Grow HUGE Peppers With Self-Watering Containers (How-To Guide)

[@GiantSleepy]

These types of videos that have months of separation between parts are probably a pain to do, but we very much appreciate your hard work. Will definitely try this next spring!

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for that, it is worth the extra effort and we're glad you enjoy it :)

[@roberttillotson6861]

I just bought 5 crescent garden true drop bottom watering containers. Excellent system doing similar method. After seeing how you mixed and applied your soil mix, I’m now confident and excited. I also topped all my pepper plants in past years but will try to go with no topping this next year to test results. Thank you to both you and your wife for putting great videos together. Always impressed with how much time and energy you both do to make these videos knowledgeable and inviting.

[@lapk78]

I've made "EarthTainers" in the past with excellent results. They're self-watering containers made from larger Rubbermaid bins. They're really good.

[@dq6169]

Excellent video. Thank you for simplifying this method.

[@zombiedixon6652]

Outstanding! Been doing this with 2 five gallon buckets for a few yrs down here in FL. I've had great success but I've come to the conclusion I need more soil 😅 keep geeking on fellow geeks

[@PepperGeek]

There are ways to increase the water reservoir size by lifting up the top bucket. But yeah more soil might help, especially in hot Florida!

[@PreatorRaszagal]

Wow! Nice stem, and an awesome looking plant! A tip is to make an angled cut on the bottom of the fill tube. That way you won't have to drill holes in it and there's no chance it'll end up flush against the bottom of the pot. Either way, nice and informative video, and I had never heard about Ups-a-Daisy. They look like a perfect fit to turn any larger pot into a self-water container! 👍

[@jc5066]

I am not as experienced as you in growing hot peppers, but my knowledge shows that letting hot peppers dry out between watering tends to yield hotter peppers and prevents blossom drop and blossom rot. A self-watering system seems counterintuitive to everything that I have learned.

[@PepperGeek]

Consistency in moisture levels from day 1 allows the plant to adjust to the wetter conditions. I can't confirm one way or another whether hot peppers are hotter or less spicy this way, but even hydroponic ghost peppers are fiery!

[@alltheworldswonders4926]

I know that peppers get hotter when they are more stressed

[@bennielamb8911]

That's a pretty cool idea to think outside the box and make your own wicking tub, but actually one that looks nice. Good work!

[@we_want_chilli_willy]

I love this method nice job guys. Beautiful pot color too.

[@Junzar56]

Perfect for Arizona!

[@ChiliPepperMadness]

Those are some big peppers!

[@andrepalomaro353]

Haha! I totally ended up doing this by accident! Bought some self watering containers, and poked sole drain holes! Works well! Soil and plant have to get used to it when poking holes in established pots :) like it wont immediately aerate your soil, it takes a week to a month if the plant has been in the pot for a while

[@an-alechianeathery770]

I seen upsy- daisy and had the same idea. Thanks for sharing. I might try one or try with on old pot that broken on bottom that little bit smaller then first pot. Thanks again.

[@MK-cw4gw]

Kind of like a large "Krake" system, very cool.

[@PepperGeek]

Similar yep, but no hydroponic nutrients, all the nutrients are in the soil while the water is purely for hydration

[@desertfox3860]

Nicely done, thanks for sharing.

[@TanjaHermann]

I think the upsy-daisy disc could probably be made with a left-over bucket lid to save some cost.

[@PepperGeek]

Yep, that’s not a bad idea. The ups a daisys come in a variety of sizes though so you do have a bit more flexibility in terms of pot size (I think they go as big as 16” diameter)

[@catalincioponea]

Can't wait to try this one next year!

[@PepperGeek]

You should! Hope you enjoy it

[@johnbooth001]

You need one for Rocotos too. They grow really well in them.

[@PepperGeek]

Good idea, might have to make a scaled down version and try them again

[@johnbooth001]

@@PepperGeek They are definitely worth growing if you can make it work in your hot climate.

[@rustyshacklfort9508]

If I didn’t already have all my plants in ether bags, buckets or planter boxes I would have tried that this year, oh well I guess I’ll have to wait until next spring.

[@forrestberg591]

Really interesting! A smaller scale version would be useful for my Venus flytraps

[@johnNJ4024]

Look at GroBucket inserts for 5 gallon buckets. I've used them for years with all kinds of vegetables, but I never thought about using them for venus flytraps. I have several types and when they start crowding each other too much I'm definitely potting some in a 5 gallon bucket with a GroBucket insert. Great idea!

[@markpace-balzan8214]

Would it be the same if using a regular pot or bucket with drainage holes at the bottom filled with large pebbles for a few inches from the bottom then the potting mix, and sitting this in a deep saucer to hold water not higher than the pebbles ? Wondering what you think as it would be far easier to set up this way for me. Of course I'd also use a small container as a wick same as you did. Thanks for sharing your ideas !

