Peppers are one of the essential ingredients that used in many recipes. That is why, a lot cook tries to grow them to get the freshest ingredients. However, it is a little bit difficult to grow even when you have a garden. That is why, it is better to grow peppers in container to make it easier.
Varieties of Peppers
Peppers come in many varieties that you can choose from. Most of them can grow well planted in container when the condition is right. You can try to grow varieties such as Yolo Wonder, Canapé, Red Cherry, Early Thickset and Jalapeno, etc. If you are devoted enough you can even grow specialty peppers.
Preparation to Grow Peppers in Container
If you want to use containers as media to grow the peppers, then you need to do some preparation. For the peppers itself, you can buy one in nursery or you can choose to propagate it yourself from seed.
Choosing The Containers
You need containers that has 10-12inches wide and deep for the minimum requirement but deeper is better. It should also have holes that is sufficient for drainage. Each container can be use to grow around 2-3 small peppers plant varieties. If the climate where you grow the peppers is tropical then do not use black color pot.
How to Propagate Peppers Yourself from Seeds
If you decide to propagate the peppers yourself from seeds then you can buy the seeds online or from local suppliers. You will also need to purchase seed starting mixture for them to grow. Use small seedling tray and fill it with the seed starting mixture. Put only up to 2seeds on the tray with 2-3cm deep.
Find out when is the last spring frost since you need to start the seedling around 6-10weeks before that date. For tropical and subtropical climate, the process can be start anytime, however do not start it on harsh summer.
The quality of the seeds and the weather will affect the time that it need to germinate. However, it usually last around 1 to 3weeks. After they have germinated you need to thin out the space. Only put one seedling for each small tray. Once they have grown at least two true leaves then you can move and grow peppers in container.
Potting Mix to Grow Peppers in Container
Gary Pilarchik
Good quality soil will allow the peppers to grow productively. You can purchase the mixture on the store and choose the best quality. It should be fertile, loose and well drained. It should also have a lot of organic matters. So, you can add compose or manure.
You can make your own compose by combining coco peat or moss peat with vermiculite or sand or perlite. Do not forget to add 5 to 10gram of neem cake when preparing the soil. This will help to protect young peppers from pest and disease that come from the soil.
Where to Put the Containers
Gapeys Grub
Peppers will need a lot of sunlight, they will grow productively under heat and warmth. That is why, you need to put the containers under the sunlight. There should be at minimum 6hours of sunlight every day. However, the containers need to be protected from harsh wind.
Best Temperature to Grow Peppers in Container
For better growth the best temperature grow peppers in container for the soil should be above 15 Celsius or 60 Fahrenheit. Meanwhile for germination the best temperature should be above 20 Celsius or 68 Fahrenheit. The temperature that pepper can tolerate is up to 35 Celsius or 95 Fahrenheit or down to 10 Celsius or 50 Fahrenheit. But ideally the temperature should be between 21 Celsius or 70 Fahrenheit to 32 Celsius or 90 Fahrenheit.
How to Water the Peppers
Regular watering is needed for the peppers to grow well because the soil should not dry out and should be keep slightly moist. Do not do overhead watering that can wet the foliage because it can bring fungal infection. It is best to pour the water on the root of the plant. However, do not overwater and let the water sit since it is bad for the plant.
The Important of Mulching
Mulching is important since it can help reducing water evaporation. To do this, you need to put organic matters on the soil around the plants. You can use anything from paper, straws, barks or leaves.
Keeping The Soil Fertile
Even if you grow peppers in container, they still need support, especially after the plant grow bigger. You can easily use tomato cage or put a strong stick besides its primary stem then tie them together.
It is important to keep the soil fertile for the peppers to grow well. You need to fertilize it every 2 weeks. However, foliage can grow faster if there are too much nitrogen in the fertilizer. To make it easier, you can use tomato fertilizer to fertilize the pepper.
Do not forget to put manure tea or compost once every month. Then spray Epsom salt for 2teaspoon for every gallon of water once a month. This will help to promote the health of the plants and increasing yield.
Pollination and Productivity to Grow Peppers in Container
Peppers can pollinate themselves so you do not need to worry about it. However, if you want to increase the yield then try to shake it gently when the plant bloom. This will help improve the pollination and productivity.
Disease and Pest Prevention
You need to prevent aphids from attacking your plants. They are the main pest for peppers plant. Then for dry and hot climate, you also need to prevent spider mites from attacking.
When Is The Time for Harvest?
You can harvest the peppers around 60 to 90 days after the transplanting day. Harvest them when the peppers already reach their full size and when it is firm. You can harvest it when they are still green. However, you can also harvest them when they are already ripe and change their color. As you can see, grow peppers in container actually very easy if you follow these tips correctly.