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Repotting
Some fast-growing plants require annual repotting, others that are slower growing need to be repotted ever few years, and a very few actually do better when root bound! There are a few things to look for in determining whether it is time to repot:
• The plant wilts between waterings.
• The roots are spiraling or growing out the bottom of the container.
• The lower leaves are turning brown.
• The plant appears too large for the pot in which it is planted.
When repotting, select a pot one size larger—the diameter should be 1 to 2 inches larger—than the current one. The plant will come out of the container more easily if the soil is moist, so water at least an hour ahead of time. Remove the plant by placing the container on its side and tapping lightly to loosen the soil. Gently remove the plant, but avoid pulling on the main stem.
To encourage outward and downward growth of the roots, trim off any long, damaged or roots. Try not too remove too many of the little "rootlets" as these are what actually provide nutrients to the plant. If the roots are spiraling, straighten those you can and remove those you can't. You can also split the lower third of the root ball with a knife. Remove as much soil as possible from between the roots.
There are many advantages to growing peppers in containers. People who live in apartments and townhouses without gardens can grow peppers and other plants on their balconies, patios, or even in a closet under lights. Fresh pods from potted peppers are available all year long. The peppers can be moved around easily, transforming the peppers from patio plants to ornamental houseplants. They can be rescued from heavy downpours or hail, or moved to areas of varying light levels. In pots, peppers are easier to isolate for plant breeding or to produce pure seed. Treasured varieties can be wintered over in a greenhouse or sunroom and returned to the garden the following year.
Some pepper enthusiasts become so fond of their potted peppers that they turn them into pets. They give them nicknames, take pictures of them to send to relatives and friends, and freely share their pods. This kind of behavior is seems to be unique to pepper growers, so it seems to us that pepper gardening has become a very popular hobby in the U.S.
Fortunately, we've been in contact with a number of these pepper hobbyists. During our research, we did not come across any studies done on potted peppers, so we've had to depend entirely on our own experiences and those of the hobbyists across the country.
Choosing the Containers
Virtually anything that will hold soil can be used to grow peppers. If the reason for using containers is to expand the size of the garden rather than eventually to bring the plants indoors, then size and appearance is not a problem and the gardener can use fairly large containers such as plastic trash cans, wooden boxes or barrels, styrofoam picnic coolers, and the large plastic, fiber, or metal pots used by greenhouses for shrubs and trees. The ideal size for peppers is five gallons or larger for outdoor growing.
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the purpose of growing peppers in containers is to winter them over, to turn them into perennials, or for breeding, then smaller, more attractive containers should be used. We have had peppers in containers ranging in size from a plastic pot with a 4-inch diameter to a barrel with a 22-inch diameter. With a few exceptions, the larger the container, the larger the pepper plant will grow. Smaller containers restrict root growth, which limits foliage and flower production but they are recommended for gardeners wishing to grow bonzai peppers. Remember that smaller containers will require more frequent watering, and that lighter-colored pots will reflect more solar energy and keep the roots of the plant cooler
Gardeners can use their imaginations when selecting containers. For example, Florida pepper lover Diane Chamberlain reports good success in growing a peperoncino in a hanging pot in her kitchen window when she lived in Japan. "It usually had peppers hanging on it," she said, "and I used them for cooking."
Varieties to Grow
At the risk of over-generalizing, we believe that the smaller-podded varieties adapt best to container growing--especially to the smaller pots. During our experiments over six years, we had the best luck with chiltepins, tabascos, and ornamentals.
Container Growing Techniques
Drainage and Soil. Good drainage is essential regardless of the type of containers chosen for growing peppers. The containers should have large drain holes. To prevent soil from washing out of the holes, plug them with irregularly shaped stones. Some early sources suggest placing a 3-inch layer of gravel to aid in drainage, but this practice is discredited today. Do not place the container in a jardinere or in a saucer because of the risk of the roots sitting in water. Indoors, of course, saucers are a necessity, so just make sure the pot doesn't sit in water.
