container Growing Peppers in Black Plastic Containers

[Manzano]

Hi all,

I've planted my peppers in Black Plastic Containers this year and when I mentioned this to an employee of the Garden Center in Home Depot he encouraged me to paint the black containers with Lime to reduce the heat on the roots that the black containers create. He said the heat harms the roots.

I've also read that Pepper roots like warmer soil. Does anybody have any insight on this matter or had a successful season using black plastic containers? Please find a picture of the containers below.

Thank you!

 

[Mezo]

What do i have to reply twice here, black is fine.

Mezo.

 

[Manzano]

Thanks Mezo! Sorry, don't know how I posted twice. I'll stop worrying about my black pots now

 

[armac]

He is trying to sell you green paint.

Ignore him

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

Thanks Mezo! Sorry, don't know how I posted twice. I'll stop worrying about my black pots now

Feel the outside of them on a real hot day and if they feel too warm then shade them or put a towel or something around the pot to shield it from the sun.
I wonder how a silver space blanket would do?
I thought Santa Rosa gets a lot hotter than 83.

 

[armac]

What is too warm?

 

[bushwhackxj]

in my climate (canada) with a max temperature of 30*C my peppers last year did much better in the black containers than in the ground. Just the little added heat kicked em into high gear. Very thirsty though

 

[Cayennemist]

I use nothing but WHITE!...... Because thats all I had laying around the house

 

[Obsidian]

I'm not sure how much more heat a black pot will generate versus anything else, but peppers typically are heat lovers to begin with so any additional heat will not harm your peppers, with in reason. They will also tell you if it is too hot, but root temperature is not as important as the magic 90 degree temps you see for ambient temps for flowering/fruit setting.
The biggest worry you will have with container grown peppers is the same as just about anything else. They will dry out sooner and need more careful attention to watering. They are elevated and exposed to additional wind which can help dry them out sooner. That's about it in my experiences.
The only thing I do to cut down on water loss is toss some grass clippings on top for a bit of mulch, or take garbage bag sections and put them over the pot.
(take a square or circle of the plastic, put it over the top of a pot like you are making a drum, tie it securely on there and cut a small X in the plastic to plant your pepper in. Beware of slugs however)

 

[romy6]

I am poor and have used nothing but black containers and my peppers love it. Except in June, July and August

 

[8Planets]

Black will be fine - I often put a layer of black spray paint on buckets if they are too light.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

I'm not sure how much more heat a black pot will generate versus anything else, but peppers typically are heat lovers to begin with so any additional heat will not harm your peppers, with in reason. They will also tell you if it is too hot, but root temperature is not as important as the magic 90 degree temps you see for ambient temps for flowering/fruit setting.
The biggest worry you will have with container grown peppers is the same as just about anything else. They will dry out sooner and need more careful attention to watering. They are elevated and exposed to additional wind which can help dry them out sooner. That's about it in my experiences.
The only thing I do to cut down on water loss is toss some grass clippings on top for a bit of mulch, or take garbage bag sections and put them over the pot.
(take a square or circle of the plastic, put it over the top of a pot like you are making a drum, tie it securely on there and cut a small X in the plastic to plant your pepper in. Beware of slugs however)

Have you felt some of these containers on hot days in full sun? They get really, really, hot, and the color (and type of material) makes a big difference. I've noticed that my plants in black plastic pots thrive in the spring and then start to struggle when it gets really hot.

Here's some information from a KSU study on this subject...

In the bean study, media temperatures at the sun-facing side averaged lowest in gloss and flat white (~36 oC) and greatest in the black control (50.3 oC). Accordingly, total root biomass at the sun-facing side was reduced by 63 to 71% in black compared to flat and gloss white containers. In heat-sensitive maples, media temperatures at the sun-facing side averaged up to 7.7 oC greater in black, black shade and green than in other treatments; temperatures in black shade may have been lower if shade cloth had covered the sun-facing sides of containers in addition to only the media surface. Media temperatures in the core averaged 3.5 to 3.8 oC greater in black than in flat and gloss white, resulting in up to 2.5 times greater belowground biomass and up to 2.3 times greater aboveground biomass in flat and gloss white than in black pots.

That's from the introduction, there's a lot more at this link. Over 50 pages, actually. It's a pretty interesting read. http://krex.k-state....m2010.pdf


There are numerous studies on different plants that measure the biomass of plants grown in pots of a wide range of colors, the white pots are usually at the top of the list. Black and green are near the bottom. That paper also suggests that extreme temperatures can cause root death which predisposes the plants to root rot. Grouping the pots close together where the pots and the canopies of the plants shade the pots from the sun seems to help some, and mulching with something thick and heavy like compost or bark helps with water conservation. An irrigation system for potted plants helps too.