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container Question about containers.

One question would be where does one find cloth pots as I am currently using plastic pots
in Houston, TX where we get some very hot humid weather and I do have to water my
chili plants often?
 
Using airpots or cloth bags in an arid environment means that you need a recirculation-style drip irrigation system, otherwise they are constantly dry.
 
Best bet for an arid environment is large clay pots.
 
Cloth pots can easily be found on Amazon in all sizes.....i used them for one year in Canada where it is not as hot as TX.....had to water constantly...thats when i went back to five gallon buckets.
 
That's good to know, thanks.  I'll consider switching clay pots or back to plastic pots, something solid, the next time around.  I would think clay pots would resist thermal changes, too, which would mean the roots may not heat up as quickly as the sun intensifies.
 
MrSpiffy said:
That's good to know, thanks.  I'll consider switching clay pots or back to plastic pots, something solid, the next time around.  I would think clay pots would resist thermal changes, too, which would mean the roots may not heat up as quickly as the sun intensifies.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah I used airpots outside one summer and had a hell of a struggle keeping my grow happy. Never again.
 
podz said:
 
Yeah I used airpots outside one summer and had a hell of a struggle keeping my grow happy. Never again.
Click to expand...
 
To be fair, I had some issues with the plastic pots, as well.  So, not sure that's the entire issue.  But, they were cheap enough to be worth a try.  I'll save those for something else, then.  I was thinking the roots were too wet, but those cloth pots dried out really quickly.  Especially since we have windy days here and there that really suck the moisture out.
 
Either cloth or plastic. Whichever you fancy.

I have a different view set that's usually in direct opposition to most pepper growers. I don't stress my peppers by underwatering. A lot of growers say that peppers like it dry, don't water until it's dry 2 knuckles deep in the soil etc. Dude I live in Central Florida. It's hotter than hell 3/4 of the year. And plants have root balls. And root balls need water. That's how they move nutrients. A watered plant is a happy plant. And if I grow in FL how am I supposed to not water them when it rains every day for 6 months out of the year? For me, the key is to have well draining soil.

Peppers definitely need shade if you can. If not they will definitely wilt during the heat of the day. I like to position mine where I can get that nice good morning sun for 4 hours and then it partially goes to shading for the direct blast of nuclear furnace Florida Sunshine.

Now this isn't gospel. Just my experience and .02
 
I bet that will help a lot. Mine were on a South-facing side of the porch, right in the hottest sun of the day. I'll try moving them to the east side so they get morning sun, but then shade during the rest of the day.

I had to water them everyday to help them cool down, as they were wilting in the heat.
 
Pepper plants are supposed to wilt somewhat in the heat (I mean after they are already sun-acclimated). That's how leaves grow rapidly - they warm up, get paper thin and stretch and you can almost smell the photosynthesis going on. In the evening, they recover into a slightly bigger size.
 
I grow outside on my south-facing deck with zero shade and generally high winds. It's a brutal environment where the sun shines for nearly 22 hours per day. I think we are pretty equal to 7a or b. Last year, I went with 70% coir, 20% vermiculite and 10% perlite for my potting mix. Only watered once per week even during drought due to the ridiculously high percentage of vermiculite.
 
I'm in zone 9b which can be a little more... Persistently warmer so shade is Def my friend. I def agree that they are supposed to wilt somewhat.

I used to grow outside of an apartment 40 feet of a main road and the wind was killer. Shit flower set rates. Once I moved to a house w a backyard and wind protection flower set rate got muuuch better. Still don't get much that sets in summer w consistent 95f+ temps though.
 
If you live in a dry climate, short, wide containers, for a long season.  Small-ish containers for a short season.  If you live in a wet/wetter climate, you will do yourself a favor by going with taller containers.  Being a fellow East Coast resident, who is all too familiar with tropical weather, I would probably point you towards a 7T container, if they're available to you.  Keep the container saturation zone down way low, while still giving yourself plenty of room to grow roots.  
 
sirex said:
Still don't get much that sets in summer w consistent 95f+ temps though.
Click to expand...
 
This is where selection matters.  For the most part, I'm in the same boat as you.  But...  if you want good Florida growers, you need something that is a landrace in an equivalent environment.  Almost any variety that's a staple in the Caribbean does really well in our area.
.
I have a few varieties that produce way more than I can use, all through summer.  Other varieties might only produce a handful per month in late summer.
 
solid7 said:
If you live in a dry climate, short, wide containers, for a long season.  Small-ish containers for a short season.  If you live in a wet/wetter climate, you will do yourself a favor by going with taller containers.  Being a fellow East Coast resident, who is all too familiar with tropical weather, I would probably point you towards a 7T container, if they're available to you.  Keep the container saturation zone down way low, while still giving yourself plenty of room to grow roots.
Click to expand...
Those 7T containers would work perfect for me?
 
Well my chili pepper plants have arrived and I will put them in pots this weekend.
I will be using various types of pots with good leaf-mold compost for soil and I plan on
adding some organic fertilizer to the mix.  The plants are already good size and I 
have them out on the deck to acclimate to our Houston, TX weather as these came
from New Jersey (Cross Country Nursery)  I am looking forward to getting the plants
in place and will put them principally in full sun where I had my plants from last year
planted.
 
When I started container growing in Florida, I did really well in those, until I learned more advanced stuff. It's a good size for carefree growing in wet climates.
 
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