[@huuffff]

Place carpet on the bottom and around the bottom chamber to act as a filter

[@Randy_Smith]

this is my 3rd yr using self watering containers and I love the results. I make my containers out of two five gallon buckets and the plants in these containers always outperform all of my pepper that are in ground and in other containers that aren't self watering. The only issue I had this year was when it came to finding perlite in large bags. Here in Indiana the only perlite I could find was the small bags and it gets pretty pricey to fill up ten 5 gallon buckets when having to buy the small bags. Any suggestions on an alternative to perlite?

[@PepperGeek]

Vermiculite is another similar material, great for wicking substrate. However, it’s hard to find too. I’d just buy in big bags, and reuse your soil every season!

[@Randy_Smith]

@@PepperGeek It's the exact opposite here. I can get all the vermiculite I want in large bags. I thought vermiculite would hold a lot of water. I didn't realize it was similar to perlite. I do reuse the mix and freshen it up each year but every year I seem to have more containers than I had the previous year. Thanks for all the help. We made a few quarts of banana peppers this weekend and used your recipe again.

[@tammym110]

This is pure genius! You can’t argue with your results. I’ve tried other self watering systems but yours seems to be the best I’ve seen.

[@mssavedin92]

fantastic! Thank you.

[@rafael.s]

You can buy pots that have this included, I have a few of these. I have noticed that some varieties really don't like this tough.

[@PepperGeek]

Yes, they usually don’t have much of a reservoir capacity though, maybe 1-2” deep at most from what I’ve seen. This baby holds about 3 gallons or so of water. Also, the soil being light and well-aerated is important to make sure there is enough available oxygen in the root zone

[@r.awilliams9815]

Another way is to skip the interior tray and watering tube, fill the bottom of the container with chunky perlite up to the drain hole, then fill with a coco coir based potting soil and water normally. I use a mixture of bat and seabird guanos mixed into the potting soil and top dress as necessary, usually once a season. I like the coco coir based potting soils because you basically can't over water plants growing in it. I'm growing Roma tomatoes this year in 30 gallon smartpots filled with this mixture and they're just going nuts, collapsing under the weight of the tomatoes despite staking.

[@MiguelY22]

Awesome tree! Haha

[@kinglowe6109]

Curious the cost of those orange ups a daisy ? Would a 5 gallon bucket lid work just as well at a much cheaper price point ?

[@westernartifact4163]

Wow it almost seems like this is a hybrid kratky hydroponic system. The roots will sip right from that water beyond the soil line.

[@minime8048]

Only issue i see with these systems, is that water can stagnate, If the water sits for too long without aeration . Thus poisoning or killing the plant .. How ever you could do a water flush ever 3-5 days . Or install a fish tank aerator hose down the water filler pipe. Otherwise its a great idea 👍

[@danfortuna7648]

How have you been fertilizing the plant? Just add nutes to the resevoir?

[@PepperGeek]

Nope, just what was shown in the video thus far

[@TerribleTim68]

It's amazing how bushy your plants are. Mine are very tall and skinny. 😕

[@PepperGeek]

A lot of that has to do with the variety in question - the dorset naga has a naturally bushy growth pattern. Many sweet peppers are naturally tall/slender instead

[@TerribleTim68]

@@PepperGeek I grew jalapenos and poblanos this year. They are all (6 plants total) about 5 foot tall and very scrawny. Also, only got a single fruit so far. 😒

[@sensenisok]

Does wick cup have holes

[@PepperGeek]

Yes, same as the insert, lots of drilled holes to allow water through

[@LeaRama]

WOW!!!

[@jonathanCRoberts]

If you have access to a drip line, which method is more effective for plant growth?

[@JackGilbertJr]

what is that white pot in the middle made of? WHat kind of material?

[@larrysowada9905]

So the large container could be something like a half of a wine wooden barrel or a smaller version or what would you recommend any suggestions would help, thanks

[@PepperGeek]

As long as it is water tight it should work, so a wine barrel could do well! Would look great too

[@marcelbergeron5345]

Nice big leafy plant. where's the fruit?

[@PepperGeek]

It was loaded with fruits! But they were all green/unripe at time of filming

[@marcelbergeron5345]

@@PepperGeek Good to hear. Including the harvest is an important part of any grow method video. Cheers.

[@cake-face]

I've been using self watering containers (old litter buckets) for the last couple years. However it seems like the peppers I grow in them have a lot of issues with blossom and rot. I just came in from picking all the peppers off of one of my 3 plants in the self watering containers because they were all rotting. Any suggestions?

[@PepperGeek]

Hm, I wonder if a lighter-weight soil media would do better. For better aeration, you can try to make your own soil with peat moss, vermiculite and perlite (plus fertilizer).

