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sun Do peppers really love full sun ?

Siv said:
 
After reading your glog, I'm inspired to give this a go. I'll have to get the measuring tape out - do you think 40% shade?
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I use 30%. I think I got 10'x50' pieces and cut it the way I wanted it. Coincidentally, the cutting nursery pic I posted yesterday shows a shade patch so you can see the depth of of shade with 30%.
 
You may have to settle for what you can find with all the disruption.
 
Edit: I got me a page topper. Sure makes me miss that Canadian Matt around here with his excitement about page toppers.
 
DWB said:
I use 30%. I think I got 10'x50' pieces and cut it the way I wanted it. Coincidentally, the cutting nursery pic I posted yesterday shows a shade patch so you can see the depth of of shade with 30%.
 
You may have to settle for what you can find with all the disruption.
 
Edit: I got me a page topper. Sure makes me miss that Canadian Matt around here with his excitement about page toppers.
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Thanks DW. I measured left to right this morning and it's 25.5 feet wide. I managed to find 30% cloth in a 30'x10' size for $34 that I'll string from fence to fence and see how that works. My only concern now is that we had a pretty gusty storm last night which watered the plants nicely but I wonder what something like that will do to the sail I plan on building!
 
Siv said:
 
Thanks DW. I measured left to right this morning and it's 25.5 feet wide. I managed to find 30% cloth in a 30'x10' size for $34 that I'll string from fence to fence and see how that works. My only concern now is that we had a pretty gusty storm last night which watered the plants nicely but I wonder what something like that will do to the sail I plan on building!
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Order the good corner grommets plus secure it well to the ridge line and it should be fine.
 
I think I'm going to do the same as you guys, I'm realising now that my balcony is way too exposed for my plants, at least with the weather that we have here this year and for plant that were started indoors.
I actually went to my local gardening store after work and the person looked me like I was an alien when I asked for a shade cloth for plants, like this isn't even something real haha I guess I'll send my money to an internet vendor then !
My only concern is that putting shade cloth over plants on a balcony is gonna be a pain in the ass.
 
This is my anecdotal experience with full sun...
 
As a M E, an analogy I can relate to...
 
An engine can not achieve full throttle HP unless every support system is 100%. If the fuel filter is clogged the engine will run lean at full throttle maybe miss firing and possibly lean detonate to death. If the air filter is clogged not supplying the engine with air it needs to go full throttle it will run too rich and won't be able to achieve full throttle power, maybe bucking and surging.
 
A plant is like an engine in some ways. It needs its roots to be able to fully absorb and thus supply water, nutrients, and to be able to breath. A plant also needs sun to complete photosynthesis. Just like an engine it needs these things in the correct proportions to achieve 'full throttle', full sun, to achieve maximum growth/production.
 
  Full throttle on an engine is achieved by allowing full fuel/air into engine. Full throttle growth/production on plants is achieved by the roots being able to supply enough to satisfy the foliage full sun absorption/photosynthesis.
 
Its true, some plant species can't take the mid day high uv/temps/duration of southern/sub tropics/tropics, even if everything is 100% correct. Some can and thrive in it...
 
   I have found on some plant strains that normally can take full sun, will wilt/not do well in a couple few hours time under full summer sun. Not having even slightly compacted media is a biggie. But, after a transplant to larger container and fresh, properly constructed media for its particular environment, in just a week or 2 that plant can now take full sun all day long and thrive with outrageous production....
 
  I've seen this many times. Also have seen that a transplant doesn't help at all. Upon further investigation by washing off the root ball, have found root pests have part destroyed the roots.
 
My point being, most all the Caribbean pepper strains, most all Chinese, and annuums can take the full summer sun here in sFL when everything is perfect. Perfect media, perfect watering, perfect nuets, perfect root development, no pests, etc. Just like an engine, all systems need to be perfect to use full fuel/sun.
 
About baccutum, in my experience even when all is perfect, they might not wilt a lot, but don't seem to do well in full sFL summer sun no matter what I've tried, and I've tried. I've concluded Baccutums being from mountainous areas of Peru high elevations do get high uv, but not the high heat/humidity, or duration in there mtn terrain.
 They do much better for me under my sun filter or shade cloth. But in the doldrums of mid summer high heat/uv/humidity, they seem to slow down even under shade cloth. But still produce ok.
 
  Otoh, my mature fully hardened off Chinense, luv full sun once everything is right in the roots/media. They thrive in full sun for me, producing hundreds of sweet hot juicy pods all thru out summer....
 
