Thanks so much for the info on the peppers. I had seen a youtube video advocating it, but what the guy did was really DRASTIC! Happy not to have to do that to my babies.

I always end up staking my peppers, as well. I've never heard of topping them before

I make my own starter mix from half a 50-50 topsoil and compost mix I buy locally in bulk, 25% sifted peat, and 25% crushed perlite and vermiculite.

I got 100% germination of the peppers and 33 of 35 tomatoes (and some of my tomato seeds are years old). Mostly anything I plant in it tops the germination rates on the seed packets.

I just buy mix. Works for me and I don't need to bother with the mixing. Lazy gardening!!

Newyorkrita said:I just buy mix. Works for me and I don't need to bother with the mixing. Lazy gardening!!

Rita, if there is anything you are NOT, it is "lazy gardener."

God wouldn't have put potting mix in the stores if He wanted us to make our own...

Weedwhacker said:



Rita, if there is anything you are NOT, it is "lazy gardener."

God wouldn't have put potting mix in the stores if He wanted us to make our own...

Some things I don't want to mess with. Yup, buy the mix and just use it as needed.

I am looking at my little pepper plants and they are doing well. So are the tomatoes.

There really should be a lot, a lot of peppers this season with my 36 plants of those Japanese Types. Last year had 2 Shishito Plants. They sure did produce but of course I never had enough peppers. This year should have enough peppers!!

I use Mel's Mix (1/3 coconut coir, 1/3 compost/garden soil, 1/3 vermiculte), along with azomite and worm castings.

I seeded about 12 peppers from store-bought packs (bells, jalapeno, serrano) that are all grown (two have flowered), and I just received an order of six plants from chiliplants.com (jalapeno orange, Czechoslovakian black, datil sweet, aji dulce 1, shishito, urfa biber) and planted them yesterday.

Weedwhacker said:


God wouldn't have put potting mix in the stores if He wanted us to make our own...

I agree, Weedwhacker. I was out at Menards bright and early to buy some bales of ProMix they had on sale. Wanted to buy 6, but they only had 4 in stock. But that will at least get me started for this spring.

Linda, thanks for the reminder -- I need to get to Menards and look for some big planters (and I just happen to have several rebate vouchers from their 11% back offers )

I know--I was so mad that I had an 11% voucher in my car and forgot to take it in with me. And if that weren't bad enough, they somehow didn't charge me for 2 items I bought, so now need to go back to get that taken care of. I don't want bad karma for keeping free items to bit me later

But, I need to buy more promix, so will try to remember to take my voucher in next time.

mom2goldens said:I know--I was so mad that I had an 11% voucher in my car and forgot to take it in with me. And if that weren't bad enough, they somehow didn't charge me for 2 items I bought, so now need to go back to get that taken care of. I don't want bad karma for keeping free items to bit me later

But, I need to buy more promix, so will try to remember to take my voucher in next time.

I understand the feeling of bad karma for the "free" things... I once called a store, an hour's drive from home, that had undercharged me by about $40, so they could put the additional charge on my credit card. It wasn't a very large store, and I really didn't want the cashier to get dinged for it. To my discredit, I'm not sure I would have done the same if it was Walmart...

I dug up my pepper plants last year and over wintered them in a green house. It took forever for them to reach the size they are at so I couldn't bare to leave them for the winter months.
Do you think it would be possible to cut the bottom of their plastic pots off and plant the whole thing (with surrounding garden pot intact)? Making it easier to dig them up the at the end of next fall?

I have about seven good sized pepper trees of various varieties I want to hang on to. It's just keeping them in a pot means more watering and more fertilizer. And yet, digging them up year after year can be a hassle. Would this theory/method still present the issue of them drying out and stressing? Even with heavy mulch? Or with the bottom of the container removed allow the roots to spread deeper for their water and nourishment?

... I think I'm just gonna go for it and see what happens.

Don't know but worth a try.

Hi Sasha - I have relatives in Inverness FL, which is also zone 8b, who have some jalapeno plants that I sent home with them 5 or 6 years ago; they've been growing in the ground the whole time, they just cover them when frost threatens.

But, otherwise, peppers do grow well in pots, so I don't see why you couldn't leave them in "bottomless pots" and plant them and then overwinter in the greenhouse, as long as the pots are fairly large -- maybe 8" diameter or so? (or maybe they need larger pots, depending on just how big your "pepper trees" actually are!)

I think it depends on the variety as to how much cold they can take. :/ My bell peppers melted in the green house when temps got below 20 (which only happened twice this year) but my datil and chili peppers came out unscathed.
... I did go for it. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

The spot I picked is already mulched, that helps. (Also need to straighten up some bricks whilst I'm on my hands and knees.

Dug a hole and cut the bottom off.


Tucked it in, back filled and mulched. Tah dah! Six more to go. O.O



I think I might just leave them there and cover them up like you said Sandy. Except for the bell peppers. They can come inside when it gets too cold. ;)

Well, they look great now out in the garden.

Newyorkrita said:Well, they look great now out in the garden.

Sasha, thanks so much for the acorn!

Unfortunately my early-up pepper seedlings were not the start of a trend. Only got 50% germination even with bottom heat, and most seeds were only 1- 2 yrs old. Resowed and crossed fingers.

That's a very disappointing germination rate, Don; I hope the newly seeded ones do better for you!