New Grower, Have Some Questions

[masterown35]

So I recently bought 4 types of plants, 2 each of cayenne, thai chili, orange habanero, and ghost. Would all of these do well growing in the ground, or should I go for pots instead? If that is the case, how big should the pots be? Thank you in advance! Really looking forward to starting this.
 
EDIT: I would also like to mention that I have two dogs and the benefit to putting them in the ground is I would be able to close off the plants with a fence. 

 

[Bhuter]

You might get a couple different answers for this. Some people prefer pots for certain reasons and others prefer ground. I guess it depends on how your in-ground soil is. I am in Michigan and I grow in-ground. I've grown all of those varieties without a problem. I don't know if they'll do better in a pot as I haven't really grown out in them.

 

[masterown35]

You might get a couple different answers for this. Some people prefer pots for certain reasons and others prefer ground. I guess it depends on how your in-ground soil is. I am in Michigan and I grow in-ground. I've grown all of those varieties without a problem. I don't know if they'll do better in a pot as I haven't really grown out in them.

 
Do you use mulch for yours as well? I thought about grabbing some. The spot where I would put them in the ground is kind of on the bottom of a small hill, and it gets a lot of run off rain water when it does rain, so I think the soil would stay pretty moist, but I've been thinking it might be good to throw some in still

 

[Bhuter]

 
Do you use mulch for yours as well? I thought about grabbing some. The spot where I would put them in the ground gets run off so I think the soil would stay pretty moist, but I've been thinking it might be good to throw some in still

I don't use mulch, but I use "Weed Proof" plastic that comes in rolls. Kinda like landscape fabric only it's plastic and not the woven material. It keeps the soil warm, keeps it from drying out and it keeps weeds from growing.

This is a random pic from last year. I've used it for the past 4 years and will never not use it.

I don't have any mulching experience. Maybe that's better?

 

[masterown35]

I don't use mulch, but I use "Weed Proof" plastic that comes in rolls. Kinda like landscape fabric only it's plastic and not the woven material. It keeps the soil warm, keeps it from drying out and it keeps weeds from growing.

This is a random pic from last year. I've used it for the past 4 years and will never not use it.

I don't have any mulching experience. Maybe that's better?

Yours looks good! I'm not sure what I want to do just yet. Think I'm gonna do a bit more research around the web and keep checking back here. The main thing I'm trying to do is just get the best possible yield that I can get. I want to do a lot of sauces and make some spice blends

 

[Bhuter]

Yours looks good! I'm not sure what I want to do just yet. Think I'm gonna do a bit more research around the web and keep checking back here. The main thing I'm trying to do is just get the best possible yield that I can get. I want to do a lot of sauces and make some spice blends

Thank you very much! Best of luck to you on whatever you decide! You'll be making sauces and spice blends in no-time.

 

[Hawaiianero]

Regardless of soil quality any type of soil amendments and/or good quality mulch can only help your situation in either ground or potted.
in the ground, dig a hole about the size of a 5 gallon bucket and back fill it with at least 1/2 of good quality mulch/amendment mixed with existing soil. If your soil is really crappy make the back fill 100% and use the original soil as water runoff control.
As far as pot size, "As big as you can" is the general concensus. I like 3 gallon to 5 gallon for my pots and using any number of potting soils that are on sale at the time. I've also been know to purchase a cubic yard of gardening soil from the local nursury.      

 

[masterown35]

Thank you very much! Best of luck to you on whatever you decide! You'll be making sauces and spice blends in no-time.

Thanks!
 

Regardless of soil quality any type of soil amendments and/or good quality mulch can only help your situation in either ground or potted.
in the ground, dig a hole about the size of a 5 gallon bucket and back fill it with at least 1/2 of good quality mulch/amendment mixed with existing soil. If your soil is really crappy make the back fill 100% and use the original soil as water runoff control.
As far as pot size, "As big as you can" is the general concensus. I like 3 gallon to 5 gallon for my pots and using any number of potting soils that are on sale at the time. I've also been know to purchase a cubic yard of gardening soil from the local nursury.      

 
My dad actually suggested using some 5-gallon buckets which I think I might do. Would probably be best anyways that way I can keep them separated a bit better. Should actually be a bit easier to keep my dogs out of them too now that I think about it

 

[masterown35]

Thank you to both of you for the suggestions as well!

 

[ako1974]

Try both and see what works. In-ground you can amend your soil, with pots you create your own medium and have mobility. I do both. Most of my peppers are in-ground, but I've been able to see which ones do well in pots, so I can get the ones that need to be in the ground planted there. Good luck!

 

[PtMD989]

I don't use mulch, but I use "Weed Proof" plastic that comes in rolls. Kinda like landscape fabric only it's plastic and not the woven material. It keeps the soil warm, keeps it from drying out and it keeps weeds from growing.

This is a random pic from last year. I've used it for the past 4 years and will never not use it.

I don't have any mulching experience. Maybe that's better?

Does that plastic stay put once you get it weighed down? Do you have to keep adding more weights to it depending on wind direction or wind strength?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bhuter]

Does that plastic stay put once you get it weighed down? Do you have to keep adding more weights to it depending on wind direction or wind strength?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The first year I used it, I cut a bunch of hangers in half (cutting off the top hook). It's held down with hangers and the brick is in places that DID get caught by the wind. Once you cut the holes in it and plant your plants, it pretty much stays in place. But if you lay it down and plan to plant the next day or two, the wind has a better chance of making a parachute out of it because the holes aren't cut yet. Does that make sense? Once the holes are there for the wind to pass through (and you walk on it between rows), it usually stays in place...usually. But I keep bricks around. Lol

Then I pull it up every year, saving all the hangers to reuse.

 

[PtMD989]

Makes sense. I picture if I used that, it would be like me putting the winter pool cover, any little breeze and it blows up like a parachute. Haha. I probably look like I should be in a Three Stooges short.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bhuter]

Makes sense. I picture if I used that, it would be like me putting the winter pool cover, any little breeze and it blows up like a parachute. Haha. I probably look like I should be in a Three Stooges short.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sometimes it IS exactly like that. Nyuk, nyuk. The wind likes to blow as soon as you start laying the plastic down. Lol.