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"Clumping" growing technique?

PepperJam said:
That looks really cool, maybe they are thriving because they support each other (physically, food-wise, shelter). Maybe plants are happier when they are together like that.
Click to expand...

I think that the physical support might have something to do with it aye :) I'm expecting that after a couple of years that they will fuse together into what's pretty much one plant, sharing the xylem and phloem etc... who knows!

Well maybe someone on here does, anyone done/read anything like this before?
 
I'm looking forward to learning more about 'clumping.' From what I could gather, it is growing the peppers in close promimity so the canopies support and shade each other. Might be especially good in the hot climates and maybe even beneficial in my area during hot spells.

@ The ChilliRat:
Your fused twisty plant looks most interesting, would be the ultimate clump, I guess! Did you start those from seedling stage, like with seeds in the same hole? How did you bind them over time? I'm sure I'll have excess seedlings to unleash some ungodly experimentation! :rofl: Would like to give that one a try. Thanks.
 
he had tons of people ask him about clumping so i'm sure he will explain it. i asked him on saturday as well. he has answered every question i've ever asked him quite thoroughly. still when i saw this thread i was hoping to get an answer. oh well. i'm sure neil will explain it or do a video.
 
Ed,
Did you check out that link I posted? TONS of good info in there. I know Neil and Cappy both use the clumping method, as will I this year.
 
This is the same as square foot gardening by the sound of it. I have done this for awhile. 1 foot between stems in a grid. In t pot I assume you just start them all close.
 
Justaguy said:
This is the same as square foot gardening by the sound of it. I have done this for awhile. 1 foot between stems in a grid. In t pot I assume you just start them all close.
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Cool, i'm going to grow my peppers in a 4x8 foot square foot garden. So looks like i'll get clumping for free! Also how should i clump the following plants. Of course the same plant should go together, but what about the other superhots? Are they all the same size, or some short, some tall?

  1. bhut jolokia (yellow, red, brown) - short or tall?
  2. trinidad scorpion - short or tall?
  3. 7pot (red, yellow) - short or tall?
  4. naga morich - short or tall?
  5. 7pot brain strain - short or tall?
  6. birds eye pepper - short or tall?
  7. super chilli - short or tall?
  8. habanero - short or tall?
  9. fatalli (yellow) - short or tall?

If i know what is short/tall, i can group them by size.
 
Birds eye peppers in my experience will gladly stretch high and have no problem going higher for light and work in the middle. I would say the others except the habanero are about the same from what I have seen in other peoples gardens. After this coming season though I will know for sure from my grow.

3 years ago all I had was a 6'x4' pepper patch. 24 square foot and I planted 27 Thai fires in there. Beautiful canopy and yield.
 
You can generally plant whatever types next to eachother you would like. Just as long as IF you want isolated pods, you need to do just that....ISOLATE them. If you arent worried about crossing and will be buying more seeds for next year, I say dont worry about it.
 
PepperJam said:
Cool, i'm going to grow my peppers in a 4x8 foot square foot garden. So looks like i'll get clumping for free! Also how should i clump the following plants. Of course the same plant should go together, but what about the other superhots? Are they all the same size, or some short, some tall?

  1. bhut jolokia (yellow, red, brown) - short or tall?
  2. trinidad scorpion - short or tall?
  3. 7pot (red, yellow) - short or tall?
  4. naga morich - short or tall?
  5. 7pot brain strain - short or tall?
  6. birds eye pepper - short or tall?
  7. super chilli - short or tall?
  8. habanero - short or tall?
  9. fatalli (yellow) - short or tall?

If i know what is short/tall, i can group them by size.
Click to expand...

Here is my experience as far as height is concerned.
Super chili very short but kinda wide plant
Lots of variation on height of habaneros. Had orange hab that was very short, Caribbean red very tall, Jamaican Hot choc tall
Fatali not too tall. Generally shorter than most other chinense but will grow tall if needed to reach the top of the canopy
Bhut jolokia fairly tall
Yellow 7 pot is the only 7 pot I've grown so far and was the largest c. chinense plant in my garden. I expect the other 7's and scorpions to have similar growth habit.
Haven't grown the others on your list. I think most of the chinense varieties on your list will do well together unless one stalls a little and never has a chance to catch up.
Hope this helps plan your garden layout.
 
