Building a new pepper garden.... Need your help.

[Beaglestorm]

So I am just about to move back into my house after being renovated slowly for over a year. Once we are in, we will start redoing the yard. Decided to bite the bullet and dedicate a space to build a raised pepper garden. I had planed to put fruit trees in the space but will scale that down to make some room for the chiles. Hoping there may still be some room for a few dwarf peaches or apricots. Ok so here is a first try at what the garden could look like:

This is just a first attempt. The overall space I have to work with is about 36' by 33'. One side has huge trees that will provide lots of late afternoon shade and hopfully help grow a few Rocoto's at that end of the garden. I have so many questions so any tips to avoid failure or things required for a successful build would be appreciated. The main questions I have are:

1) Does the plant spacing look ok? From reading here it varies from 12" up to about 36". This is currently 30" on center.

2) Should the rows be going the other direction facing south... running east-west? This n-s orientation is easier to build for me. Is there a more optimum use of the space I am overlooking?

3) Soil is pretty rocky, how deep should I excavate below the raised beds to prepare the soil? I am thinking the raised bed is about 12" high? SY recommended half the depth of the plants so maybe another 2 feet?

4) Soaker hose across the length? PVC Pipe with bubblers? Or is there something better to irrigate? June and July here are 100+. Tearing up yard anyway so might as well do it right.

5) Do I need additional shade for hot summer 100+ temps? I would guess this will get full sun from about 9 AM – 3 PM

Well that's enough questions for now. Thanks for reading this far.

Beaglestom

 

[franzb69]

i'm no expert by any means but here's what i think:

1) Does the plant spacing look ok? From reading here it varies from 12" up to about 36". This is currently 30" on center.

spacing's pretty good, but if you're worried about cross pollination then that's gonna be a bit of a problem.

2) Should the rows be going the other direction facing south... running east-west? This n-s orientation is easier to build for me. Is there a more optimum use of the space I am overlooking?

the plants that's close to the southern end will have more sun which means will grow faster than the ones over to the north so i'd put the annuums and frutescens plants nearer the southern edge so the chinenses will not overtake the smaller plants eventually.

Soil is pretty rocky, how deep should I excavate below the raised beds to prepare the soil? I am thinking the raised bed is about 12" high? SY recommended half the depth of the plants so maybe another 2 feet?

i'd be happy with 2 feet deep, but 3 feet is best.

4) Soaker hose across the length? PVC Pipe with bubblers? Or is there something better to irrigate? June and July here are 100+. Tearing up yard anyway so might as well do it right.

no experience with irrigation other than using a hose or a watering can, but i've been looking into drip system irrigation and that seems to be the way to go, and a timer.

5) Do I need additional shade for hot summer 100+ temps? I would guess this will get full sun from about 9 AM – 3 PM

what neil(THSC) does is he clumps his plants together to form a pepper canopy so they shade each other. i've been growing my plants out that way and have patterned it after seeing the results on pictures on facebook and other forums. but i do grow in the shade, helps to keep the soil moist longer, keeps the plants cooler....makes a micro climate as he says.

i grow under the shade of trees like acacia, mangoes, palm trees around the perimiter of the garden... keeps the plants cooler, i know most nightshades prefer full sun but, that doesn't really apply when you live in the tropics like me. a bit of shade in my area goes a long way.

hth.

 

[Tonly]

I think it's a nice layout. I have 48" wide raised beds and if they were any wider it would be difficult for me to reach the middle of the bed. If you make yours narrower, you might get one more bed and still have just as many plants in each one.

I think the N-S orientation is great especially if it's easier to build. Plant the taller plants on the east and north sides.
I planted my plants about 18" apart. I had great production but, I will use 24" to 30" for my chinense next year. I think you could crowd the smaller plants much closer and they will help support each other.

I have seen 8" deep raised beds on top of concrete do well, so, a 12" deep bed over rocky soil should be good.

I have been using soaker hoses. They work but don't last long. I plan to do something more permanent such as pvc this winter if time/$ allows. I am so busy in the summertime that a timer is a necessity.

I'm sure some one will have some thoughts on the 100* temps. When the heat hit here this summer, pod set on my plants went way down.

