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Pot size and overall numbers...

Masher

Masher

First yr I did plain old bell peppers in raised beds. Following yr same beds, moved on to Jalapenos and Pepperoncini.
 
Last yr, again same beds moving onto Reapers and Pepperoncini.
 
This yr I went a little further with Fatalii, Choc Moruga, Habaneros, Bhut Jolokia.
 
Now i have harvested and discovered this site....of course, I now want to expand my pepper growing 10 fold seeing the 1000's of new choices available world wide.
 
But, I live on a 150' x 75' city lot....approx 1/5 of this space is gardening and I have a total of 4 gardening raised beds.
 
Primarily for lettuces, carrots, beans, garlic, onions, kale, radishes, and the peppers (one 4'x10') dedicated to peppers.
 
Harvest was huge...to huge to be honest, so now I want to add container gardening..I already am doing 9 tomato's in 15 gal pots.
 
I have another 10' by 20' space that can be used for peppers only and containers/pots.
 
 
I wasn't thinking of using 15's.......to keep costs down and to successfully manage my first endeavor into a large pepper grow, what size of pots can you use and still get a respectable harvest from a container pepper?
 
1 gal?
 
3gal?
 
5gal?
 
The pots I am referring to would be the black commercial pots when turned upside down have numbers indicating size
 
NC1, NC2, NC3, NC5  etc etc.
 
My thoughts are to be able to get enough pod production to be able to see growing result of the plant, yield, and collect a few seeds for myself and generate a minimal seeds trade list to participate here on THP and some friends.
 
Any advice would be welcomed....I am not a novice grower, but by no means would I say I am skilled or an expert.
 
It's a hobby and I like to eat what I grow....now i have the pepper bug and want to play.
 
I use all sizes but prefer 5 gal.


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I have about a dozen or more what they call TALL 15's...Kinda leaning towards those to transplants the seed starts into and putting my over winters (if they survive) into some 20's
 
I like that group pic....looks like mostly 3gal buckets similar to the cat littler one we buy. I have about 9 of those on hand as well.
 
Masher said:
 
I like that group pic....looks like mostly 3gal buckets similar to the cat littler one we buy. I have about 9 of those on hand as well.
Click to expand...
 
The front row of black nursery pots are 2 gal except the one to far right is 10, the 2nd row/white buckets are 3 gal food stuffs containers and the back row are the 5 gal. size. I like the 5 gal. because of the handle to move them around when necessary and I put a stake in the middle of the pot attaching the handle with a twist-tie and support the plant with string to the stake.
 
5 gal all the way, seems to be just enough for a big health root ball. Anything bigger seems to get too compacted/poor drainage/rot risk for me.. no matter how much perlite I add.
But then again I'm in the NW.

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madlionsmith said:
5 gal all the way, seems to be just enough for a big health root ball. Anything bigger seems to get too compacted/poor drainage/rot risk for me.. no matter how much perlite I add.
But then again I'm in the NW.
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You may want to consider using coco coir instead of peat. You can use it much longer, and it doesn't have the compaction problems. I live in a state with torrential downpours, and I'm not going back to peat.
 
1st year growing peppers, and I tried 1Gal and 2Gal sizes as an experiment. I'd say the 1gal produced around 25% the amount of peppers vs 2gal and grew a foot shorter. I think for 2017 I will graduate to 5Gal, seems to be the norm around here.
 
solid7 said:
You may want to consider using coco coir instead of peat. You can use it much longer, and it doesn't have the compaction problems. I live in a state with torrential downpours, and I'm not going back to peat.
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I have used coco before...I felt it required a lot of supplements and went back to a good potting soil mix amended with perlite, and mycos.
 
While it rains here plenty through fall and winter, early spring the summer grow season is generally perfect conditions.
RRichter said:
1st year growing peppers, and I tried 1Gal and 2Gal sizes as an experiment. I'd say the 1gal produced around 25% the amount of peppers vs 2gal and grew a foot shorter. I think for 2017 I will graduate to 5Gal, seems to be the norm around here.
Click to expand...
 
I think I will go with the Nursery NC15's I have on hand for next year seedling transpslants....if needed they can be up potted.
 
Other than my over winters this yr, my focus will be on seed harvest for 2017 and practicing some of the growing styles I am learning now.
 
good responses by everyone..thanks
 
Masher said:
I have used coco before...I felt it required a lot of supplements and went back to a good potting soil mix amended with perlite, and mycos.
 
