I'm a noob at growing (except jalapenos a few years back) - was wondering if anything good can be said for growing in just good quality soil, water and plenty of sun. All this talk of hydroponics, lighting, heat mats, etc. can be a little intimidating! Or is that stuff just for overwintering?
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Can growing be simple?
- Thread starter meinchoh
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I guess, growing things is quite easy, just that there are more complicated methods which can produce better results, but not always. In reality, all that you need to grow anything is a pot, good soil, water, fertillizer and a light source. All of the hydroponics crap, grow lights, and whatnot are for those who wish to optimize and maximize the performance of their crops. With soil, its pretty hard to completely mess everything up, where with hydroponics, there is a greater chance for mistakes to be made.
To answer the question, you'll do fine with just nothing but the basics. There's a lot of growers out there who successfully grow their plants in a bucket by the windowsill!
To answer the question, you'll do fine with just nothing but the basics. There's a lot of growers out there who successfully grow their plants in a bucket by the windowsill!
to me it just feels right to grow plants in the earth, giving them plenty of water, sun, and fertilizer (don't forget this especially if you're in intensively used soil). that said, natural dirt is just one of many media for delivering all the requirements for plant growth, and one can get the same results with other soil-less methods. better results? not sure about that--I'll bet this has been debated here though I haven't paid much attention to topics/forums about hydroponics.
I share a greenhouse with horticulture teachers that use hydroponics set-ups for their classes. Looks like it could be fun, and they sure work (at least for the cilantro and basil they have going now). But I'm going to stick with soil (and tea made from Indonesian bat turds) for now.
I share a greenhouse with horticulture teachers that use hydroponics set-ups for their classes. Looks like it could be fun, and they sure work (at least for the cilantro and basil they have going now). But I'm going to stick with soil (and tea made from Indonesian bat turds) for now.
Yep its basic good dirt good sun good water good poop(fertilizer) and your good to go, I started making my kids throw everything organic(no food goes into the trash) into my compost bin about 1 year ago I have some awesome dark earth now. Oh and now the raccoons cats dogs etc.. don't knock over my trash cans anymore!!!
I'm just west of you - between Mentor and Cleveland - and I grow in pots. As you're probably aware, our grow season is ridiculously short compared to, say, Houston (where I grew up.) Growing in pots helps extend my grow season, as I can bring the plants indoors when it's too cold. But also, starting seeds indoors in December/January makes a huge diff, too. If you want to start seeds indoors, you'll want good heat and light sources. Most people use a heat mat for germinating their seeds, unless they keep their house plenty warm. Then the lights are to help with the growth after they sprout.
So the question is "what do you want out of your grow?" If you're happy with quick producers (annuums are a good example), then you can pick up plants at a local nursery each year and don't need to bother with starting your own. But if you want producers that take a while, then you'll need to get a bit more complicated. Hydroponics isn't required, but the heat and light are, as well as ferts.
So the question is "what do you want out of your grow?" If you're happy with quick producers (annuums are a good example), then you can pick up plants at a local nursery each year and don't need to bother with starting your own. But if you want producers that take a while, then you'll need to get a bit more complicated. Hydroponics isn't required, but the heat and light are, as well as ferts.
Growing anything requires knowledge of what you are growing. You need to know what soil conditions it likes, temperatures, amount of adequate root space it needs per foot of growth.(If using pots) (otherwise it will limit the size your plant will grow) Just read up on what you want to grow, be it Jalapenos, cilantro, carrots or super hots. Maybe they like 85+ deg. with moderate humidity and plenty of phosphorous or something else all together. The basics are simple and if you put a seed in the ground give it water and sun it will grow. (even without fertilizer) but what everyone in here is trying to do, is give their plants the perfect conditions for optimum growth. For bigger and better harvests. Start out small and read up and you will be growing with exotic compost and water from the himalayas in no time 
Hey neighbor! I'll probably start the seeding/germinating process indoors (next month) and, as you do, stay with large pots. I'm guessing that they won't spend any appreciable amount of time outdoors until late April or early May? Heck, I'll be picking your brain as much as I can! lol!..