Siliman said:
@ The ChilliRat:
Your fused twisty plant looks most interesting, would be the ultimate clump, I guess! Did you start those from seedling stage, like with seeds in the same hole? How did you bind them over time? I'm sure I'll have excess seedlings to unleash some ungodly experimentation! :rofl: Would like to give that one a try. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I started the seeds off alone, waited for them to be an inch or so tall, then take them out, twist four or so together (at the start I had to bind them with fuse wire to keep them together, but after a month or so if you're careful it can be taken off) stick them into the same pot after that and just keep twisting them as they grow, once they get past the two leaf stage they won't need to be twisted much more.
 
Neil is definitely talking about the clumping of plants together as it creates its own microclimate of cooler air under the canopy. Apparently the air under a canopy of wheat can be 15C cooler than that of the ambient temperature. Also, peppers are fussy about soil drying out, so the canopy shading the soil means it won't dry out as quickly.
 
I re-read the link Hot Pooper posted from Neil. Yea, it makes a lot of sense. I've always used 'wide row' techniques which means growing plants in closer proximity for the most part. 'Square Foot gardening' prolly smae thing. Little microclimates get created especially by my beans, carrots, squash, tomatoes, heck even onions and beets to some extent.

But I've usually given peppers more space thinking they shouldn't be shaded at all by adjoining plants. This season I think I will plant so the eventual canopies will overlap a bit. My only concern is you sometimes read comments from people: "I planted too closely..."

@The ChilliRat: Thanks for the info on twisty planting. Can't wait to see how the stems will look when they are mature / wooden. Who knows maybe this technique will increase the worlds food supply exponentially! :)
 
the clumping may indeed make "certain" varieties "happy"

the real trick is asking the how happy are you?
{like asking if someone is better off?}
asking the question and getting a useful amount of information from the answer(s)???
:eek: :rofl: :woohoo:
 
Been reading this post (and associated links) with interest, and considered trying it out on a few late-start seeds.

Then while I was outside watering the plants I noticed this...
photo2.JPG

This is two Orange Habanero seedlings I grew from seeds (from bought pods). Below is a pic of some of its brothers and sisters from the same lot.
photo1.JPG

I left the two seedlings together in the pot I was growing them all in as they were both the smallest seedlings of the lot, and the roots had intertwined. Now they could be late startes, or being left in the bigger pot has done them well, or it could be something to do with clumping. Who knows? But they certainly look healthier.
 
I spaced one bed of chillies further apart than all of the other beds and so far they are about half the size of the chillies in the other beds. The chillies that are crowded are definately growing a hell of a lot faster and have more flowers and fruit on them.

Will take a few pics a bit later today.
 
I took the four best seedlings from the bunch of habs, and clumped them together in a big pot - will be interesting to see how they go.

Photo3.jpg
 
pauly7 said:
I took the four best seedlings from the bunch of habs, and clumped them together in a big pot - will be interesting to see how they go.

Photo3.jpg
Click to expand...

Pauly, how is that pot of clumped up peppers doing? It's been a good 3 months now. Did they all grow nicely?
 
I'm interested in trying this. Living in Thailand with high temps I think this technique will help.

Anyone know how far apart the plants should be planted and at what age. I will be trying 5 different varieties. Three Chinense, Yellow Burkina, Numex Suave and Long Red Hab. Two Annuum, Ring of Fire and Thai Bird Pepper (Prik Kee Nu). The plants are 5 weeks old, in 3" pots at the mo and are ready for potting up. Can I pop three seedlings into a an 8" pot now? I will potting up again of course.
 
I have a few starters from various mass producing nurseries. I figured they had to be multiple plants but they must have been grown from seed considering how many stems they have. Gotta wonder why only the cheaper peppers from cheap nurseries exhibit this. I have a theory that the seeds are cheap enough that they are planting 5 or more per to guarantee germination. With a decent germination rate this leads to many with three to five stalks.

The stems are much thinner than the single stalk peppers but the weather is still cold so I am curious to see how they do with some sun and heat.

I will get better pictures of the stems soon, but I have these for now.

DSC05640.jpg


You can see how bushy they are going to be.
 
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