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media potting mixes that are high in peat moss

S

svtcontour

Hi guys, ok so I've noticed some of my peppers that were potted using potting mixes that probably had too much peat moss are not doing as well as they should. I mean they are growing but a bit slower. Now I wonder if thats due to the soil being more acidic due to the peat moss, or if its because peat moss dries to a concrete like state if it dries out a little...in which case you cant just water the plant a little because the damn soil wont want to soak up anything. Just sits there on top or rolls down the side of the pot.

Is there anything wrong with this soil? If not, then is the heavy waterings the best way to go if you like to let the plant go a little while without water?
 
Well, peat moss is problematic for both the reasons you mention. It is acidic, so until pH balanced it can impact the peppers adversely. It also does dry out like a brick so it is important to keep it at least a little moist. The most popular growing medium, ProMix BX, is about 80 % peat, so it's workable for peppers - but Promix is pH balanced with lime and contains enough perlite and vermiculite to prevent it from turning into a solid brick when dry. But in general peat is not really idea for pepper-growing.
 
PepperLover said:
never overwater when it comes to peppers always dry better than too wet
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I know overwatering is bad but will the plant roots get damaged being in that solidiied peat in between waterings? I think the soil I purchased last said it was 40% peat.
 
mega said:
Well, peat moss is problematic for both the reasons you mention. It is acidic, so until pH balanced it can impact the peppers adversely. It also does dry out like a brick so it is important to keep it at least a little moist. The most popular growing medium, ProMix BX, is about 80 % peat, so it's workable for peppers - but Promix is pH balanced with lime and contains enough perlite and vermiculite to prevent it from turning into a solid brick when dry. But in general peat is not really idea for pepper-growing.
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Ya I was curious about the PH too so I purchased this soil moisture meter that had a PH mode but I dont think it works well. I dunked it into straight vinegar and it said it was a PH of 7.5. LOL. Oh and water was also 7.5 ;)
 
My ph meter did the same thing. I kept getting neutral readings so I actually stuck it into a lemon and still got a neutral reading. I was like...WTF!? :rolleyes: Was thinking I might return it and buy another to see how that goes.
 
When using a mix that has a high percentage of peat it's best to offset the acidity with a bit of pelletized/pulverized lime. If you add perlite and or vermiculite it usually won't dry out into hardpan.

If you're referring to the "No battery needed" pH meters those babies are total junk. I tried several of them and none of them worked.
 
patrick said:
When using a mix that has a high percentage of peat it's best to offset the acidity with a bit of pelletized/pulverized lime. If you add perlite and or vermiculite it usually won't dry out into hardpan.

If you're referring to the "No battery needed" pH meters those babies are total junk. I tried several of them and none of them worked.
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Ya my meter is one of those pieces of junk. LOL. I need to get a real meter then. So if my plant is in one of those soils thats high in peat, as long as I can keep the PH to the proper levels, is there any harm to the plant if the soil gets dry and hard between waterings? Thats assuming of course that I'm not drying it to the point where the plant is drooping much.
 
So if my plant is in one of those soils thats high in peat, as long as I can keep the PH to the proper levels, is there any harm to the plant if the soil gets dry and hard between waterings?

Yes....I would be very careful about that. In "theory" (but not in practice) peat should offer kind of a lattice structure that, even when very dry, would remain porous enough for the roots to keep growing. In practice, very dry peat turns into a solid brick and can just strangle a pepper plant to death. Not only that, it can happen super-fast, like hours, as opposed to days. I had 6 or 8 seedlings growing in Jiffy cells, wasn't paying much attention to them, and in between an evening check and the following morning, they went from "thriving" to completely dead. The peat had dried out and turned into a solid, impenetrable mass. If the peat is mixed with vermiculite and perlite (as is the case with Promix, but you could easily do it yourself), then it will still dry out but will sort of get cake-y rather than brick-like, and will remain very porous and open, and the plants will tolerate a much drier situation. But if it's just peat, I would be very careful and would make sure it never gets beyond "pretty dry but still kinda damp". If it does, you may have only a few hours to remedy the situation.

Also, if you water dry peat, it's true that the water will bubble on top and seem not to penetrate the bricklike peat, but it will after a few minutes. It just takes some time.
 
Peat on its own is a terrible medium but with the proper amendments its difficult to beat in my opinion. Use dolomitic lime if possible for pH adjusting since it contains needed magnesium and calcium. Perlite and vermiculite will loosen the mixture, and a wetting agent should help with crusting, then you probably could use some compost for nutrients and microbes
 
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