some soil in the bottom, put the plant with the attached dirt in it, then fill in the sides and water fairly heavily?
Click to expand...

That's what I do.



Also, I can't tell exactly from your pix, but it looks like your containers have a way for water to leak out. Is this important?
Click to expand...

Most commercial nursery pots, those big black ones, have a drain hole in the bottom. Peppers don't like having wet feet, so there needs to be a way for it to drain. I have some large stainless steel pans I set my large pots in when I bring them inside. You can also get some plastic oil pans at places like Walmart that will hold a fairly large pot.
 
"doesn't moving the plants from one container to another cause a bit of a shock?"

Its the only way I can take care of large amounts of plants. For me, the less room they take up, the more plants I can start.
Wait till each pot is rootbound and transplanting is easy with little stress on the plant. I don't disturb the roots either, just plant the whole root ball in soil with good drainage.
 
Bigger is always better.
You can settle for something smaller, but it wont be the same.
Do you know who say that size doesn't matter? those who have a small one.

But when it comes to pots (lol), you should start with a small cup and keep on from there.
It's easier to control the temp, moistness and water supply.
Don't go big if you don't have to.
 
Omri said:
Bigger is always better.
You can settle for something smaller, but it wont be the same.
Do you know who say that size doesn't matter? those who have a small one.
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lol, i have a bunch of small ones, and big ones to.

haha.
 
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