Growing Peppers in a Pot

[Lilypon]

I'm growing Islander, Fish, Black Hungarian, and Alma Paprika .....all new and unknown to me (and to everyone else around here ). I figure my best chance of getting fruit from them is to move them into my greenhouse (will plant a few in the ground too) but am wondering how big a pot each variety will need and what kind of soil they'd be happy with (I've got Pro Mix....does it need anything else mixed in???).

[feldon30]

5-10 gallons has worked for me for peppers.

Pro-Mix is great soil. I do add about 10% shredded pine bark and 10% compost. Then I add 2/3 cup of slow-release fertilizer like TomatoTone or GardenTone, as well as dolomitic lime to nip BER in the bud.

Because of the effect of water flushing nutrients out of the soil, plan on feeding your peppers right around the time of their heaviest fruitset.

[Lilypon]

Thanks Feldon!

[mdvpc]

Remember to either set up a fan in the greenhouse to move the plants so they can set fruit, or gently shake them once a day or more.

[Lilypon]

I was wondering if that would work ...... thank you for covering a question I would have asked later on Michael!

[mdvpc]

Happy to help. As your season gets on, pls post in the undercover gardening forum about how your peppers do.

[Lilypon]

I'll be happy to Michael (if I don't kill them in the meantime)...already managed to kill 1/4 of my maters (another 1/4 is struggling). So far the peppers are tickled pink with life in the greenhouse so am crossing fingers and toes for their, and mine, continued success.

[Zana]

I've been growing peppers and tomatoes in containers for years too. As already mentioned, you'll have to fertilise more, although slow release ones cut down a bit on the frequency in pots/containers. Peppers seem to prefer that their feet aren't sitting in water, so let your containers drain into saucers and then recycle the outflow elsewhere.

Of the ones that you're growing only Islander is one that I haven't. The others have all done well for me in pots/containers. Good luck.

[Lilypon]

Thank you for letting me know that growing them in pots worked well for you Zana (and good to know about the drainage....though I do try to careful that it occurs). I'll also be sure to follow the directions re fertilizer.

Feldon, or anyone else that knows (for sure) will Larch/Fir bark work instead of shredded pine bark? Shredded pine bark isn't available here but the other is (if we still lived up north finding the pine wouldn't be a problem). There used to be a wonderful soil amendment that I could buy that had the pine but I couldn't find it at any garden centre this year.