Peppers and more in one pot?

[ApertureF11Sniper]

So I was planning on planting beets or radishes in my pepper pots as one goes down and the other goes up so no problem right? Well probably there is something that I have not thought of. Last year I had planted in my pots Violas and Pansey's with the thinking that the flowers would help to draw the bees to pollinate. And it gave me some color among all my pots of peppers.

[applestar]

Peppers don’t need pollinators. If you want to help set fruits, get a vibrating toothbrush and gently touch the flowering stem. Do this in late morning after morning dew has dried— you’ll see a burst of pollen tumble out of the blossoms if you do this in the sunlight.

The floral structure of peppers and related tomatoes and eggplants allows the pollen produced by a blossom to fall on the female part of the blossom and pollinate it self.

Peppers have relatively “timid” root system so you don’t want to plant aggressively rooted companions like beets. Radishes are probably OK but their season is over once it gets hot and radishes may need more water than peppers would like. Maybe bush beans or edamame if it’s a big pepper plant and the container is big enough…. Annual herbs like Green onions, basil, marjoram, … calendula or chamomile … maybe? Minis like Little Gem marigolds might work too.

Peppers are also said to benefit from being planted in a “buddy system” — two or three plants in large enough pot to accommodate. They are supposed to benefit from the competition from its own kind.

[ApertureF11Sniper]

Applestar your post was very helpful. There's a lot to learn and often one learns from mistakes. Trial and error. I like having flowers in with my peppers though. There again trial and error. One floral item I planted in a pot last year it took over the pot and swallowed the peppers.... I love, love, love Pansey's so my pots will have those again this year.

I thought that beets would be okay in a big pot as from what I have seen peppers do not have big extensive root systems. The guy at this garden center I go to told me the roots only go about 8 inches and not a large diameter. So thus my thinking that beets might be okay and only like one or two not a lot.

Thank you again for your help.

[pepperhead212]

You don't mention anywhere the actual size of the pots that any of those peppers are in. This is important, especially if putting any other plants in, or more than one pepper. And the varieties need different sized pots, the chinense peppers (habaneros and superhots) need larger pots. My cousin used to grow all of her peppers in pots, from 1 gal to 2 gal. The smaller ones for things like Thai bird peppers, that only grow to 12" or so, jalapeños she put in 1 1/2 gal pots, and larger peppers, like wax peppers, poblano, and bells she put in 2 gal pots. However, habaneros wouldn't do well in this size - I grew some in pots just over 3 gal, and they didn't get as large as the ground peppers, yet they flowered earlier, and did produce well, and I later found out that they got totally rootbound in those pots by the end of the year. Most peppers don't do this. I grow most of my peppers in Earthboxes, and homemade sub-irrigated planters, which are around 15 gallons - 2-6 plants can go in each planter, depending on the plants, and the habaneros only 2, but I only need one of each variety, because they get much larger than normal. However, most of these peppers I just pull out of the planters at the end of the season, but not the habaneros! They simply will not pull out, and I just leave the roots in the planters, to decompose, then pull them out at this time, though the roots will still be tough to pull out. Yet 6 plants, like jalapeños, will come right out; even larger ones, like poblanos and Numex, that I use in place of Bells, also come out easily, with 4/planter.

[applestar]

These are very old references and have been mentioned a number of times in our forum’s archived posts by various members — but always good for another perspective review

Weaver, John E. and William Bruner. Root Development of Vegetable Crops. New York: McGraw Hill, 1927.

The classic study, filled with species-by-species illustrations, each worth tens of thousands of words to someone who wants to grow vegetables better. PUBLIC DOMAIN

.

Weaver, John E. Root Development of Field Crops. New York: McGraw Hill, 1926.

…Chapter I contains what may be the best basic soil's manual there is; Chapter III suggests magnificent realizations about how to grow plants with an awareness of their root activities and how that effects what one experiences above-ground. Anyone intending to grow plants well needs to study both of Weaver's books, especially the first portions of this one….PUBLIC DOMAIN.

[imafan26]

I do inter cropping all of the time. But as Applestar said, it depends on the size of the container. I use mostly large containers 18 gallon pots and storage totes. There is enough space in those to plant a quick crop. However, there are some rules you cannot break.

Most companions have similar soil and water requirements but either occupy a different root space or use different nutrients. Containers must have enough nutrients to support both crops. There are also plants that are just incompatible and will fight each other so they don't like to be near or follow each other at all.

In a new container with newly amended soil you can plant a young seedling of a longer term but slower growing plant that will eventually need all of the space of the container when it matures. While the plant is young, a secondary crop can be started in the same container at the same time that will mature and be harvested before the primary plant matures and needs the space.

Once the plant matures you cannot replant a second crop, even the same one under it. Most plants will be allelopathic and while it will coexist with a plant it started with, it won't tolerate even that same plant invading its root zone again.

For some things they don't have to even be fully mature. I usually plant 4-5 cucumbers in a single 18 gallon pot to share a trellis. If some of the seedlings die and I try to replant more after the first seedlings have become established and are spreading their roots, they won't allow it. Even smaller plants won't allow a seedling of a larger plant to be added once they are established.

https://peppergeek.com/pepper-plant-companions/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10 ... 01020/full
https://www.ufseeds.com/companion-planting.html

[ApertureF11Sniper]

Thanks to all who have so kindly posted thoughts on this or the links to other post.

So this year I am upgrading all my pot sizes... I have been buying 7 gallon low not tall pots. I have a ton of soil. One kind Whitney Farms Organic, its a 40 pound bag I have 20 of those. I have other kinds of soil, hoping to have 300 pepper plants this year. Today I bought a bunch of stuff including 3 7 gallon pots. 7 gallon pot for one plant per pot. I will also be using buckets I get from a local bakery and those are 5 gallon buckets. I have about 50 of those. But again for those will be only one pepper plant per pot and maybe a carrot or two.

[imafan26]

If there are ranches with cattle nearby, you can ask them if they will sell the crystal lick tubs. Bakeries may have 55 gallon drums cheap. And restaurants may have 4-5 gallon buckets.