What are the rules for growing sweet peppers in a container?

SmittenGarden · May 13, 2013

I'm new to gardening and growing veggies. I have two city pickers self watering containers with zucchini and tomatoes so far and I'd like to try a third container of sweet peppers. But after having troubles with one of my Tommy's its become apparent there rules to container tomato growing I wasn't aware of.

So before I go out, spend more money and plant more plants.
What should and shouldn't I do? Would another city pickers planter be ok? I'd like something on casters like that and self watering. Which is why I'm temped to buy another. Is there certain types of bell peppers I'm suposed to know about? Like the tomatoes being determinate or indeterminate (which I don't know about, or that its better to not plant them in their biodegradable pots).

Thanks in advance

tlintx · May 13, 2013

For what it's worth, my MIL is growing a very happy looking green pepper plant in a 13" swc with Miracle Grow. It only has a couple of peppers on it, but, hey, it can be done.

Tl

roadrunner · May 13, 2013

I've grown peppers successfully for several years in both earthboxes and city pickers. Basically I used a soil mix of five parts spaghmum peat, two parts vermiculite and one part perlite. After a few years I found the best sucess with less fertilizer than suggested, I use 1-1/2 cups 5-10-5 instead of 2 of 10-10-10 and will spray with fish emulation and some Epsom salts after fruits develop. The only other thing I've found is i got my best yield from six plants, not the eight they recommend for the "city picker."

Add sun and you will get amazing results. Good Luck.

SmittenGarden · May 13, 2013

Thank you...

I'll pester my hubby for a new planter and pepper plants

we have to go there either tonight or tomorrow anyway. I think we have a cabbage looper problem with the zucchinis and I want to go. Buy a few thousand lady bugs and wage war on them.

But I'm glad the city pickers will support some peppers. We go through a lot of peppers and zucchini when we buy fresh.

BennB · May 15, 2013

I don't know how the lady bugs will like the cabbage looper's, but I had aphid problems last year and bought 10,000 ladybugs on-line and let them go on the affected plants and they crawled out and just started going to town on them. I don't know why I was surprised...I guess I thought they would be like a new cat and hide under the bed for a couple days...but nope! Problem was once they had eaten they all flew off and I had to go through the process a couple times (along with some good old soap spray and hose blasts) to get things under control.

gnol · May 15, 2013

Hi SmittenGarden,
I grow a few in pots depending on how many pots and seedlings I have left over.
This one was grown in a pot that is about 20 litres. You can just see the top of the pot in the bottom of the pic.
I think I used about 50% compost and 50% potting mix and kept the water up as well as giving it a good feed a couple of times.

It was labelled Marconi.

SmittenGarden · May 15, 2013

thank you for the replys

thats one beautiful pepper plant! I've held off the pepper plants for now. just because I'm still having trouble with the loopers on my zucchinis.. and possibly found two aphids. i don't know i thought they were eggs from loopers. but they were green and had the tiniest of legs.

couldn't get the ladybugs...as no one has them in stock right now. I may have to order them from the internet.

once that is sorted and we have whats left planted I'd like to get some peppers. before they stop selling them in store.

Sun City Linda · May 16, 2013

Smitten - I highly recommend Earthbox planters. a bit later in the season they will show up on Amazon and Ozbo in the $35.00 range, often with free shipping

BarbJ · May 16, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Smitten - I highly recommend Earthbox planters. a bit later in the season they will show up on Amazon and Ozbo in the $35.00 range, often with free shipping

I second this! They're great, I've had very good success with them. They produce way more than you would think for the size.

ginger2778 · May 16, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Smitten - I highly recommend Earthbox planters. a bit later in the season they will show up on Amazon and Ozbo in the $35.00 range, often with free shipping

I have 27 of them. They had a special in Dec of last year to get them with replant kits, casters, and the red plastic mulch for under $30, so I bought 5. Never saw them give so much for so cheap before!
Marsha

SmittenGarden · May 18, 2013

Ill look into the earth box

thanks

I already have two city pickers...I think they are similar and they were $30 each now at home depot. I might switch my tomatoes up a bit and transplant to bigger pots. If I do that then I might put the peppers in the city pickers planter that I have my tomato plants in.

rockhound · May 19, 2013

BT (Dipel, Thuricide) will take care of your looper problem better than Ladybugs.