I don't know the difference in growing a jalapeno and growing a TS (soil and water requirements, etc.) but I have had very good luck with the jalapenos. I just want to grow one super hot pepper plant and enjoy that, this year. Next year, hopefully more, after I learn what I'm doing. A guy on THP is sending me some 7 pot Jonah seeds, so I'm pretty excited about that! I would like to grow some Chocolate Habs at some point too...I don't believe that I'm wanting a "quick producer" - I'll wait for the results as long as need be. Just don't want a version of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree!...Thanks for the tips!!!
I don't know the difference in growing a jalapeno and growing a TS (soil and water requirements, etc.) but I have had very good luck with the jalapenos. I just want to grow one super hot pepper plant and enjoy that, this year. Next year, hopefully more, after I learn what I'm doing. A guy on THP is sending me some 7 pot Jonah seeds, so I'm pretty excited about that! I would like to grow some Chocolate Habs at some point too...I don't believe that I'm wanting a "quick producer" - I'll wait for the results as long as need be. Just don't want a version of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree!...Thanks for the tips!!!
Better yet, start a worm bin! I find it satifying seeing all those little critters turning my waste into black gold...
Superhots are usuallly later producers than jalapenos. One thing to keep in mind is that different plants do have different requirements, but not typically significantly different. I started out with just 3 pepper plants - 2 jalapenos and a cayenne. I found the cayenne uptakes water faster than the jalapeno, so had to water it more often, but not much more. However, this year I went to 48 plants (insanity), and found the aji habanero uptakes water much, much faster than any other plants that I grow - I have to water it like every 3rd day, while most of the other varieties would tolerate a week. So yes, read up on what you can, but also know that your plants will teach you what they need.
Yes it can be that easy.... I think some people like to push things to the limit... I mean ya can buy a 75 dollar mt bike at walmart to tool around on or spend thousands trying to get that lil more. Just read this forum, and figure out what works for you. I grow as a hobby, but it can get addicting as well.
You may not need to start to early considering when your last frost date occurs.
Planting with 10 to 12 weeks of indoor lighting, possibly combined with some southern facing sunlight through a window would yield some good strong plants to take out in May. Planting any sooner will add up in the costs and sometimes produces taller spindly plants that can't support the fruit when planted outdoors. Container planting and square ft gardens are becoming more popular in the last decade, If space is an issue.Otherwise if you can plant in the "dirt" you'll end up with larger plants that will produce more pods.
Good luck with your ventures...plant a variety even if its only a few. Its always enjoyable to have a surplus of various types of peppers ripening at different times.
Greg
Planting with 10 to 12 weeks of indoor lighting, possibly combined with some southern facing sunlight through a window would yield some good strong plants to take out in May. Planting any sooner will add up in the costs and sometimes produces taller spindly plants that can't support the fruit when planted outdoors. Container planting and square ft gardens are becoming more popular in the last decade, If space is an issue.Otherwise if you can plant in the "dirt" you'll end up with larger plants that will produce more pods.
Good luck with your ventures...plant a variety even if its only a few. Its always enjoyable to have a surplus of various types of peppers ripening at different times.
Greg
I've had a garden the last several years, and I started out very simple- buy plants, put them in dirt, water occasionally. I've recently started getting more interested in the hot peppers; and the more I learn, the more complicated I wanted to make things. Now I've got some bhuts going in a box I've built in the basement, with enough room in there to start my seeds for next spring. Plus I've got every thing I need for a few DWC hydro peppers also, and I've spent less than $100 on it all so far.
Simple is good, for sure! But with all of the know-how on these boards, I've learned to do a few things that I had no interest in doing before joining. Plus a lot of it doesn't take much more than a little extra time...
Simple is good, for sure! But with all of the know-how on these boards, I've learned to do a few things that I had no interest in doing before joining. Plus a lot of it doesn't take much more than a little extra time...
