• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Mulching for Potted Chiles

Good Question logcheif. I would like to know what others on the forum are using. I am using cypress mulch. I have not done any extensive container gardening in years past so it's all new to me. I have always had a small garden though. My back yard is situated so that it receives sunlight at the hottest part of the day from noon till 7:00 or so. A week ago (still late spring supposedly) I observed the usual drooping of plants that is typical. I decided to bring home from work a couple of thermometers the following day. I have an infrared lazer and a thermocouple probe type. Both are Extech instruments and I trust them for accuracy. I made sure and moved a Lemon Drop into the full sun so it got several hours of heat. With the infrared lazer the top of the mulch, which is fairly bright, checked between 130 and 145 F depending on the topography of the mulch. When I raked back the mulch the top of the soil checked around 100 F. The soil was moist too. The outside of the black #5 pot was 157 F! Using the 4 inch probe and burying it into the soil it checked around 97 F. Placing the probe in one of the drain holes at the bottom it read 89 F. I keep all my plants to the margins of my yard now using the shade when available to minimize the brutal 2:00 to 6:00 sun.

I have pics of the thermo mesurements.

Mike
 
I went out to my local landfill and they will give you all the mulch you want for free. Most landfills will do this so check with yours to see. It's crazy to spend 2 or 3 dollars a bag for mulch when you can get it absolutly free. I mulched all my potted peppers and they are alot happier now! Got some good flowers and good pod set on them right now. Best of luck to ya this year!

Charles
 
coffee grounds are only slightly acidic.

i use coffee grounds as fertilizer personally.

here is an independent analysis of coffee grounds.

sunset analysis of starbucks coffee grounds

also got a plethora of micronutes and antioxidants in it too.

i mix this in with my growing medium. keeps my plants happy. too much of it will still burn them as it ain't composted. i use a handful per pot or as needed.

Used coffee grounds make good soil amendments. That's the buzz among gardeners lately. But what do your coffeepot's leftovers really add to the soil?

To find out, Sunset sent a batch of Starbucks' used coffee grounds ― the company gives them away for free ― to a soil lab for analysis. Turns out the grounds provide generous amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper.

They also release nitrogen into the soil as they degrade. And they're slightly acidic ― a boon in the Western climate.

Dig or till them into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

FULL REPORT

The following information was developed for Sunset by Soil and Plant Laboratory Inc., Bellevue, WA.

Summary: Use of Starbucks coffee grounds in amending mineral soils up to 35 percent by volume coffee grounds will improve soil structure over the short-term and over the long-term. Use of the coffee grounds at the specified incorporation rates (rototilled into a 6- to 8-inch depth) will substantially improve availabilities of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper and will probably negate the need for chemical sources of these plant essential elements.

The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium "guaranteed analyses" would be as follows for the coffee grounds:

Nitrogen: 2.28 percent
Phosphorus: 0.06 percent
Potassium: 0.6 percent

Available nutrient levels: The pH or reaction of the coffee grounds is considered slightly acidic and in a favorable range at 6.2 on the pH scale.

Salinity (ECe) is a measurement of total soluble salts and is considered slightly elevated at 3.7 dS/m. The primary water-soluble salts in this product are potassium, magnesium, sodium and chloride. The potentially problematic ions in sodium and chloride are each sufficiently low as to be inconsequential in terms of creating problems for plants.

The availabilities of nitrogen, calcium, zinc, manganese and iron are quite low and in some cases deficient. Thus, the coffee grounds will not supply appreciable amounts of these essential plant elements when used as a mineral soil amendment.

However, the availabilities of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper are each sufficiently high that there will be a very positive impact on improving availabilities of these elements where the coffee grounds are used as a mineral soil amendment. The coffee grounds will negate the need for additional sources of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper when blended with mineral soils.

In summary, the available plant essential elements which will be substantially improved where the coffee grounds are used as a soil amendment, include phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper.

Total nutrient levels: Each cubic yard of these coffee grounds contains a total of 10.31 lbs. nitrogen, of which 0.01 lb. (0.09%) are available. Thus, even though available nitrogen is considered deficient in this product, there still remains over 10 lbs. of total nitrogen per cubic yard of coffee grounds. Thus, nitrogen is primarily bound in the organic fraction and is unavailable to plants until soil microorganisms degrade the organic fraction. Through this process, the nitrogen is converted to plant available forms. Over the long term the coffee grounds will act like a slow release fertilizer providing long-term nitrogen input which can then be utilized by plants.