One of the biggest problems with container gardening is the tendency for the plants to dry out and wilt between regular waterings. The major cause of the quick drying is plant transpiration, which is greater than one might expect when the plant has a well developed root system. Another cause of drying is evaporation from the top of the soil, which can be controlled with a mulch of grass clippings--but then it's hard to see how wet the soil is. The third cause is the type of soil chosen for the container.
It is commonly believed that commercial potting soil is the best choice for containers because many garden soils contain too much clay for use in pot. However, commercial potting soils often contain so much sand, perlite, and milled sphagnum moss that they drain too fast and dry out too quickly.
Some gardeners have had success with simply digging soil out of the garden and putting it in a pot. Most pepper gardeners add some garden soil to a mix that includes commercial potting soil and other soil expanders. We have had good luck with the following formula: 1 part perlite, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite, 3 parts commercial potting soil, and 3 parts garden soil. Another good mixture is 1 part loamy soi, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part sand. Daphne Gould of Boston reports excellent results with a mixture of two parts compost, one part perlite, and one part garden soil, mulched with grass clippings.
Gardeners will have to make some mixes with their own garden soil and judge for themselves what mixture works best. Many sources suggest pasteurizing garden soil before using it in a pot, but that is a tedious process that tends to smell up the kitchen.
Location. Outdoors, peppers in containers seem to do best in partial shade or in locations receiving full sun only in the morning. There is a tendency for pots in full sun to absorb solar radiation and heat up the roots too much. However, if the pots are quite large, painted white or aluminum to reflect solar energy, and are well-mulched, many varieties will thrive in full sun. Indoors, the plants will be partially shaded by the movement of the sun, so place them in the sunniest window. In the summer, it's usually an east or west window; in the winter, a south window is best.
Fertilizing. Peppers in pots generally need a little more feeding than those outdoors growing in aged manure. About once a week early in the growing season, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, diluted even more than the instructions suggest. Fish emulsion seems to work well for organic gardeners. A good slow-release fertilizer is Osmocote, which does not burn the plants and provides a steady supply of nutrients. If the growth of the potted pepper seems more vigorous than that of the same variety in the garden, or if blossoms are dropping, stop using the fertilizer. If blossom drop continues, too much nitrogen has been applied, and the pot should be flushed by running a lot of water through it.
Problems. One of the biggest problems with growing peppers indoors is pets. The plants are chewed by cats, dogs, and birds. Some gardeners put netting over their peppers to keep the cats off, but then they have hidden their favorite plants. Another problem with growing peppers indoors or in greenhouses is that they are more susceptible to the usual houseplant attackers: spider mites, whitefly, and aphids. The best control is to wash the plants at least once a week with soapy water, then rinse them. You can even put them under the shower to spray them off. Be sure to wash the underside of the leaves.
Adequate light is needed in the winter, or the plants will cease flowering and begin to drop leaves. Jeff and Nancy Gerlach report they had excellent success with rocotos and other varieties in the south-exposed window of their office in Albuquerque. The light and heat was so intense that the peppers continued to produce pods all winter long. In our north-exposed greenhouse in Albuquerque, however, the peppers went into dormancy and lost many of their leaves.
I gathered these growing tips from all over:
GERMINATION POINTERS. Germinating your own seeds is sometimes the only way to grow the varieties you want. Hot peppers need to be coaxed through germination and the transplant stage, but they turn into robust plants after their tender beginnings. Start them indoors and sow 1/4" deep, 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost. Keep them moist and warm, but DO NOT SOAK them -- air circulation is important at this stage. You can put plastic cling wrap over the containers to simulate a hothouse environment, but be sure they get a little air circulation each day to ward off mold. Check them daily to make sure the soil does not dry out. Remove the plastic wrap when the seedlings emerge. Be patient with the seedlings -- some varieties can take 4 to 6 weeks. Another tip is to overplant when germinating your seeds. Some seeds may not be viable, and when the ones that are viable reach about 2" you can keep the strongest plants for transplanting.
