How To Grow Peppers In Pots: Growing Peppers In Containers Or Pots

Peppers are one of our most popular garden crops. And not only that but also one of our most productive and most bountiful. The unripe, tasteless peppers at the grocery store, pale in comparison to the beauties that we can grow right at home. And even better than that, peppers are easy to grow, they transplant well, and are fairly resistant to pests and disease. And that's what makes them ideal candidates to grow in pots or containers.

Let me show you how I grow mine in pots right from seed, and it starts right now.

How To Grow Peppers In Pots or Container

Seeding and Germination : 

To grow the best container peppers this summer, we must first ensure that we have top-notch starter plans. We begin with a quality organic SR potting mixture. For peppers, I tend to use the 72 cell trays ( you can buy it from amazon ), even for the smaller varieties like habaneros and cons. Feel that trade of the top and compress each cell by about one third. fill those depressions back in and level off the tray nicely. Before seeding. Let's soak that with about two liters of warm water for around two hours.

Seeding Methods: 

For seeding peppers, we have two methods available to us. 

Methods #1: Single Seeding

The first method is to simply place a single seed in a small depression in the middle of each cell. Easy enough, I'll be it a bit tedious. Try to get the seeds as close to the center as possible. And just roll them in your fingers to separate them. If they're starting to stick together.

Make sure the seeds are about one to two centimeters down, and then just pinch those holes closed and we're done.

Methods #2: Multi Seeding

The second method is just as easy. And is known as the multi seeding strategy. Here, we take anywhere from eight to 12 seeds and place them randomly in each cell. 

The theory behind this is that peppers are great germinating and even better transplanters. So why worry about the seeds having an entire cell all to themselves. If you need 500 pepper starter plants for the season, making up one tray is far easier than making up seven or eight of them. 

Note: with the multi-seed method, it's much easier to put a new one in the skim coating of soil over those seeds than it is to try and push each one down individually. Either method you choose. 

The end result is peppered that sprout in about a week or two peppers begin to emerge quite vigorously. They grow up to the light with a purpose and rarely flop over like their tomato cousins. 

Germination

I let them grow another two weeks after initial germination, and then I prepped them for the transition to larger pots. I used the standard four-inch nursery pots, both for the economies of space, but also because it's the perfect size to take these plants to the precipice either for sale, planting in your garden, or planting in the containers.

Soil and Containers Preparation For Peppers Seedlings

I fill my four-inch pots with organic potting mix. Soak these pots from below with about two liters of warm water and let them sit for around two hours. Soaking these pots helps the soil to maintain its shape, as well as minimizing transplant shock for the delicate roots. For whatever reason, warm water seems to soak up faster into those pots.

Transplanting in Small Container

With the handling of a screwdriver, make a nice big hole in the center of one of those pots. Then, with the flat end of that same screwdriver, gently pry off that first plug, avoiding the temptation to pull on that stem. 

Placed the young ceiling as deep as possible and simply pinch that soil around the stem to complete the planting.

There will inherently be less soil on these plugs, make your holes a little bit smaller for this potting process. Plant them as deep as they'll go. And then close that soil around the stem completing the planting peppers.

Plant quite quickly and are infinitely less finicky than tomato seedlings. Fewer roots initially tougher stems and smooth leaves that don't stick together in the most frustrating fashion. So don't be surprised if you blast through these trays at a lightning pace and place a cover over those newly potted plants. 

Let them grow in ideal conditions for three to five weeks. With our young plants growing like crazy, we're now ready for our larger pots or containers. Peppers truly do grow to the size of the container. So a minimum of five gallons is recommended even for the smaller varieties. 

Transplanting in Large Container

If you are using a bucket or container, and sure you've drilled eight to 12 holes in the bottom for drainage, peppers will quickly rot from the bottom up. If that water doesn't drain out. Whichever container or pot you use, fill in about 75% full of a quality container mix.

Then grabbing your young pepper plant, gently coax it out of that pot without tugging on that stamp. Just place the pepper right in the center of that container or pot. Next, fill in and around with that same container mix all the way up to the first set of true leaves.

This first example here could have easily been planted about four inches deeper. I was much happier with this little guy, with much better depth and much better placement.

You want to allow those pepper roots to find their way around the pot both vertically and horizontally. And trust me, these pepper plants as they grow will utilize every inch of that container that you give them.

Good stuff and pretty easy to rattle off a few of these containers to ensure a summertime pepper Bonanza.

Mulching and Watering

Time for the final step of mulching and watering. Our first instinct is to always water right away. But the first thing we actually need to do is mulch. For my peppers this year, I'm using a 50% 50% mix of core straw and green grass clippings. You can use shredded leaves, yard debris, or really almost any organic matter of foliage, lay it on thick, at least three inches, and pack it down as you go along.

Don't skimp on the mulch. It really does help us to grow the best peppers and is one of the most vital steps. 

Mulching helps to moderate temperature extremes for your soil, as well as to prevent moisture loss during those hot summer days ahead. 

But an immediate benefit right now is that it allows us to water from above. 

We can now water those peppers safely without blasting that soil everywhere. Even with my course watering can. The mulch barely even moves as you start to run out of space to plant your spring garden. 

Our thoughts often turn to what you can grow in pots, much like tomatoes. Peppers have the unique distinction of almost being designed perfectly to grow in a pot, so don't hesitate to grow some of your favorite pepper varieties in pots or containers. 

This year, it's really easy, thanks for reading.