Nearly all potassium and all magnesium are in the available forms. This means that immediate availability improvements for these two elements will take place when the coffee grounds are blended with mineral soils. About half of the copper and calcium are in their immediately available forms.

All other plant essential elements are primarily bound in the organic fraction and will thus be subject to slow release over time as soil microbes continue to degrade the organic fraction.

Physical properties: Virtually all particles passed the 1 millimeter (mm) screen resulting in a product which is very fine textured. Each cubic yard of the coffee grounds will supply an excellent amount of organic matter, measured at 442 lbs. organic matter per cubic yard. At the use rates indicated in this report, the input of organic matter will be substantial and will result in considerable short-term and long-term improvement of mineral soil structure.

Carbon/nitrogen ratio: On the basis of dry matter bulk density (452 lbs. per cubic yard), organic matter content (97.7%) and total nitrogen (2.28%), the estimated carbon/nitrogen ratio is about 24:1. This means that there is more than sufficient nitrogen present in the coffee grounds to provide for the nitrogen demand of the soil microorganisms as they degrade the organic fraction.

Use rate: Based on the overall chemistry and physical properties of the coffee grounds, they can be utilized at rates similar to other organic amendments when used in amending mineral soils. These data indicate that 25-35 percent by volume coffee grounds can be blended with mineral soils of any type to improve structure of those soils.
Click to expand...

i was thinking of using about an inch of half an inch of coco coir for mulching. good idea?
 
What about foil mulch, has anybody tried that? I've seen it used with great results but its probably not the greatest thing to look at
 
I use the grass clippings I have after mowing my lawn. They're free, and they work great. Plus, they add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. So far, my plants are doing very well.


Alan
 
Too bad we dont have a lot of grass in our yard. Mostly weeds. Lol. Bad idea to use as mulch. Hehe.

Another reason why i wanna garden. Fix up the yard while growing some food.
 
Mister_Al said:
I use the grass clippings I have after mowing my lawn. They're free, and they work great. Plus, they add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. So far, my plants are doing very well.


Alan
Click to expand...

+1 on that, grass clippings in the pots and in the garden, never ending supply too :)
 
Here's one example but I've seen it done with containers too. There was a giant bhut pic from NMSU a few years ago where the student used foil mulch on his container, I wish I could find the pic again

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/ENVIRON/alumfoil.html


Appearance: Poor
Insulation: Fair
Cost: Very High
Thickness: 1 layer
Weed Control: Good
Water Penetration: Poor
Moisture Retention: Excellent
Decomposition Speed: None
Comments: Aphids avoid plants mulched with foil. Foil should be recycled
http://www.gardenguides.com/2235-mulch-guide-aluminum-foil.html
 
POTAWIE said:
Here's one example but I've seen it done with containers too. There was a giant bhut pic from NMSU a few years ago where the student used foil mulch on his container, I wish I could find the pic again

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/ENVIRON/alumfoil.html


Appearance: Poor
Insulation: Fair
Cost: Very High
Thickness: 1 layer
Weed Control: Good
Water Penetration: Poor
Moisture Retention: Excellent
Decomposition Speed: None
Comments: Aphids avoid plants mulched with foil. Foil should be recycled
http://www.gardenguides.com/2235-mulch-guide-aluminum-foil.html
Click to expand...

What about sun reflection off of the silver foil? I'm wondering about sun scalding on the undersides of the leaves. It looks like dull silver mylar®/polyester which I have tons of in my car trunk and garage. It was scrap material from my old printing job. But if it deters aphids and WHITE FLIES , like what Wicked said, I like the idea.
 
Some commercial growers use rolls of white or reflective mulch in the fields. It's supposed to confuse the bugs and they have difficulty telling up from down.
updown.gif
 
Dumb question of the day: what do you mean "mulch"? Is it just covering up the top of the soil with something? Im lost...I want my pots to dry out...not retain moisture. Am I on the wrong page with this one?
 
Yeah, mulch is a covering used to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Your want your plants to consume the moisture and not have the soil lose it to evaporation. The plants will use and dry the soil between watering quickly enough once they get some size.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top