[@JimFry]

Interesting sync. I have about thirty various varieties of peppers, most 18 to 24 inches tall and all in fabric pots, except two in a 5-gallon self-watering deal I fabbed. One plant has about ten peppers on it and two had to be removed due to significant rot. Not much sign of rot across any of the fabric bags the rest are in. Curiously, those in self-watering deal are the tallest (with all seedlings planted at the same time).

[@angelsuazo1978]

Can you give me advice my ghost pepper is not flowering or bearing fruit. I have it planted in a garden row. My habanero is doing well. But not my ghost pepper.

[@shiftstart]

The only issue with this is that you don’t know when the base water reserve drys out.

[@eclecto_patronum]

lol "very impressive main stem" ....i call my main stems "buff"😂😂😂😂😂

[@jacobwhite953]

What’s the biggest container you’ve ever grown a pepper plant in?

[@johnytakdeep4839]

I dont get it.. why dont we just put a hole 4 side and that is it. Water it. only 10 cm soil below at the bottom will be always wet. No need pipe, no need that net

[@h0tage299]

Someone knows an equivalent of this in europe ?

[@james1795]

Basically.

[@callikohl5698]

Would this work with jalapeños. Or does it only work for certain types?

[@PepperGeek]

Any pepper should do well. Jalapeños would do great. I’d focus on varieties that grow big root systems to take full advantage of all the soil. But bells, cayenne, hatch, and any superhots are good choices

[@Omegawerewolfx]

For me, I would use a sheet of newspaper to start on the base. Just to limit drop down debris. I'm using two 5 gallon buckets per plant and I have 5 stakes in mine. One in the middle and 4 on the rim. The peppers bush out, I need the rim stakes to help keep everything tied up. The bucket size allows me to move the plants around if I need to. I do the same with a bunch of tomato and tomatillo, as well a two ground cherries. I have flowers in each pot as well, plus mulch.

[@VinceArlia]

The next irrigation step can be achieved with a float valve & a raised water storage container. This allows the reservoir to be topped off with a gravity fed system.

[@PepperGeek]

That's clever!

[@chrisz.9974]

So I did something similar I guess. I put mulch at the bottom of a container. About halfway high. Then filled the rest with soil. Then drilled a small hole a few inches up. I’ll water until it overflows.

[@Felix-.-G]

i like it! impressive pepper plant. How did you fertilize? because you have to take dilution into account...

[@PepperGeek]

Just what was shown - so happy frog and added bonemeal. For next year, planning to add slow release garden tone fertilizer and amending into the top 4-6 inches, no liquid nutrients (just added plain water to the tube)

[@jonathanhao1640]

Hi, what product do you use to treat leaf fungal diseases? Thanks.

[@floras7826]

awesome video, why not feed it a very weak solution of hydroponic nutrients just to boost it from below extra?

[@IzzyEatz]

Does this work for tomatoes or blueberries??

[@PepperGeek]

I think it’s a good fit for either of those plants

[@IzzyEatz]

@@PepperGeek I had good luck with my basil pots… tried a non draining bucket. One. Didn’t grow as well.

[@Sweetlady1916]

Wow, the peppers did well in the self watering container.

[@jimmyvgames3414]

very nice

[@dollyperry3020]

Would this work for perennials like roses? I live in a temperate climate.

[@PepperGeek]

I’m not so sure about that, given that the water will freeze and potentially kill some of the lower roots. We plan on using it for annuals only

[@Ottawajames]

I never really understood how they can be called "self watering" when you still have to put water in them lol😂

[@PepperGeek]

Haha, maybe it should be “less” watering, at least in terms of frequency. In theory, you could make the reservoir big enough to feed the soil water for the entire growing season without adding water once (it’d have to be pretty big though)

[@mikejones1615]

Use an automated float valve.Don't need a deep reservoir, because water would not get low. If your mix is right it will not stay too wet, but moist. Always has worked for me.

[@noora7773]

I've used similar ready made self watering pots on my balcony. Orthex Paulina with the diameter of 40cm. The water reservoir is 5 litres and you can put 26 litres of soil into it. They are durable and will last decades. It doesn't have the overflow hole on the side but it's easy to drill if you use them under the sky. It does have the water level indicator though. I've used them both indoors and in the balcony and they are really nice. I don't think they are crazy expensive but the 40cm pot is 30 euros. The smaller ones are great with indoor plants and more affordable than Elho inserts and pots... I don't think they are sold widely globally but I saw them in Ebay with more expensive prices than what they are sold in Finnish websites or stores.

[@thekraden04]

Awesome video, would love to see what else you've done to get such a large plant (fertilizers, pinching flowers, and the like). Appreciate you guys!

[@PepperGeek]

Thank you!! Maybe we can do an overview on growing the dorset naga later in the year after harvest. It's been an interesting challenge.

[@thekraden04]

@@PepperGeek it's a great collaboration! I've been eager to see the progress from both channels! Good luck, and thanks again for sharing with us!