SmittenGarden · May 19, 2013

[QUOTE=rockhound;349276]BT (Dipel, Thuricide) will take care of your looper problem better than Ladybugs.[/QUOTE

That's what I've been told too. But I thought since they are listed as preditors of the looper and aphids that they might reduce the need to treat with bt frequently.

May 13, 2013	#1
SmittenGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: So California Posts: 75	What are the rules for growing sweet peppers in a container? I'm new to gardening and growing veggies. I have two city pickers self watering containers with zucchini and tomatoes so far and I'd like to try a third container of sweet peppers. But after having troubles with one of my Tommy's its become apparent there rules to container tomato growing I wasn't aware of. So before I go out, spend more money and plant more plants. What should and shouldn't I do? Would another city pickers planter be ok? I'd like something on casters like that and self watering. Which is why I'm temped to buy another. Is there certain types of bell peppers I'm suposed to know about? Like the tomatoes being determinate or indeterminate (which I don't know about, or that its better to not plant them in their biodegradable pots). Thanks in advance

May 13, 2013	#3
roadrunner Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: NH Posts: 14	I've grown peppers successfully for several years in both earthboxes and city pickers. Basically I used a soil mix of five parts spaghmum peat, two parts vermiculite and one part perlite. After a few years I found the best sucess with less fertilizer than suggested, I use 1-1/2 cups 5-10-5 instead of 2 of 10-10-10 and will spray with fish emulation and some Epsom salts after fruits develop. The only other thing I've found is i got my best yield from six plants, not the eight they recommend for the "city picker." Add sun and you will get amazing results. Good Luck. __________________ Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant

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May 13, 2013	#2
tlintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: SeTx Posts: 881	For what it's worth, my MIL is growing a very happy looking green pepper plant in a 13" swc with Miracle Grow. It only has a couple of peppers on it, but, hey, it can be done. Tl

May 13, 2013	#4
SmittenGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: So California Posts: 75	Thank you... I'll pester my hubby for a new planter and pepper plants we have to go there either tonight or tomorrow anyway. I think we have a cabbage looper problem with the zucchinis and I want to go. Buy a few thousand lady bugs and wage war on them. But I'm glad the city pickers will support some peppers. We go through a lot of peppers and zucchini when we buy fresh.

May 15, 2013	#5
BennB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 77	I don't know how the lady bugs will like the cabbage looper's, but I had aphid problems last year and bought 10,000 ladybugs on-line and let them go on the affected plants and they crawled out and just started going to town on them. I don't know why I was surprised...I guess I thought they would be like a new cat and hide under the bed for a couple days...but nope! Problem was once they had eaten they all flew off and I had to go through the process a couple times (along with some good old soap spray and hose blasts) to get things under control.

May 15, 2013	#6
gnol Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 125	Hi SmittenGarden, I grow a few in pots depending on how many pots and seedlings I have left over. This one was grown in a pot that is about 20 litres. You can just see the top of the pot in the bottom of the pic. I think I used about 50% compost and 50% potting mix and kept the water up as well as giving it a good feed a couple of times. It was labelled Marconi.

May 15, 2013	#7
SmittenGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: So California Posts: 75	thank you for the replys thats one beautiful pepper plant! I've held off the pepper plants for now. just because I'm still having trouble with the loopers on my zucchinis.. and possibly found two aphids. i don't know i thought they were eggs from loopers. but they were green and had the tiniest of legs. couldn't get the ladybugs...as no one has them in stock right now. I may have to order them from the internet. once that is sorted and we have whats left planted I'd like to get some peppers. before they stop selling them in store.

May 16, 2013	#8
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Smitten - I highly recommend Earthbox planters. a bit later in the season they will show up on Amazon and Ozbo in the $35.00 range, often with free shipping

May 18, 2013	#11
SmittenGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: So California Posts: 75	Ill look into the earth box thanks I already have two city pickers...I think they are similar and they were $30 each now at home depot. I might switch my tomatoes up a bit and transplant to bigger pots. If I do that then I might put the peppers in the city pickers planter that I have my tomato plants in.

May 19, 2013	#12
rockhound Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 285	BT (Dipel, Thuricide) will take care of your looper problem better than Ladybugs.