So in my experience/opinion, for me, using shade cloth for mature hardened off fully, Chinense, like a Carolina Reaper or BT Scorpion, so it doesn't wilt in mid day sun,, is more or less a band-aide for some level of other short comings I've missed...
 
jmo
 
acs1 said:
This is my anecdotal experience with full sun...
 
As a M E, an analogy I can relate to...
 
An engine can not achieve full throttle HP unless every support system is 100%. If the fuel filter is clogged the engine will run lean at full throttle maybe miss firing and possibly lean detonate to death. If the air filter is clogged not supplying the engine with air it needs to go full throttle it will run too rich and won't be able to achieve full throttle power, maybe bucking and surging.
 
A plant is like an engine in some ways. It needs its roots to be able to fully absorb and thus supply water, nutrients, and to be able to breath. A plant also needs sun to complete photosynthesis. Just like an engine it needs these things in the correct proportions to achieve 'full throttle', full sun, to achieve maximum growth/production.
 
  Full throttle on an engine is achieved by allowing full fuel/air into engine. Full throttle growth/production on plants is achieved by the roots being able to supply enough to satisfy the foliage full sun absorption/photosynthesis.
 
Its true, some plant species can't take the mid day high uv/temps/duration of southern/sub tropics/tropics, even if everything is 100% correct. Some can and thrive in it...
 
   I have found on some plant strains that normally can take full sun, will wilt/not do well in a couple few hours time under full summer sun. Not having even slightly compacted media is a biggie. But, after a transplant to larger container and fresh, properly constructed media for its particular environment, in just a week or 2 that plant can now take full sun all day long and thrive with outrageous production....
 
  I've seen this many times. Also have seen that a transplant doesn't help at all. Upon further investigation by washing off the root ball, have found root pests have part destroyed the roots.
 
My point being, most all the Caribbean pepper strains, most all Chinese, and annuums can take the full summer sun here in sFL when everything is perfect. Perfect media, perfect watering, perfect nuets, perfect root development, no pests, etc. Just like an engine, all systems need to be perfect to use full fuel/sun.
 
About baccutum, in my experience even when all is perfect, they might not wilt a lot, but don't seem to do well in full sFL summer sun no matter what I've tried, and I've tried. I've concluded Baccutums being from mountainous areas of Peru high elevations do get high uv, but not the high heat/humidity, or duration in there mtn terrain.
 They do much better for me under my sun filter or shade cloth. But in the doldrums of mid summer high heat/uv/humidity, they seem to slow down even under shade cloth. But still produce ok.
 
  Otoh, my mature fully hardened off Chinense, luv full sun once everything is right in the roots/media. They thrive in full sun for me, producing hundreds of sweet hot juicy pods all thru out summer....
 
So in my experience/opinion, for me, using shade cloth for mature hardened off fully, Chinense, like a Carolina Reaper or BT Scorpion, so it doesn't wilt in mid day sun,, is more or less a band-aide for some level of other short comings I've missed...
 
jmo
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Very interesting point, thank you !
I noticed, in my own case, that the peppers that suffer the most under scorching sun are those that lived for the longest time under my grow lights, even after a proper hardening process. I have some 3 month old indoor chinense that can not tolerate mid day sun and seem to love partial shade, whereas my lil Jalapeno who sprouted directly outdoors never flinches under full sun
 
A lot of these make sense and from my hot humid climate they do much better in shade or shade clothe hands down. I actually relocated them to a more 50/50 spot and they’re doing much better, always depends on conditions but peppers seem to like shade from the 1-4pm sun. Try it out and see results for yourself in your climate  :cheers:
 
Chipping in as a complete newb in this regard, but as has been pointed out: it all depends on where you are.
 
I live in Northern Arizona. We have a short grow period and fairly extreme daytime/nighttime temperature fluxes. We can easily go from 85F/29.4C in the day to 60F/15.5C at night. This is also true in many grow areas of New Mexico, albeit slightly warmer overall temperatures.
 
As such, I am inclined to believe that the need for full sun is important, at least in part, due to the need to have higher soil temps with such extreme temperature swings.
 
I was informed to use black mulch until temps were consistently warmer and then rake it out and replace with lighter mulch. The soil in my garden is already quite dark, so I'm not going to worry about it.
 
On a side related note, my dad lives near a farm in New Mexico and their pepper fields definitely are getting full sun More or less all day (farm is in a bit of a "valley" that might restrict sunlight in the am/pm a bit.
 
AzJon said:
Chipping in as a complete newb in this regard, but as has been pointed out: it all depends on where you are.
 