AlabamaJack
eXtreme
short answer is as has been said before...you can make it as simple as you wish...
with the exception of hydroponics, the lighting, heat mats,etc are mostly used for, as you say, overwintering....plus seed starting...
IMO how many seeds you start each year dictates your needs....you definitely need a controlled environment for seed starting....82-86F constant is best...and if you ever let your seeds dry out after they have started the germination process, they are toast...dead, kaput, gone, etc....
I grow a bunch of plants in 5 gallon containers each year...so many that hand watering takes me about 2 hours a pop...so, that is why I went to drip fertigation...everything is automated and once the plants are in their final growing place, I don't have to do anything except sit back and watch them grow, add fertilize to the fertigator once a week, and watch out for nasties on the plants (as Nova said)
with the exception of hydroponics, the lighting, heat mats,etc are mostly used for, as you say, overwintering....plus seed starting...
IMO how many seeds you start each year dictates your needs....you definitely need a controlled environment for seed starting....82-86F constant is best...and if you ever let your seeds dry out after they have started the germination process, they are toast...dead, kaput, gone, etc....
I grow a bunch of plants in 5 gallon containers each year...so many that hand watering takes me about 2 hours a pop...so, that is why I went to drip fertigation...everything is automated and once the plants are in their final growing place, I don't have to do anything except sit back and watch them grow, add fertilize to the fertigator once a week, and watch out for nasties on the plants (as Nova said)
I started with the Jalapenos and cayennes as well a few years back. I just recently found about all the "superhots" I had no idea these types of peppers even existed unitl I found this forum and Cross Country Nursery. This year was my first year growing any superhots. I found the process to be just about the same as the cayennes and jalapenos, everything just happens alot slower with the chinense peppers. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want to really. I grew mine in miracle grow and 5 gallon Lowe's buckets...could I have had better, healthier plants using more expensive soil and pots? well of course but before I invested alot of money into Pro-mix and Smart pots I wanted to see if I could be successful in growing them at all, turns out I could so I have bought me some indoor lights and smart pots and pro-mix and am ready to go for next season.
i grow produce for a living so grow a vast variety of different crops... peppers are among the very easiest to grow. take care of them well when they are very young and they become pretty low maintenance after that. can extra care/expense make them do better? of course, but you can do pretty darn well growing simply with peppers. tomatoes on the other hand are some finicky, disease prone bastards...
I grew my first pepper from seed ~2 years ago but Phoenix has two seasons a year. Here are a couple of things I have learned
1. Anything but miracle grow organic to start seeds.
2. Starting seeds indoors with a heating mat (choose your method) will get you close to 100% germination
3. An established plant (one that is at least a month old and not leggy) is hard to kill
4. Nuke aphids
so I plant the seeds in a styrofoam cup with drains, fill with pro-mix, water from the bottom, slip in seeds, cover with snack size ziplock bags and wait for hooks. Once I get hooks take off bag and put under CFL. Occasionally water below. Pot up when needed. Put in ground, buckets, hydro, sip buckets (yeah I do all those methods at once).
In my opinion if you ae going to do seeds you need a heat pad and lights or expect a high failure rate (I know). Dropping a healthy plant into the ground is ~80% of it.
1. Anything but miracle grow organic to start seeds.
2. Starting seeds indoors with a heating mat (choose your method) will get you close to 100% germination
3. An established plant (one that is at least a month old and not leggy) is hard to kill
4. Nuke aphids
so I plant the seeds in a styrofoam cup with drains, fill with pro-mix, water from the bottom, slip in seeds, cover with snack size ziplock bags and wait for hooks. Once I get hooks take off bag and put under CFL. Occasionally water below. Pot up when needed. Put in ground, buckets, hydro, sip buckets (yeah I do all those methods at once).
In my opinion if you ae going to do seeds you need a heat pad and lights or expect a high failure rate (I know). Dropping a healthy plant into the ground is ~80% of it.