Should be great garden. Have fun with it.
T

 

[franzb69]

you could also check out some youtube videos, that growingyourgreens guy could help you out. lots of helpful information out there. =D

 

[Tonly]

What do the squares along the east wall represent?

 

[AlabamaJack]

I might as well throw my 2 cents in here...

1) Does the plant spacing look ok? From reading here it varies from 12" up to about 36". This is currently 30" on center.

30" spacing is fine...I ran 21" plant and row spacing this year and will expand to 30" plant spacing this next year with 36" between dual rows...just like you are planning...

2) Should the rows be going the other direction facing south... running east-west? This n-s orientation is easier to build for me. Is there a more optimum use of the space I am overlooking?

personally, I don't think it matters...the plants will grow as tall as they want/need to to get sufficient light...again this is MHO...also, the soil on the south end of the bed where there is no shade will get hotter than the soil in the "plant shaded area"...keep your roots cool...

3) Soil is pretty rocky, how deep should I excavate below the raised beds to prepare the soil? I am thinking the raised bed is about 12" high? SY recommended half the depth of the plants so maybe another 2 feet?

if you can grow a 6 foot tall chinense in a 5 gallon container, you can also do it with 12" soil as long as that soil is the same composition as you use in the containers...more depth = more space for roots to grow and also a cooler temperature...I would go at least 18" if I were doing it...and on the bottom of the area, use weed cloth before you put down your soil...

4) Soaker hose across the length? PVC Pipe with bubblers? Or is there something better to irrigate? June and July here are 100+. Tearing up yard anyway so might as well do it right.

I have tried many ways of watering my plants over the years and this year when I put the drip fertigation in, I was amazed at how much time and back pain it saved me...what ever kind of irrigation system you put in, using an inline fertilizer is mandatory in my opinion...they are not that expensive and easy to use..

5) Do I need additional shade for hot summer 100+ temps? I would guess this will get full sun from about 9 AM – 3 PM

I have issues here in North Texas with the summer heat...I lose July and August production...first it is sterile pollen then no pollen until September when the temps cool a bit...and most of my plants get full sun daylight to dark..

my remedy for this next year is to cover my chinense growing areas, my jalapenos and cayennes thrive in the heat...I will probably go with 30-50% white shade cloth at about 7' height and also have the south side shaded too...this cloth is going to have to be able to be moved/rolled up until the heat requires it (this is going to take some engineering (I have a 1 hp electric motor I can gear down to automatically move the cloth if I want to go to that extreme)...I will also put in a misting system on the frame for the shade cloth for some cooling...planning on having commercial oscilating fans on all four corners...right, wrong, or indiferrent, thats what I am thinking about...

rambling here now...sorry..

 

[Hot Pooper]

+1 on the soil depth that franz and AJ mentioned. I wouldnt go any less than 18"-24".
As far as a watering system goes....I have seen the drip irrigation work pretty well for people. I thought about soaker hoses myself next year, but decided against it.
And, like a couple people already said, I dont think the N-S, E-W matters. The same plants will get the same heat no matter what direction your rows are in.
And, like franz stated, give "clumping" a look. You can still isolate for seed, but you can plant more plants, and they will work a little better for you. There's a good thread on www.thechilliforum.com about clumping. I personally plan on doing it myself next year. I also know that there are a few members on here that do quite well with clumping. Give 'er a look and see what ya think!

 

[Silver_Surfer]

1) Does the plant spacing look ok? From reading here it varies from 12" up to about 36". This is currently 30" on center.

For that double row setup 30" should work fine and smaller varieties could be spaced even closer.

2) Should the rows be going the other direction facing south... running east-west? This n-s orientation is easier to build for me. Is there a more optimum use of the space I am overlooking?

North/south orientation is optimum for row crops as the plants will receive the most sun with this arrangement.

3) Soil is pretty rocky, how deep should I excavate below the raised beds to prepare the soil? I am thinking the raised bed is about 12" high? SY recommended half the depth of the plants so maybe another 2 feet?

If the soil is rocky don't go down, go up. 18" high beds will give your plant's roots ample room.

4) Soaker hose across the length? PVC Pipe with bubblers? Or is there something better to irrigate? June and July here are 100+. Tearing up yard anyway so might as well do it right.

Since this looks like you intend this to be a permanent installation, I'd recommend running one 3/4" PVC pipe down the center of each bed and tapping off of it with 1/4" tubing and emitters for each plant.