I live in Northern Arizona. We have a short grow period and fairly extreme daytime/nighttime temperature fluxes. We can easily go from 85F/29.4C in the day to 60F/15.5C at night. This is also true in many grow areas of New Mexico, albeit slightly warmer overall temperatures.
 
As such, I am inclined to believe that the need for full sun is important, at least in part, due to the need to have higher soil temps with such extreme temperature swings.
 
I was informed to use black mulch until temps were consistently warmer and then rake it out and replace with lighter mulch. The soil in my garden is already quite dark, so I'm not going to worry about it.
 
On a side related note, my dad lives near a farm in New Mexico and their pepper fields definitely are getting full sun More or less all day (farm is in a bit of a "valley" that might restrict sunlight in the am/pm a bit.
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I'm a bit off topic here but i thought Arizona was much much hotter than 85F ? Am I wrong ?
The day/night swings you told me are quite similar to what I have here in south west of France. And sometimes during heatwaves (which are more and more frequent year after year) we have up to 104 daytime and not under 78 at night. 
 
rick_bender said:
 
I'm a bit off topic here but i thought Arizona was much much hotter than 85F ? Am I wrong ?
The day/night swings you told me are quite similar to what I have here in south west of France. And sometimes during heatwaves (which are more and more frequent year after year) we have up to 104 daytime and not under 78 at night. 
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We use the USDA to guide us as to the variations in our areas......
 
USDA-AZ-map.jpg
 
AzJon said:
yup! I'm in that nice little blue dot smack in the middle there. Gardening on hard-mode.
 
Phoenix gets up to 115 regularly in the summer during the days.
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Sometimes I forget that geography is on a whole bigger scale in the USA (opposed to our tiny regions and coutries in Europe). Your state's surface is almost half of my country's ! So obviously I understand better the fact that there's not just one climate in Arizona ! ;)
 
rick_bender said:
 
Sometimes I forget that geography is on a whole bigger scale in the USA (opposed to our tiny regions and coutries in Europe). Your state's surface is almost half of my country's ! So obviously I understand better the fact that there's not just one climate in Arizona ! ;)
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Arizona has fairly drastic climate differences from other places in the States due to extreme elevation change. That said, and maybe it was just my perception, but summer in Marseille and summer in Lille really are discernibly different.
 
AzJon said:
 
Arizona has fairly drastic climate differences from other places in the States due to extreme elevation change. That said, and maybe it was just my perception, but summer in Marseille and summer in Lille really are discernibly different.
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Oh yeah, that's totally right. But they are from two opposit sides of the whole country, instead of two cities from the same state (called Région or Département here). I was pointing the fact that we're not on the same scale haha
 
my plants are in 5 gal buckets and receive full sun from sun up till around 5 PM when they get shade from some hedges. yes they do wilt on very hot days but i`ve never lost a plant because of it. a couple of years ago during a heatwave i moved them underneath a tree but moving so many buckets was too much of a pain so i never did it again. the full sun wilts them but doesn`t seem to do any real harm. the 95 degree(and higher) temps can cause flower drop which makes for losses in pods per plant. i don`t think shade cloth would help with that. if anyone has had shade cloth prevent flower drop please let us know.  :cheers:
 
Well I have several pepper plants in full sun and a bunch with some shade of course that
is here in very hot and humid Houston, TX  and I believe that it might just depend on the 
variety of chili pepper as to whether it prefers more sun and heat??  I find that several varieties
really like more sun than a lot of the chinense peppers.  Some of those I have in partial shade.
We will see how all of my peppers do.
 
Willinator said:
Well I have several pepper plants in full sun and a bunch with some shade of course that
is here in very hot and humid Houston, TX  and I believe that it might just depend on the 
variety of chili pepper as to whether it prefers more sun and heat??
Click to expand...
Certainly!

Capsicum pubescens is found in cultivation primarily in Bolivia and Peru where it likely originated. C. pubescens grows at higher elevations than other species, and cannot survive the tropical heat in the lowlands
 
Bonjour! Je parle francais. I live in the South Eastern part of the US, which is hot and humid. Anecdotal evidence is pretty worthless. It seems to me that they do much better in full sun here. Most of the varieties I grow from are from the Caribbean. Wilting is very normal. Sometimes it means they need water or they're protecting themselves. There are a lot of temperature swings here since I live near the ocean. I also have to worry about wind damage from tropical storms and hurricanes. I had hail damage in the spring that shredded leaves, but peppers are strong. Tres fort!
 
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