FERTILIZING SEEDLINGS. Make sure you DO NOT use 20-20-20 fertilizer or plant food on your seedlings! This ratio has too much nitrogen for seedlings. I killed off over 75% of my seedlings the first year I germinated seeds. I was even using a weakened solution. The problem is that the nitrogen will stimulate leaf growth and make the seedlings appear to be healthy, but the root systems will be weak. Everything might look OK for a while, then the plant will simply droop and topple over before it gets 2" high. The solution is either not fertilize at all, or use a high-potash root-feeding food like liquefied seaweed.
TRANSPLANTING TIPS. When it's time to transplant, let the plants sit in their containers in the shade for a few days to harden. Make sure they are protected from a late frost. When putting the plants in their pot or garden plot, put some sand in the hole, or mix in some sand with the soil. Also, put a teaspoon of sulphur in the hole first.
BLOOMING TIME. When the peppers first start to bloom, you can safely boost the plant's output by spraying it with epsom salt. Mix 1 pint of water with 2 tablespoons of epsom salt.
EXTEND YOUR GROWING SEASON. Pepper plants respond well to pruning. About six weeks before the first frost, snip back the top branches and flowers. The plant strength will go to the remaining peppers, maturing them faster. You also have options for dealing with your plants when the first freeze arrives:
(1) Just before the first freeze, pull the plant and hang the entire thing upside down in a dry, airy location. A garage or basement is an ideal location. The green peppers will continue to mature, and can ripen to maturity right on the drying plant.
(2) Dig them up and pot them. Then you can move them to the garage and keep them alive under a grow-light. This is a bit riskier, but if it fails, you're back to option 1 with no real loss. The peppers will mature much, much more slowly, but you can still enjoy a few fresh peppers long after the normal growing season has ended. Another bonus of this od is that you can keep the plant alive and replant it next spring for a jump on the season. I have a Thai pepper plant that I have done this to for three seasons now, and I'm saving a Chiltepin the same way. The whole winter garage trip is a lot less strain on the plant if it is potted to begin with.
It is not possible to effectively grow tropical peppers like Capsicum Chinense (e.g. varieties Habanero, Fatalii, Scotch Bonnet, Barbados) in the ground in the Northern latitudes. The earth, even in the summer, is too cold on the average and the time between frosts (May-October) is not long enough to allow vine ripening. By tricking the plants into feeling that they are in the tropics, however, you may have a fine crop of peppers that are larger, riper and every bit as fiery as those actually grown in the tropics. Here's how.
Obtain Seeds
This is the obvious first step: Obtain seeds to grow your chilis. There are many commercial sources for seeds which you can research here: General Plants and Seeds Address List and The Redwood City Seed Company. I would call particular attention to the former reference and in there find the information on Seed Saver's Exchange - which is a phenomenal network of gardeners worldwide who exchange their heirloom seeds for all vegetables. This contains, by far the largest variety of seeds I have ever seen.
Germination
Around Valentine's Day or early March, plant seeds (1-2 per pot) in 2"x2" peat pots. Use 'seed starting soil' and plant about 1/8" below the surface. Place these pots in a seedling tray that comes with a clear plastic lid. You can fit 36 pots per tray. Water the pots, making sure that they are uniformly moist, but not saturated (i.e. they should not be sitting in a level of unabsorbed water). Too much water can encourage molds. The ideal germination temperature is about 80ºF, but if you place the trays in an upstairs sunny window, the greenhouse effect caused by the plastic lid will provide an ideal environment. The seeds will sprout between 1 and 3 weeks after planting. After that, you may remove the lids and then you only need to make sure that the soil never dries out completely. You should also give them their first fertilizer. Peters 'Root and Bloom' is good for this stage. Especially watch out for mold on the soil and pots at this time. If you see any white cottony substance, you should use a Captan based anti-fungal solution. In May, after the plants are well on their way, you should ideally place the trays outside as much as possible to 'hardy' the plants. Bring them back in at any time when the temperature goes below 50ºF. You can leave the plants indoors until they are ready to plant, but the stalks will be long and withery and not fare as well in the elements.
