Growing Peppers In EarthBox

[TC_Manhattan]

I want to plant some overflow pepper plants in an EarthBox.

Their website directions say each box will hold 6 (yes, six!), spaced at 3 plants per row times 2 rows. This sounds crazy to me.

Anyone try it? What is reasonable spacing in your experience?
Two? Three? Six just sounds impossible!

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[Father'sDaughter]

I have no Earthbox experience, but I think it would depend on the variety and how big the plants get.

Also, peppers can tolerate closer quarters than tomatoes. My in-ground peppers are grown one per square foot. Same with eggplants.

[Barb_FL]

I'm growing 3 to an Earthbox now; I put one per side (in the middle of the box) and one in the center at the front.

Once in the past, I grew 4 but ended up cutting one; since then I've stuck to 3.

I think 6 are crazy. EB also says to grow 6 broccoli per EarthBox. I tried growing 5 broccoli. What happened, is that I had large heads on 2 broccoli and the others either produced a small head or basically waited for their turn to develop. This happened in both of the EarthBoxes I tried.

[dmforcier]

Depends on the variety. What are you growing?

[Worth1]

The only way you could grow that many peppers in an earth box where I live is if they were smaller ornamental peppers of some sort and even then it would be pushing it.

Right now I am trying 4 ghost peppers in a 30 gallon tub with cucumbers growing around the edges.
I have to keep the lower leaves cut from the cucumbers so the peppers can have light.
Light is the main problem and competing for it with any close spaced plant.

Worth.

[AlittleSalt]

I don't know about Earthboxes, but I remember reading in square foot gardening it is one per sq. ft.

The first site I saw on the search even has a picture of peppers growing http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I don't know about Earthboxes, but I remember reading in square foot gardening it is one per sq. ft.

The first site I saw on the search even has a picture of peppers growing http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/

If you look at my 30 gallon container that is almost exactly what I have plus the cucumbers climbing.

[JosephineRose]

I have done a single in and EB jr and two in an EB jr. The single plant was the stronger plant. I would not do more than 4 in a standard EB. Two or three would be preferable.

[FarmerShawn]

I have three Lemon Drops in an Earthbox, because they are, for me, very large plants. But in three other boxes I have 4, of several different varieties, growing, in two staggered rows. I'm in zone 4a, short season, so most peppers don't have time to grow very large plants before cold sets in.

[zipcode]

From what I've seen the volume of soil peppers need is somewhat low. The problem is the spacing however.
If you have some of the bigger types, they can actually be successfully trained to 2-3 stems like tomatoes, for maximizing that production per space. They will grow tall though.

[greenthumbomaha]

Here are two peppadew plants growing in an eb jr (thanks to htg!!). They are about a foot tall and bushing out. I have high hopes to overwinter them indoors, and perhaps transplant them into a full sized eb next year. Based on what I see early on with the variety I am growing, I can't imagine 6 mature plants of this variety competing in a single eb. I doubt I would be able to get a mature fruit in my zone without an early head start indoors.

- Lisa

[Shrinkrap]

I've grown six Poblanos in an Earthbox, and six Piquillos in an Earthbox. Doing that and six sweets this year.

[franknmiss]

I grow two. I use the pea fencing and it gets to be a jungle in there with more.
In Mississippi we also have disease issues that I'll bet you may not have - so you may do more and get away with it if you don't mind the tangle of plants

[Shrinkrap]

Originally Posted by franknmiss

I grow two. I use the pea fencing and it gets to be a jungle in there with more.
In Mississippi we also have disease issues that I'll bet you may not have - so you may do more and get away with it if you don't mind the tangle of plants

If you mean me, you are right. In many years I have only once had a disease on my peppers (my tomatoes are a whole 'nother story).

BTW, I only try it with tall, lank plants, not bush ones. Hmmmmmmm....maybe they are only lanky because I grow six in an EB. This year a few didn't make it, so there may be fewer.

[franknmiss]

After pulling 12 plants this week due to tropical storm Cindy giving us a week of rain and every disease you can name - I had decided 2 peppers and 1 tomato per earth box next year to see if that helps. I'm beginning to think the deep south is the worst place to grow tomatoes.
I'll bet Northern California is really nice.