container Multiple plants in a container

PepperDaddler

PepperDaddler

Hello all.
 
I started some supers this year in 6 x 6 inch pots. I germinated about 6 to eight in each pot, although all did not sprout in some. My question is this, do I need to give them more fertilizer than if there was 1 plant in each pot seeing how they will be competing for nutrients?
 
I only had a few seeds so I don't want to thin out. They are about 1 to three inches apart in the pots apart depending on what sprouted. I am guessing the plants will be smaller but don't know for sure. That's why I want to give them extra fertilizer to try and give them a chance if I can. It will most likely be Miracle Grow (gasp!)
 
Here is what is planted if you could tell me which ones may have a harder time than others when crowded, if any:
 
7 Pot Brain Strain
Yellow Trinidad Scorpion x 7 Pot
Yellow Bhut Jolokia
Red Trinidad Scorpion
Dorset Naga
7 Pot Primo
Butch T Scorpion
Fatalii
Florida Grove Pepper
Black Pearl  All Sprouted
Yellow Moruga
Red Habanero All Sprouted
Orange Habanero All sprouted
 
 
Oh yeah, and they are not very big yet, about a month old. Some are still sprouts.
 
 
Thanks for your replies!
 
 
 I would not leave more than one plant in a pot.Unless it is a 25 gallon pot or bigger.  What you will end up with is two small plants with very few pods. If they are only a month old you could most likely transplant the others to their own pots.  I have plenty of seeds I can bring ya so don't worry about being low on seeds.  
 
I had multiple plants in the same pot last year....

Two santa fe grandes sprouted together and grew fine until one had a spurt, it eventually overtook the smaller one....

Three white habs, I had one growing and putting out pods when two more decided to sprout.... they didnt reach 6"....
 
I have 10 plants growing this year (first time grower), and I started them off in individual pots. I ended up transferring them into 15 gallon containers (2 per pot) after they were all 6-12 inches tall. They are all doing excellent about 1.5 months later, and they are starting to produce peppers with tons of flower buds on the way. My point is that it is possible to have peppers sharing pots with success. 
 
Edit: but if you have the space and resources, then one plant per pot is ideal.
 
I had multiples together last year, but we are talking 20 sprouts in a clump. First time growing so I basically threw a half pack in each starter pot and just ley them grow, eventually potting up a time or two. I had success but they all stayed about a foot or so tall. I could understand why THAT didn't work out, but I am trying to understand why just a few sharing some space would be a problem. Is it root space or the roots growing together that is a problem or is it the nutrient battle?
 
I got pods off both sante fe grandes until the smaller one couldn't get eniugh of what it needed and died. ... the white habs, I wasnt around long eniygh to see if they produced.... I jnow they were branching but I moved and couldn't take they with me so I never got to see them flower....
 
Someone was lucky to move in to a free plant.
 
I don't have too much space, what about two to a bigger pot, about 3 to 4 inches apart?

And romy6, maybe I will see you at the flea market soon. Just give me a date and time in a PM sometime around the actual days leading up.
 
I have a similar situation and it is kind of an experiment.  I have three plants in one 25 gallon pot;  aji pineapple, aji dulce, and zana horia triangulo in one instance.  Another instance is Kona Hot, Wild Brazil, and Colusa Indian Mound (but looks like a chinense).  I have another 25 gallon with 2 Plants: Butch T Mississippii and Purple Bhut.  And I have one 25 gallon with one plant; a Bahamian Goat.  I curious to see how big it will be able to get.  I wondered if it was a no no but I was low on pots and budget.  Will see what happens....  They are relatively young still and doing well. 
 
cross pollination can occurr in peppers if less than 100 yrds away--so all those in one pot will produce cross peppers that can not be calculated what they really are but none will be the unique plant that was originally derived from seed. watch amount of fertilizer with seedlings --nitrogn may burn them!

ed
 
PepperDaddler said:
Someone was lucky to move in to a free plant.
 
I don't have too much space, what about two to a bigger pot, about 3 to 4 inches apart?

And romy6, maybe I will see you at the flea market soon. Just give me a date and time in a PM sometime around the actual days leading up.
Click to expand...
The seeds were free to me.... a coworker bought a bunch of seeds and nothing germinated for him, he passed along what he had left to me and they grew for me and that got me started on growing peppers.... I gave him a decent mix of everything in my stock before I left, including all of the live plants.... the multiple plants per pot were more because of a lack of pots than space and then a lack of time to get more pots
 
In my experience it really depends on the varieties. Generally speaking chinenses have longer season and grow an impressive root mass, so a single pot works better.
Annuums and frutescens otherwise are happier to share space. If you live in very hot area plants growing close can also sustain and shade each other.
This year I've planted multiple plants in the same 15gal container following this logic and i've no issues so far.
 
Cya
 
Datil
 
Started 3 pots with 3 in each-----as a weaving/bonchi project.
3 colors of moruga's, 3 small berry types, 3 cayenne's.
 
In all cases, only the strongest survive, and down to 2 each, and will prolly go down to 1 in the end.
 
In effect----utter fail.
 
In contrast, I have 1 pot with a peach bhut and choco hab coexisting fine, but smaller than a single planting would get.
Those 2 were transplanted out of hydro and were fairly well grown to maturity.
 
I can see now how some (like fatali.net) manage to weave or braid stems to make a fantastic bonchi, but don't think I have the patience or spare time to do so.
 
In answer to your question, 6"x6" is too small for just 1 plant in a dirt/fert setup.
Will be rootbound in short order and will "salt up" preventing nutrient uptake.
 
Will get longer viability as a hybrid hydro----neutral media/hydro juice---but will still have to change media a couple times a season and water/feed often.
I managed to keep over 50 plants going in 3.5" pots for 3 and 1/2 months till the weather was warm enough to plant out, watering every day for the last month--1 day hydro nutes mix, 1 day plain water.
 
To be perfectly honest, I don't think I have seen much sucess with anything under 1 plant in a 5 gallon container---for dirt/fert and decent size pods.
 
IMHO, of course
 
Yup.
Most metal/non metal elements combine to make a "salt"
Sodium and chlorine=table salt etc.
 
The more concentrated the elements, the more salt formation, so as you feed and some elements don't get used, the concentration eventually combines with other elements that didn't get used and forms salts.
 
For those growing in containers, that means repotting---for those using hydro, it means changing out the solution.
 
Numerous conditions determine the speed of the formation---from ph and minerals in your water, to fert makeup and evaporation profile.
 
Salts bind the elements and makes them unavailable to the plant.
 
Two plants in a pot is a no-go. I made this mistake AD this is my first grow. Somehow i ended up withtwo plants bound together by roots and i just shrugged it off.

http://m1062.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/sportnaeagle001/Mobile%20Uploads/20130624_143134.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1

In this picture (can't post directly because I'm on my phone) you see the back middle plant? That's my bhut jolokia, it's at 24" tall. it's sister plant(s) are front left. They are the two in the same pot and barely break 10". Growth is very very slow and i doubt it'll give me any peppers anytime soon whereas its sister plant is flowering beautifully.
 
Threehundredc said:
so my 5 scotch bonnets in a 4 gallon is not going to end well i guess?
Click to expand...
One Scotch Bonnet plant well produce enough roots to fill that capacity container. Transplant the rest to other containers.
 
im scared they will have roots tangled some and when i tear them apart they all end up dead or stunted anyways

they are about 2 months old
 
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