While it rains here plenty through fall and winter, early spring the summer grow season is generally perfect conditions.
Click to expand...
I get that. I hear it alot. But coming from someone who put in the time to master growing in it, I'll tell you that it isn't as difficult as you may remember. It really only takes a compost addition. Mix 60/40 coco and perlite. Now, when that's well blended, mix that 80/20, cocc/perlite to compost. Any good compost will do. I use composted rabbit manure. If you use synthetic nutrients, CNS17 is a one-stop shop. If you use organic, I like Neptune's Harvest tomato and veg, with an occasional watering of molasses.

That method makes the happiest plants that I've been able to produce for awhile. Mind you, I was addressing the comment from the fella who was talking about all the rain he got, and subsequent compaction. You'll be hard pressed (no pun intended) to compact coco coir.
 
Yup, you hit the info spot on...I have a few leads for as much rabbit poo as I can get this next season.
 
Excellent compost and no worries on burning your plants...thanks for the info breakdown. I still have a bail on hand. Just might have to give it another try. 
 
Masher said:
Yup, you hit the info spot on...I have a few leads for as much rabbit poo as I can get this next season.
 
Excellent compost and no worries on burning your plants...thanks for the info breakdown. I still have a bail on hand. Just might have to give it another try.
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If you have to hydrate it yourself, the big thing is to make sure that you pre-wash it with some sort of calcium. Calcium displaces sodium, and you also want to pre-charge it. That is a critical step.

Otherwise, you can avoid that step by composting it for 4-6 months, and soaking/flushing it frequently.

Personally, I use powdered eggshells broken down in vinegar to prewash my coco coir, but you can also dissolve dolomitic lime in vinegar, for the same effect.
 
The way I see it, Coco coir is that ridiculously expensive soil less medium that only Cannabis growers would fork out for. When dealing with a large number of 5gal peppers it seems a bit excessive and unnecessary.

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madlionsmith said:
The way I see it, Coco coir is that ridiculously expensive soil less medium that only Cannabis growers would fork out for. When dealing with a large number of 5gal peppers it seems a bit excessive and unnecessary.
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Well, that's not at all true, but OK. It's a harsh indictment if you haven't grown with it before, and don't know the pros and cons - especially given that you mentioned compaction with peat. (also a soilless medium) But OK!

I've not grown cannabis, so I can assure you that you're already at least half wrong. ;)
 
madlionsmith said:
The way I see it, Coco coir is that ridiculously expensive soil less medium that only Cannabis growers would fork out for. When dealing with a large number of 5gal peppers it seems a bit excessive and unnecessary.

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Click to expand...
 
Kinda how I was looking at it as well (WA state is a legal cannabis state)..but like he suggested, it is an option in a water drenched environment.
 
I will be keeping with good box store potting mix, perlite and mycos for my location.
 
weather is still getting into high 50's to mid 60's so I still haven't pulled the garden pepper plants for over wintering. 
 
I did to a pretty aggressive cut back on them already, so this weather should help stabilize them for when I'm ready.
 
Masher said:
Kinda how I was looking at it as well (WA state is a legal cannabis state)..but like he suggested, it is an option in a water drenched environment.
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Do you throw away your peat mix every year?

Where I am at, peat won't last more than 18 months, before it's consumed beyond usefulness. I can get 4-5 years out of coco coir. I get better root structure, I get faster growth.

The project is yours, and I don't twist arms. But I'd strongly recommend trying before dismissing. Peat works plenty well for most people. But where you have issues, due to extenuating circumstances, you might be amazed how the coco can turn it around.
 
Without a doubt Coco has its advantages, but I'm in Oregon and all Coco Products are aimed at Cannabis growers and are $22+ a bag vs a sphagnum/perlite based potting mix at $8. It's up to you how much you wanna invest in a rather unpicky plant like peppers. I replenish soils not replace them.

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Well, that part does suck. Unless I'm in a pinch, I won't buy the bagged stuff. (you are definitely right about that being expensive) I guess I have it good, because I can get the 5kg dehydrated blocks for $11.

Yes, peppers should be just about the easiest thing in the world to grow, but the water thing makes it tough. Of course you know that...
 
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