5) Do I need additional shade for hot summer 100+ temps? I would guess this will get full sun from about 9 AM – 3 PM

Shade during the hot summer months will definitely help IMO. You might consider a shade cloth canopy attached to a frame over each bed which would partially shield the plants while the sun was at its zenith.

Best of luck with your grow.

 

[franzb69]

one last tip. grow lots and lots of complementary plants. basil, fennel OR dill. basil for some reason helps make nightshades in my beds, on my seedling trays, on my windowsill just grow insanely better. healthier, grows faster, and somehow happier.

can't grow fennel and dill together coz they'll cross pollinate each other. but if you grow one or the other, that'll invite beneficial insects according to what i've been reading and according to some folks on other gardening forums.

i've heard growing plants from the allium family also is a great way to keep them pests away....been trying to do that, haaven't been quite successful with it, maybe i need to put more in the garden or something. pests do leave alliums alone... that and the fact that i love eating garlic, onions, chives and leeks.....

look into plants that'll be beneficial for them and you'll need to do less effort in your garden. =D

 

[AtomicArmadillo]

I put in a drip system last year (entire yard) and love it, few problems and fixing anything take no time at all plus my water bill went down drastically. It is nice to see you planed it so well, I planted so tight that I can barely squeeze in lol.

 

[chileaddict]

I found out that one of the best things the Lytle Farms did in Hatch was install a drip system. They don't even use the water from the Rio Grande. I think this is probably the best thing you can do considering the heat where you live. Also notice where the sun is setting this time of year. You would want the plants to get the most amount of sun and warmth at the end of your growing year when so many pods are hanging on and trying to ripen before the frost and the daylight hours diminish.

 

[Burning Colon]

....just a note, your diagram has a north tree and states it will block late afternoon and setting sun, I am no expert on Texas but in my area, north west of you, my sun tracks from east to west in a south sky, finally setting in the west. I could see if the tree was in the south/south west that this could happen. I have a tree, south of my garden and it shades during the mid day - I can't see how it could shade your garden at all(but I could be wrong, I've been incorrect many times before). Now that I got that off my chest(I am anal about the sun because during summer I can put my container plants on my north facing deck and because the sun is so high in the sky, it gets sun and it's a very convenient position for me to place the containers and by mid september, as the sun is lower in the sky, I lose this privilege and have to carry my plants to a sunny location. so its carry the plants out in the morning, carrying them in the house at night, day in, day out).

Here is a picture of my neighhbour's raised garden(several years old-runs east/west), for several years I have meaning to do the exact same setup but I keep delaying until I replace the fence. My neighbour's garden always produces large consistent vegetables and far early than mine. But, when I do finally get around to fixing my garden with in proper 4X8 lenghts, separated by 2 foot distances I will have it set up with a drip system.

 

[Beaglestorm]

Awesome feedback everybody... Trying to digest it all... then will post some revisions.

More info ....

Only planning on 2 Biker Billy's, 2 Heritage Big Jim's, and 4 Rocoto's at the shady end. The rest will be C. Chinense varieties.

My drawing does not show all the trees, or the big house to the west behind the hedge. So the area does get good shade after 3 or so. Tree is a mulberry and is over 50 years old and 60 feet high and 50 feet wide. A third of the garden (north end) has branches covering it. The branches are at about 25 feet high. Was planning on trimming the branches back if it is too shady at the north end.

So it looks like I will go up to an 18" raised garden and down 2 feet into the medium rocky soil to prepare it.

The little squares on the drawing were container plants. Will have a few to help with isolating some of the varieties that are hard to find. Also, never grown in the ground so the pots will be a backup for my favorite must have chiles in case the raised garden succumbs to my first year gardening skills. LOL

Will look at decreasing the separation between the raised areas or on one end where the smaller plants will go. My 4 year old would love to squeeze in there for me to grab all the chiles. Might be able to recover some more space for more chiles or a dwarf peach tree, Honestly though, if 72 chile plants can’t make me happy, someone needs to walk up and slap me right now.

Adding Basil, Fennel and Garlic to the garden sounds like an awesome idea. Weather it helps or not those are three of my favorites. Could I just plant them in between the chiles? Or would I need to kick chiles out to make room for them?

