Re: [CH] potting soil for pepper garden (in containers)

Robert Opersteny (docpepr@zamigo.net)
Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:24:29 -0500 

A good question, Jim!
Whether you are planting in small pots and re-potting to eventually get to 
the garden
or just staying with large pots, the soil quality is important.
The old-timers here don't need a basic lesson, but I have learned a few more 
tricks and refinements to add to the Rules of Growing:
There has to be adequate drainage (structure of soil),
Nutrients (NPK available in the right amounts),
and the correct pH (acid/lime) for the stage the plant is in.

I have developed my own mixture over the years, but it does start with a 
quality potting mix, such as Baccto, Walmart Expert gardener, or the 
equivalent mix for POTTING, not garden use.  Even the good commercial  mixes 
have reduced their quality the last few years, and some have replaced finer 
compost and peat ingredients with coarser pine barks and forest by-products. 
The result is a need to add more perlite or lava rock for drainage and water 
retention balance.  If you re-cycle the potting mix by just using pots, then 
adding perlite is not necessary.  If you plant in the garden (or orchard, 
below the trees for summer shade as I do in South Texas), then you will need 
to buy a garden mix and and amend to blend with the existing dirt. (here, 
it's a sand to clay nightmare)  I always add leaf compost and mulch for 
water retention every season.
In addition to fixing the structure I also amend my purchased commercial 
potting
or Soil mixes to get the nutrients boosted for all transplants (not 
SEEDS-too rich) as follows:
(all per Cubic foot of Mix)
1 cup of Blood Meal
1 cup of Bone Meal
and a bloom/fruit booster, if tansplanting to final stage pot, such as
Rainbow Mix Bloom
Earthjuice Bloom

At transplant to prevent shock, and until Fruiting, I also add Seaweed 
Extract like Maxicrop (for added K-Potash, growth Auxins, and 
Sulfur/Magnesium)
Later, I also add Fish Emulsion once a week during strong growth. (If only 
needed for extra N, as indicated by yellow leaves)

Chile peppers need extra magnesium during blooming stage, and sulfur to keep 
the right pH, so foliar feeding is alo recommended, either with
Seaweed Extract, Compost Tea or Garret Juice (@ Lowes-I make my own), or the 
infamous Epsom Salts- just remember that salts and chemical fertilizers can 
build-up in pots!

Happy and Hot Peppers,
Bob "DocPepr" Opersteny


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jim Graham
To: chile heads
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 6:31 PM
Subject: [CH] potting soil for pepper garden (in containers)


Question for the group....  I'm going to be starting my pepper garden in
April (temps are finally staying out of the 50s at night, every night).
I'd rather spend more money on pepper plants than on potting soil, but
at the same time, I do *NOT* want to compromise plant growth and pepper
production.

So far, I've always used Miracle Gro potting soil ... but that's
EXPENSIVE.  Does anyone have any suggestions (that I could get at either
Wally World or Lowes) for something less expensive that's still really
good?  I'll be starting off with habanero plants, and maybe (if I have
the money) cayenne plants (not hot, but they have GREAT flavor), and if
I can find them (it's difficult these days, at best), tabasco plants.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
   --jim

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