-
If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
plant deeper for more support
- Thread starter Itoero
- Start date
I vote for no, in fact I do not even remove the leaves.
I would actually opt for just using external supports to support your peppers vs planting deeper. Other than maybe helping support the plant when its full of fruit, planting peppers deeper has no benefits. Unlike tomato plants, peppers will not grow roots along the previously exposed stem.
There is a good YouTube video of a commercial grower doing an experiment where in the spring he transplanted tomatoes and peppers into the ground 4 inches deeper than they were in the pot. At the end of the season he pulled all the plants. You could see a discoloration line where both the tomatoes and peppers were exposed to air before they were planted in the ground. All the tomatoes had new root growth along the 4 inches of stem, but none of the peppers had any root growth above that line.
There is a good YouTube video of a commercial grower doing an experiment where in the spring he transplanted tomatoes and peppers into the ground 4 inches deeper than they were in the pot. At the end of the season he pulled all the plants. You could see a discoloration line where both the tomatoes and peppers were exposed to air before they were planted in the ground. All the tomatoes had new root growth along the 4 inches of stem, but none of the peppers had any root growth above that line.
I agree with turbo that I wouldn't plant them very deep. Plants do best when some of the roots are near the surface. If you bury the existing roots deep, they might not get as much oxygen.
But healthy peppers will *eventually* grow roots along the previously exposed stem. Otherwise taking cuttings and replanting would never work (but they do). Also, sometimes I see aggressively rooting plants start to make roots from the base of the main stalk, above the soil line.
Still, it's best not to go too deep. Like turbo, I think you'd have better results with external support to keep the plant upright.
But healthy peppers will *eventually* grow roots along the previously exposed stem. Otherwise taking cuttings and replanting would never work (but they do). Also, sometimes I see aggressively rooting plants start to make roots from the base of the main stalk, above the soil line.
Still, it's best not to go too deep. Like turbo, I think you'd have better results with external support to keep the plant upright.
I plant deeper for a very different reason. I want the roots nearer the bottom of the pot. Why? preventing root rot. Especially if you bottom water, the soil at the bottom of the pot can get very wet. If all of your roots are shallow, they can't reach the water and the soil will stagnate.
As stated above, healthy plants will grow roots out of the stem if it is under the soil. No issues with burring deeper.
As stated above, healthy plants will grow roots out of the stem if it is under the soil. No issues with burring deeper.
I recommend not burying the root ball more than 2 inches. I like to plant my transplants into a hole that is roughly the same size as the original pot. Then I top dress with one to two more inches of soil. Throughout the season I continue to top dress as needed (anytime the roots are exposed). Tomatoes love to be burried (even 3/4 of the plant.) However, peppers tend to prefer a more direct transplant. The most I recommend burying is the bottom fourth.
Itoero said:
^ Exactly right. I don't see any reason to let the wounds heal before you transplant. I don't often plant deeper, but the times I do, I don't plant deep enough to have to remove leaves. Maybe just an inch or two. A plant will grow adventitious roots if its stem is still young and green. Once they start to stiffen up and turn brown and barky, you're just asking for stem rot.
edit: spelling
I know that's true of tomatoes as they have hair on the stems that becomes roots. Not so sure about peppers though.Itoero said:
It's not the trichomes that turn into roots. Adventitious roots form from phloem tissue on the insides of stems.Proud Marine Dad said:
I cannot find the picture but I had a massive plant last year with a crazy root system that was planted about 6 inches deeper at plant out. The reason I did this was regardless of how much fan air was on them indoors, they could not handle the Spring storms. Lesson learned from 2012 when 90% of my plants were blown over and yes they were in the ground. 
Thanks for the clarification.dash 2 said:
I got excited when you said trichomes though.
Typically most potted plants that fall over (excluding strong winds) do so because the soil was not packed in around them firmly enough. Just slap more soil in there and pack it down good.
Consider that plants in the ground can send their roots out and down as far as they want, but in a pot, the farthest they can go is within the perimeters of the pot. Plants that naturally have more extensive root systems need all the room they can get, so are better off planted with the stem base close to the soil line to provide maximum room for the roots. Regardless of the size, I recommend staking them or using tomato cages. I use 3 wood rods in each pot and tie string around them to kind of replicate a tomato cage.
