nutrients Secondary Macronutrients, Container watering

texastepin · May 3, 2016

Hey hey everybody. Hope everyone is having a great time watching their plants grow. I have a few questions and or topics I'd like to talk about and get some feedback on. If I'm not permitted to post multiple topics in a single post, please let me know so I can edit.

1.   For my container plants I water once a week here in south central Texas (foliar spray if needed during a dry week). I try to not water with just tap water. I have a fish emulsion that is 3-1.5-2. I'm thinking those numbers are kind of high, so a lot of times I just use the emulsion that is on the cap grooves and such. I see a lot of people here use the Alaska brand, which I'm thinking or switching to.
     I'd like to know more about heavy top watering. I try to do bottom watering by letting the pot sit in water for a few seconds. I can noticeably see how much less water it takes with the soaking method rather than top watering with a pitcher. Would a gallon of water be too much for a 5 gallon container?

2.   Secondary macronutrients. What are the best ways to give pepper plants the proper dosage? Can you have a successful crop without adding secondary macronutrients? When should you add calcium, magnesium, sulfur, etc? Is an Epsom salt spray or mist the best way to use Epsom salt?

CAPCOM · May 3, 2016

I dont water on a schedule, I water when the plants need it only. Also I top water. I have bottom watered a few different ways and have found no benefit to it except to combat fungus gnats. As far as the other nuts you mentioned I add a 1/4 tsp of pure sulfur to my solo cup. my nutrient line pretty much supplies the rest,at least so far. I am still tweaking it. I dont use epsom salt.

A gallon of water to a 5 gal pot? that depends on how much of the gallon runs out the bottom as waste.If it all stays, it is too wet.

ReaperTheRed · May 3, 2016

Hey texastepin, what part of Texas you live? I'm in San Antonio but from Victoria. I use Alaska brand and do it every 3-4 weeks. Will start to use Epsom salt spray every 2 weeks or so. And just started using fox farm tomato fertilizer. So far my plants look pretty good. This is my second year doing it so I have lots to learn.

texastepin · May 4, 2016

I'm starting to realize that my main problem may be sunlight this year. I think I should be ok with everything else. I'm just over thinking on a lot of things. But I'm getting 6 hours of sunlight at best. That, and my roommate smokes a lot of smoke-able things, and I'm worried what that may do to the plants as well.

Hey there Reaper. Cool to have a fellow pepper lover here. Im in Austin. Wheres about are you in San Antonio. I lived there for a while. I have about the same amount of experience as you. Im doing container peppers.

Jase4224 · May 4, 2016

texastepin said:
I'm starting to realize that my main problem may be sunlight this year. I think I should be ok with everything else. I'm just over thinking on a lot of things. But I'm getting 6 hours of sunlight at best.

My plants only get 4 hours of full sun (my plants are outside) and that's assuming a sunny day. They still grow like crazy and now that the weather has cooled they are podding up quite well. If the plants are growing well then they can fruit well also.

Malarky · May 4, 2016

texastepin said:
...and my roommate smokes a lot of smoke-able things, and I'm worried what that may do to the plants as well.

its ok, i don't think your peppers will live long enough to get lung cancer

Chewi · May 4, 2016

ReaperTheRed said:
Hey texastepin, what part of Texas you live? I'm in San Antonio but from Victoria. I use Alaska brand and do it every 3-4 weeks. Will start to use Epsom salt spray every 2 weeks or so. And just started using fox farm tomato fertilizer. So far my plants look pretty good. This is my second year doing it so I have lots to learn.

hell yeah more Texas growers!! I'm up 35 and to the left a little from you in Weatherford. Every day under 100 is a win!

Calamari Kid · May 15, 2016

texastepin said:
... and my roommate smokes a lot of smoke-able things, and I'm worried what that may do to the plants as well.

Actually, I am intrigued too. What's the deal with that tobacco virus that peppers can catch?

Bacon and fish I buy smoked, personally I don't smoke anything, besides the occasional mishap with a pizza!

solid7 · May 16, 2016

Calamari Kid said:
Actually, I am intrigued too. What's the deal with that tobacco virus that peppers can catch?

Bacon and fish I buy smoked, personally I don't smoke anything, besides the occasional mishap with a pizza!

It's called tobacco mosaic virus, and it's supposed to be limited to only some Turkish strain of tobacco - which isn't used commercially, but appears to be quite popular amongst the recreational tobacco grower.

Tomatoes are way more susceptible to TMV than peppers, but you never know...

Anybody remember the X-Files episode, where the guy was killing people with the pests that were transmitted through the smoke from his Morleys? (true fans will always remember)

Galveston340 · May 16, 2016

Greets to my fellow Texas growers! Been a while since I have been on here as I have been pretty busy with this years grow.
One thing I want to share with Ya'll since you are here in the State and should be able to get it is what I have found is about the best locally produced product for feeding your plants that you will ever get your hands on, and that is Medina "HastaGro". It's a liquid 6-12-6 made in Hondo that I have been using since before I got started growing peppers. I use the 1oz/gallon solution when I am transplanting seedlings as well as for foliar spray and general watering when they need it.
The host of KTRH's "Garden Line" program on weekends out of Houston agrees it's about the best thing you could ever give to your plants.
Between the compost I make and this stuff I know that my 300+ plants really seem to love this stuff as they are loaded down with pods and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.