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Differences between pepper and tomato culture

W

wojobhut

My two main crops in summer are (hot) peppers and (heirloom) tomatoes. I have read that both have similat requirementw when it comes to water, nutes, fert, etc. I'm curious: How are they different? I tend to do onto the tomatoes that which I do onto the peppers, but is that OK in all cases?
 
I'm certainly no authority on either, but at least here in central Texas with everyday in excess of 100 degrees, my tomatoes are consuming 3 or 4 times the water as the peppers. The peppers are wilting from the heat even when adequately watered tho and the tomatoes seem unaffected by the heat. I'm putting up shade cloth this weekend and hoping to reduce the stress of the peppers. I have them currently getting only morning sun but the ambient temps are still hard on them it seems. So far as ferts go...I'm treating them the same.
 
Down here is Deep South Texas my peppers cannot stand to be out for more than an hour, just too hot. The tomatoes are a lot more heat tolerant.

Similar experience to yours.
 
Silver_Surfer said:
Tomatoes are heavier feeders, grow faster, larger and just need more of the same you feed your peppers.
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+1, tomatoes are gonna eat and drink waaaay more than your peppers. The dosage of fertz required for my tomatoes would probably kill even the hungriest of my pepper plants.
 
Capitone said:
+1, tomatoes are gonna eat and drink waaaay more than your peppers. The dosage of fertz required for my tomatoes would probably kill even the hungriest of my pepper plants.
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I find that, in the ground at least, peppers are often more thirsty because they have much shallower root systems. I can go a week in hot weather without touching my tomatoes but peppers might need water ever two to three days to stay alive. It may be different in normal conditions I suppose, but I have never had to water my tomatoes much, it is far easier to over water them than the peppers.
 
Good point Phil. That said, I should point out that Im a Pot kinda guy :cool: , so I speak only from the experience of growing both in pots. I've yet to grow either in the ground...though I did plug a fresno in the dirt last week...that doesn't count. lol.
 
I find you really have to watch tomatoes for blight and calcium or water issues causing BER. Usually a good mulch will help keep a more even moisture for tomatoes, and I like to add extra calcium as well as a preventative spray of copper or sulpher based fungicide. Tomatoes also need good support, where I rarely need to support pepper plants
 
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