Strong winds coming? You have two approaches with plants in pots - a) move the pots to shelter, or b) lay them down on their sides until the winds pass. If laying down, try to lay them so that the pot bases are what get hit with the wind first. (If the wind is blowing east to west, the pot should be east with the plant laying to the west.) Laying them down still risks some damage, but usually it's significantly less than if they are upright.
Consider that plants in the ground can send their roots out and down as far as they want, but in a pot, the farthest they can go is within the perimeters of the pot. Plants that naturally have more extensive root systems need all the room they can get, so are better off planted with the stem base close to the soil line to provide maximum room for the roots. Regardless of the size, I recommend staking them or using tomato cages. I use 3 wood rods in each pot and tie string around them to kind of replicate a tomato cage.
Strong winds coming? You have two approaches with plants in pots - a) move the pots to shelter, or b) lay them down on their sides until the winds pass. If laying down, try to lay them so that the pot bases are what get hit with the wind first. (If the wind is blowing east to west, the pot should be east with the plant laying to the west.) Laying them down still risks some damage, but usually it's significantly less than if they are upright.
What about the hairy C. pubescens?
When I transplant from the starter peat pods to 3" paper cups, I get the plants as deep as I can (usually to the point of the first not-true leaves.)
Later when I transplant outside to the ground I try to get the cups an inch or three below the soil line. (Depends on how strong the stem is, some I go deeper than others).
Last year I had good results with this.
I actually had my irish wolfhound SNAP a stem last year. Broke the plant right the heck in half. A little more than 1/2 the stem was broke; the other 1/2 bent 90 degrees.
I wetted it down, splinted the stalk with a stick, ran a loom of wire tie around the stalk & stick, made some mud, and built up a mound of mud to about 6" high.
Plant survived and produced fine - late in the fall I tore down the mound of packed mud I'd made around it and discovered it'd re-rooted itself above and below the splint I made.
The offending creature... (the bottom most pepper is the one he later broke)
And the Reaper plant he broke, 3 months later. It was still alive and very healthy, produced fairly good, given the near-death setback it had.
Moral of the story, they'll grow roots up the stalk, if they have the right conditions for it!
Later when I transplant outside to the ground I try to get the cups an inch or three below the soil line. (Depends on how strong the stem is, some I go deeper than others).
Last year I had good results with this.
I actually had my irish wolfhound SNAP a stem last year. Broke the plant right the heck in half. A little more than 1/2 the stem was broke; the other 1/2 bent 90 degrees.
I wetted it down, splinted the stalk with a stick, ran a loom of wire tie around the stalk & stick, made some mud, and built up a mound of mud to about 6" high.
Plant survived and produced fine - late in the fall I tore down the mound of packed mud I'd made around it and discovered it'd re-rooted itself above and below the splint I made.
The offending creature... (the bottom most pepper is the one he later broke)
And the Reaper plant he broke, 3 months later. It was still alive and very healthy, produced fairly good, given the near-death setback it had.
Moral of the story, they'll grow roots up the stalk, if they have the right conditions for it!
Not as guilty as when he was a puppy and I woke up to this...
My wife was sitting there on her laptop, calmly waiting for me to wake up and come down stairs...
We ended up getting a new couch - He ate another cushion the next day...
Even full grown now, he's just a big lap dog though.
When he goes off full-bore chasing a cat through the garden though all I can do is stand in shocked horror with the words NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hung up in my throat.
He did a number on my plants, a number of times last year, but remarkably, didn't outright KILL any.
BTW, I'm 6' 1" and 180 lbs... "Marley" is bigger than me. He can nose-bump an 8' ceiling when we play catch - without his hind legs leaving the ground..
My wife was sitting there on her laptop, calmly waiting for me to wake up and come down stairs...
We ended up getting a new couch - He ate another cushion the next day...
Even full grown now, he's just a big lap dog though.
When he goes off full-bore chasing a cat through the garden though all I can do is stand in shocked horror with the words NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hung up in my throat.
He did a number on my plants, a number of times last year, but remarkably, didn't outright KILL any.
BTW, I'm 6' 1" and 180 lbs... "Marley" is bigger than me. He can nose-bump an 8' ceiling when we play catch - without his hind legs leaving the ground..
Now that is a Doge!!!