Question:
This year, I’d like to plant my peppers in containers. How many can I plant and can I mix both hot and sweet peppers together in the same pot?
Answer:
Peppers grow very nicely in containers and yes you can mix the hot and sweet varieties in the same pot. With chili or hot pepper varieties, you are better off waiting until the end of the month to plant or whenever the rainy season has concluded. The number of plants is determined by the size of the pot. I’d allow each plant about eight to twelve inches of space. If your pot is large enough, you could mix in Alyssum and Marigolds as companion plants to deter insect problems. Because of the nutrient depletion with every watering, I’d fertilize them with a vegetable food every other month or with Osmocote at the time of planting and again in July. Osmocote is a time release fertilizer that releases a little bit of nutrients with every watering. Peppers have shallow roots so you need to be careful when you cultivate and mulching is recommended to conserve moisture. Water conservation is enhanced by adding the plant polymer, Soil Moist, to the soil mix at planting. Soil Moist is a crystal that hydrates into a gel with water. The roots of plants uses the gel as a back up reservoir extending the days between watering. All the pepper varieties are compatible with each other so there isn’t a problem with whatever varieties you choose.
Question:
Is there a way to sterilize soil other than baking it in an oven? When I recycle the old soil from containers, I first sift the soil and then store it in trash cans. I find that the weed seeds are not killed when stored for a year or so.
Answer:
Storing soil in a dark location isn’t an effective method of killing weed seeds. They can remain dormant for a long period and germinate when exposed to light and moisture. To effectively kill the weed seeds, soil insects and soil pathogens, the soil needs to be heated. For the home gardener, soil solarization is a simple non chemical technique that captures heat from the sun to sterilize soil. Commercial equipment is not cost effective while a household oven isn’t very practical. Soil sterilization is a sensible solution for large or small quantities of soil. You can tarp areas off an area or place small amounts of soil in plastic bags. It should be pre-moistened and then sealed or covered. The weeds seeds are killed as the temperature rises converting the moisture into steam. Depending on the quantity, it needs to bake in the sun for six to ten weeks. June through September is the primary period to sterilize soil using the sun. Once it’s been sterilized and aired out, you can store it in trash cans indefinitely. A back up plan is to control the weed seeds with a pre-emergent herbicides. There are organic liquid as well as granular products available.
