Anybody grown jalapeos outdoors in containers?

[Joel_BC]

We've only grown them in the greenhouse, or in a bed in a little outdoor plot before... tight greenhouse bed maybe, but still getting some advantage in the fairly hot environment of the greenhouse.

We started some, they're doing nice, but we don't have room for them in the plot or greenhouse situations this year. We're thinking of putting them into containers - nothing too tight, though it may have to be gallon pots. We can give them a pretty rich but well draining soil, and water them daily when it doesn't rain.

We're in the temperate north. Outdoor temps will range between maybe 40* (Farenheit) at night, and up to 85-90* usually in the day - though we can get hot spells up to 100* during the day.

 

[Justme]

Yes, I have grown all sorts of peppers in pots with great success. Our temps are much higher than yours but your summer is close to our late fall early winters and often my peppers are still going at that time. When it starts getting really cool at nights consistantly I bring indoors to greenhouse,garage, or a shed which gets plenty of light though it's glass doors and if there is any danger of frost before they have gone in I cover them for the night with blanket. .
There is an advantage to growing them this way since they are biennials. By bringing them indoors for the winter you get a fully mature plant to start the spring with which means earlier peppers. I have actually gotten some to survive for three and one for even four years. Water VERY lightly through the winter if you keep them this way. Cool is ok but but keep them from freezing for the winter. Occasionally I have had them die back it the root survives and send up new shoots in the spring. And don't be afraid to prune if necessary.

Don't over water. Let them go a little dry before giving a good soak. I have found with jalapeos they a hotter with stress form both summer heat and a little drought. Gallon pots should be good or I have put two in a 16" pot or up to four in those big tubs with the rope handles.

 

[moolie]

I've grown several types of peppers in pots as well, on our deck. Totally agree on not watering too often. Our containers are more like 5 gallon bucket size, we use larger planting containers for our container plants so the roots don't get too hot, but no idea if that's a big deal or not.

I don't put peppers or tomatoes outdoors until the night time temps are more into the 50s F, personal preference--I find the cold night temps mean a later harvest.

 

[Joel_BC]

Thank you both. The overlap in your experience is great - meaning, I don't feel like I'm getting confusing or contradictory advice.

Gallon nursery-style black plastic pots is what we have on-hand that we could plant them in - potting up from 4" seedling pots. I hope they wouldn't be so root-bound in these that the plants would be prevented from getting big and bushy. It's interesting that both of you have had good results with multiple plants in larger pots.

 

[Justme]

I will agree with Moolie about the 50 temp also.
The gallon contianers should be ok. In my experience peppers don't have huge root systems. Moolie's point about planting in larger pots so the roots don't get too hot is a good one too but if you find that to be a problem you can spray paint them a lighter color or wrap with light color material or set the pots into a pile of mulch. A good layer of mulch in the tops of the pots will help too.

 

[moolie]

Yeah, I use the larger pots because my south facing deck gets quite hot and the heat/light bounce around from two sides of the house plus the large deck surface all day. When we first moved into this house we found that some plants in smaller pots didn't fare too well and assumed it was too much heat since the pot size was the only thing different to other planters we had out at the time. Now we use the smaller planters for herbs, they seem to like the heat

 

[Rebbetzin]

hmmm just noticed you are in Canada... I grow peppers pretty much year round here in pots. Habeneros mostly. They do great in pots! I put them in the storage room when we get the few cold nights in the winter.

The plants I have now are two years old.

 

[Joel_BC]

Wow! those are beauties, Rebetzin. Can't beat southern climate for crops like these.