When I was a t the local Farmers Market here this summer the Ag Extension service was there and agreed the only way to go here in West Texas was a drip system. PVC it is then. Maybe I need to go up to hatch and talk with a few of the farmers.

Thanks for everybody input so far, so many more questions to come I'm sure. Will document the progress as I go forward. Still a few weeks away from doing this so If you have any additional advice, I would love to hear it and get it incorporated into the final design.

Reading about "clumping" now.

 

[thaichillihead]

I'll just comment on the basil. I planted Thai basil plants throughout my pepper patch. There were no aphid breakouts in that area. But they were no help against hornworms. However, I plant basil for the bees. I have more bees visiting my garden with flowering basils.

Good luck with the first year.

 

[muskymojo]

Wow, that's gonna be awesome! Wish I had that much space. What are you planning to use for material?
I'm a fan of taller beds because you don't have to kneel down or stand on your head to garden. You can sit on the edge and pull weeds or pick peppers comfortably. Also you don't need to do as much ground prep. I lined the bottom of mine with galvenized hardware cloth to keep out gophers and such. Mine is just over 2 feet tall and bunnies don't jump up there yet every time I go into my back yard I see at least one. If you make it 12" high you will likely also need a fence around them. Plus,the plants are just better to look at when up a little higher. I also have a bad back and maybe you're more limber than me.
I agree that 60" wide might be a reach. Draw it out in the dirt and see how far you can reach without climbing into the bed. You can have a 48" wide bed and still keep your plants 30" apart. Just plant them 9" from the outside wall instead of 15". It works good for me. Everything else looks pretty good to me. It's going to be a great garden any way you decide to do it! And a big one!

 

[Beaglestorm]

I agree that 60" wide might be a reach. Draw it out in the dirt and see how far you can reach without climbing into the bed. You can have a 48" wide bed and still keep your plants 30" apart. Just plant them 9" from the outside wall instead of 15". It works good for me. Everything else looks pretty good to me. It's going to be a great garden any way you decide to do it! And a big one!

I was wondering if spacing them off center would be ok, Thanks, I like this idea. It is also easier to make them taller if they are smaller.

 

[Beaglestorm]

I'll just comment on the basil. I planted Thai basil plants throughout my pepper patch. There were no aphid breakouts in that area. But they were no help against hornworms. However, I plant basil for the bees. I have more bees visiting my garden with flowering basils.

Good luck with the first year.

Great! I will plant a bunch of them. If the basil gets crowded out by the chile plants no big deal they are there first to help the chile, and second to be eaten.

 

[Burning Colon]

I may have overlooked it, in all the posts, but what are you planning for a soil mixture?

(when I do mine(next year) I think I am going to mix a bail of coconut coir, you can get them in compact bails and when water is added the expand to 5 times its compact size).

 

[Beaglestorm]

I may have overlooked it, in all the posts, but what are you planning for a soil mixture?

(when I do mine(next year) I think I am going to mix a bail of coconut coir, you can get them in compact bails and when water is added the expand to 5 times its compact size).

My first thought was that I was just going to fill them with top soil them mix in some compost and maybe eggshells. I was going to do some research and ask some questions here before I did it though. I had a bad felling my plan was way too simple to work. Do I have to treat the raised garden like a potted plant? (Promix and perfect drainage?) I had such a hard time getting the soil right (I never did) for my pots this year, I was hoping putting them in the ground would eliminate a lot of the headaches.

 

[Tonly]

My first thought was that I was just going to fill them with top soil them mix in some compost and maybe eggshells. I was going to do some research and ask some questions here before I did it though. I had a bad felling my plan was way too simple to work. Do I have to treat the raised garden like a potted plant? (Promix and perfect drainage?) I had such a hard time getting the soil right (I never did) for my pots this year, I was hoping putting them in the ground would eliminate a lot of the headaches.

I prefer to not use too much topsoil in the raised beds to keep the mix light, well draining and easy to work. I use a mix of sand, sawdust, peat moss, and compost. This doesn't provide much in the way of plant nutrition so I have to feed my plants regularly. I also use quite a bit of lime. It is a source of calcium. Gypsum will also provide calcium and might be recommended if you don't want to raise the soil ph.
I haven't been too successful growing in containers yet. The raised beds are much easier for me to get decent results.