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New Grower in Sacramento,CA

i have been on this forum for years but am finally in a spot where i can grow what i want.
 
We will be growing the following plants in pots:
 
Peach Habanero
Yellow Scotch Bonnet
Chocolate Scotch Bonnet
Carolina Reapers
 
I am a total newb to growing peppers but have grown many veggies throughout my lifetime. I know in my area i will be needing a sun shade of sorts after that i am open to any and all suggestions.
 
I need help in the following for sure:
 
1. Proper soil/medium mixtures - there is so much info it can get overwhelming at times.
 
2. Proper fertilizers 
 
3. Local trusted gardening suppliers
 
 
You can take any off-the-shelf potting mix and have good results. It sort of depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go. I would suggest asking around local nurseries if they have a "house mix" and adding about 1/4 to 1/3 that volume of perlite and the recommended amount of Espoma Tomato Tone. That may be the cheapest and easiest way to go.
 
suchen said:
You can take any off-the-shelf potting mix and have good results. It sort of depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go. I would suggest asking around local nurseries if they have a "house mix" and adding about 1/4 to 1/3 that volume of perlite and the recommended amount of Espoma Tomato Tone. That may be the cheapest and easiest way to go.
That's what we were going to do is go to a local nursery to see what they had kicking around and could recommend...i want close to the best as i want to start off with the proper stuff so i am not trying to fight another problem if i cheaped out in the beginning.
 
You can't go wrong with Fox Farm Ocean Forrest for container growing. It shouldn't need any added nutes for a couple months.
 
hogleg said:
You can't go wrong with Fox Farm Ocean Forrest for contain growing. It shouldn't need any added nutes for a couple months.
i just finished finding a local nursery that carries it before i read this..lol
 
Edit: container 
 
Should be around $10 a bag. Which is cheap compared to what people in other states pay for it. Its very popular in the pepper growing circles. 
 
hogleg said:
Edit: container 
 
Should be around $10 a bag. Which is cheap compared to what people in other states pay for it. Its very popular in the pepper growing circles. 
yup found one place that has it for 10.99 a bag...i will be making a trip tomorrow there to stock up
 
Hello and welcome :) I'm also in Sacramento. Specifically the Carmichael area.
 
 
I know in my area i will be needing a sun shade of sorts after that i am open to any and all suggestions.
 
I need help in the following for sure:
 
1. Proper soil/medium mixtures - there is so much info it can get overwhelming at times.
 
2. Proper fertilizers 
 
3. Local trusted gardening suppliers
 
I had to move many of my peppers that were in full sun into much more shady locations last grow season. Summers are just too intense for many varieties imo and limited experience. I will be putting up shade cloth [not sure on strength yet] for all my peppers soon.
 
Proper soil mix honestly I am still trying to feel out. BUT my plan of attack is to get a couple truck loads of 'Organic Planter Mix' from Nimbus Landscape Materials. I got a quote and it was WAY cheaper than what I'd get from bags from Home Depot.
 
http://www.nimbuslandscapematerials.com/product-category/soil-and-compost
 
"A soil blend made from our mushroom compost, organic compost, topsoil and sand."
 
I'm probably going to add bonemeal and perlite to it and call it a day.
 
Now I am also starting a rather large warm farm for the purpose of fertilizing all my peppers with wormcastings throughout the season. Ordered red wigglers for this purpose.
 
Spicy Mushroom said:
Hello and welcome :) I'm also in Sacramento. Specifically the Carmichael area.
 
 
I had to move many of my peppers that were in full sun into much more shady locations last grow season. Summers are just too intense for many varieties imo and limited experience. I will be putting up shade cloth [not sure on strength yet] for all my peppers soon.
 
Proper soil mix honestly I am still trying to feel out. BUT my plan of attack is to get a couple truck loads of 'Organic Planter Mix' from Nimbus Landscape Materials. I got a quote and it was WAY cheaper than what I'd get from bags from Home Depot.
 
http://www.nimbuslandscapematerials.com/product-category/soil-and-compost
 
"A soil blend made from our mushroom compost, organic compost, topsoil and sand."
 
I'm probably going to add bonemeal and perlite to it and call it a day.
 
Now I am also starting a rather large warm farm for the purpose of fertilizing all my peppers with wormcastings throughout the season. Ordered red wigglers for this purpose.
i am for sure getting a shade cloth, i think i am going with 30 shade 
 
i managed to keep some herbs last year thriving (without proper care) so we will see this year
 
thanks for the link i will check them out for sure
 
BamsBBQ said:
i am for sure getting a shade cloth, i think i am going with 30 shade 
 
 
I too got a shade cloth for the brutal Florida summer. I might get a 50 or 60% if I were you. I got a 30% and actually doubled it over which has been fantastic for the tomatoes, and good for the peppers as well. Biggest fatalii plants I have yet grown, though that could be down to multiple factors since I changed soil as well.
 
added some peppers to the grow list
 
6 for $3.49
 
Thai Chili
 
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Trinidad Scorpion - 4.50
 
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Caribbean Red aka Red Scotch Bonnet 6 for $3.49
 
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Which nursery are you going to? Green Acres in Folsom? They shut down two nurseries that I always used to goto near my location in Carmichael. Green Acres is the only one I know of that has a slightly more impressive selection of peppers. 
 
I have extra plants and extra seeds if you'd be interesting in doing a trade for some of your yellow scotch bonnet seeds.
 
As for the shade cloth I am debating between 30-60. Also considering getting aluminet shade cloth as it's supposedly more reflective and thus helps cool just a tad more.
 
Spicy Mushroom said:
Which nursery are you going to? Green Acres in Folsom? They shut down two nurseries that I always used to goto near my location in Carmichael. Green Acres is the only one I know of that has a slightly more impressive selection of peppers. 
 
I have extra plants and extra seeds if you'd be interesting in doing a trade for some of your yellow scotch bonnet seeds.
 
As for the shade cloth I am debating between 30-60. Also considering getting aluminet shade cloth as it's supposedly more reflective and thus helps cool just a tad more.
yup Green Acres, i love that store, their plants all look healthy there compared to other places.
 
i have no seeds, i just bought plants for my first time... but i have two more new yellow bonnet plants coming as replacements for the two that arrived damaged yesterday...i would be willing to trade two of them for something different
 
if you decide to go with a shade cloth, let me know, maybe we can get together and buy a bulk piece or save on shipping... ideally i need two pieces 6 ft x 16 ft minimum
 
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