Planting
You must plant your chilis in pots for two reasons. First, in the fall, you will need to bring the plants indoors as the first frost will come before all the pods have ripened. Since chilis are actually perennials, you can also move your plants back outside the following Spring. They will bear pods year after year so long as the plants never freeze. Secondly, tropical peppers need warmer soil than we have in the North and by planting them 'above ground', the soil will be as warm, if not warmer than that of the tropics. You will also have less trouble with pests such as rabbits and crawling insects as when they are planted in the ground.
You need not have an enormous pot, I usually plant four plants in a single 10" pot. If you do this, however, you will need to drench your plants most every day in the heat of the summer, and fertilize every week or two. Place rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the pot first, mainly for weight so that the plants won't easily blow over in the wind. The soil mixture I use is as follows: 3 parts rich potting soil, 1 part sand, 2 parts Michigan Peat Moss, 1 part cow manure and a few tablespoons of lime. Plant the peat pots in this mixture and drench. Make sure that no part of the peat pot is above the soil, even if you have to tear off the top edges. Otherwise, the water will 'wick' out into the air and 'locally' dry out the area around the plant even though the rest of the soil may be relatively moist.
The primary consideration with these plants is that if they are subjected to even a light frost, they will die. So if you are planting in pots, make sure that you aren't going to be moving the pots inside too frequently. If planting in the ground (Capsicum Anuum will do fine in the Northern Spring and Summer) make sure that the last frost is behind you.
Sun and Water
The plants should be in direct sunlight at least half the day. They can take total sunlight, but the most crucial thing to remember is to never let them dry out completely. Make certain your pots drain out onto the ground or else you risk root rot. Ideally, you should drench each pot whenever the soil starts to become dry and powdery, but not yet bone dry. If the leaves start to droop, then you will lose blossoms as well. A lost blossom is a lost chili pod. You must check the soil every day in the summer, especially if they get a full day of direct sun and you crowd more than one plant in a small pot.
Feeding
I like to feed the plants every week or two alternating 'Miracle Grow for Tomatoes' and 'Alaska Fish Fertilizer'. If you feed and water your plants liberally, you may easily support four healthy plants per 10" pot. The advantage of this is that you will not break your back when it comes time to carry them inside, and you will be able to harvest far more pods per square foot from these attractive bushy plants.
Harvesting
For the richest flavor and most concentrated heat, let your chilis ripen on the vine, even if they ripen at Christmas time in your living room window. Each species and variety will have a terminal ripening color which will always be something other than green. Most peppers ripen red, but many will ripen to a bright lemon yellow or orange. Some rare varieties will be black, white or even purple. Make sure you find out what the terminal ripening color is for each variety you grow. You should pick them soon after the pod has completely turned color. You do not want the pods to get soft, shrivel or dry on the vine.
Seed Saving
If you are going to save your seeds to share with others or to replant next year, simply cut out the seed bearing tissue and place on paper towels on the windowsill to dry. Seeds should never exceed a temperature of 90ºF. Plants of the same species may cross-pollinate unless care is taken to isolate the blossoms by using nylon bags or sheer distance from other plants of different varieties of the same species. Although the pod of a cross-pollinated blossom may be identical those of its parent stalk, the pods coming from plants germinated from those seeds (hybrids) can be very different from both parents. This can be very desirable or undesirable. If you are certain you want to keep a variety pure when saving seeds, make sure that there are no other varieties of the same species within 500 feet of your plant while it is blossoming.
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