Hydroponic peppers

[revs]

Hello everybody!

I am growing some hydroponic peppers from seeds I purchased from the Chili Pepper Institute.

I just wanted to run a quick question by you guys- Can I grow peppers to maturity using the 'Big Foot' tray pictured below? I know peppers have a lot of side roots, and that this tray may inhibit these roots. under the tray I have hydroton. I also have net pots, and I was thinking I would transfer these sprouts to net pots if necessary. I would simply lift this tray off, fill all the net pots with the hydroton, and carefully place the coco coir plugs in the pots. If this is necessary, I'd like to do it before the roots get too big.

Some other details:
flood and drain system, 45 gal reservoir, 6.0 Ph, 600 ppm (for now, weak fertilizer).

Thanks!

Rev

[rainbowgardener]

I don't know anything about hydro. Probably someone will come by who does. But a couple things I can say. Pepper plants turn in to small shrubs, 3 or more feet tall and a couple feet wide. So they certainly can't be spaced that close. Whether or not they will fruit, will depend a lot on the lighting (presuming this set up is indoors). Peppers are a full sun plant. It is not impossible to simulate indoors, but difficult. It takes a lot more light intensity to induce fruiting than just to grow the seedlings.

In containers, peppers are usually grown in 16" deep pots, maybe 2 gallon size. The less root size the more stunted the plant and the less productive. Here's a picture of the root system of a mature pepper plant in the ground:


http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... /fig78.jpg

[revs]

Thanks. Yes, what you say makes sense. Have about 400 watts on these right now, I think I'm fine re: light intensity. But not density. What your saying is that peppers cannot be adapted to smaller spaces like some other plants. SO maybe I will take my strongest seedlings and transplant to net pots. Your root system diagram confirms what I was thinking re: side roots.

Thank you,

-rev