Growing Peppers in Hydroponics Jars - From Seeds to Full Plants (Part 2)

Watch our hydroponic pepper plants grow from seedlings all the way to fully flowering plants. This project spans about 3 months, from sowing seeds to the full plants shown at the end.
NOTE: I forgot to mention that I re-potted the plants early on in hydroton pellets. The rockwool cubes were developing some algae and the water had become murky. I changed the nutrients and carefully transplanted the plants into clay hydroton pellets in new net pots.
In the next video, I will be cross breeding these two plants to create a new pepper variety. Subscribe so you won't miss it!
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Growing peppers:
peppergeek.com/ebook/
How to make the jars (Part 1):
• How To Make A Hydropon...
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Products shown (Amazon affiliate links):
pH Meter:
amzn.to/3p9Mnie
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Thanks for watching Pepper Geek!
#growing #peppers #hydroponics #indoor #gardening #plants

[@erickmartinez8699]

you don’t receive enough credit for what you do. helped me out so much with all peppers. thank you sm

[@zachbrown3872]

Agreed, thanks for saying this

[@melissabattiato232]

This has given me the confidence to try peppers in my small hydroponic system- I’ve had lots of success with lettuce and kitchen herbs... might need to try this. Can’t wait for part three!

[@chasef1134]

Both look great btw! Thanks for sharing the diy vid! Growing my first peppers in soil and they’re taking forever so I might use this method haha

[@ArmaanM123]

Great vid. I’m excited to see part 3

[@mre1love1love]

Very cool video just found you love what you do. Keep up the great work

[@mikeCavalle]

Catching up on your work @PepperGeek -- great info presented tersely and professionally. looking forward to your work.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for the kind words, glad you found us!

[@cowsagainstcapitalism347]

Thank you so much for putting all the time, money, effort and love into this. I have very limited space, light and materials (I want to grow max 🌶️ s of course) and this has helped me figure out what I need vs. don't need.

[@PepperGeek]

You are so welcome! I'm glad it was helpful, though if you want the biggest yield I'm not sure I'd go with a small hydro system. I might recommend soil or even just coco-coir to avoid having to buy specialty nutrients, pH monitoring, etc. Good luck either way!

[@leongomezdaniel]

Great project!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

awesome! I need to try this as outdoor growing failed for me and this looks do-able!

[@nicholasdrake2738]

The 3" net cups fit perfectly in the wide mouth mason jars.

[@PepperGeek]

Indeed, learned this later on :D

[@yep5689]

5.5 to 6.5 is the best

[@davidniemi6553]

Rock wool is also excellent as a fire block!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

and insulation for attics!

[@caveman175]

couple of things that causes trouble with pH. The sediment that later broken down will drop your pH. Air stones overtime in water will gradually raise pH especially after a fresh new solution/water replacement.

[@1000Mikey]

You need to add ph adjusters to some pure water first then mix that in little by little to adjust ph. A good ec meter is a must.

[@brianforrest6047]

What did you do during the 13 days while you waited for the seeds to sprout?? Can you please do a day by day account of watering and lighting height if you are using grow lights. Thanks! Brian

[@jonascarboo3596]

Great video, very informative. How are the plants doing? Looking forward for part 3

[@PepperGeek]

They produced peppers, got a cross, but unfortunately the seeds did not germinate, so no update. Working on new crosses now

[@howhardcanitbe19]

@@PepperGeek cool i was very hooked on hydroponic a few years ago but I never grew any chili. But now my new passion is vermiculture and chili so im experimenting with that right now. Good luck with the crosses! Looking forward for new content.

[@rubixmantheshapeshifter1769]

i had a shar pei dog long time ago , looks like my dog , well it passed away long time ago. im looking forward to seeing how this experiment goes.

[@nml5536]

any update on these plants? i love this project.

[@PepperGeek]

Unfortunately the pepper's seeds were not viable :( I will be doing a different pepper cross and having a cross breeding video at some point

[@timworgess7112]

Did you have them under a grow light? How powerful does it need to be for this size pepper?

[@simplythewest1]

Is it just me that feels incredibly guilty about removing healthy, surplus seedlings. I can't seem to bring myself to throw any away so always "try" and transplant them 😂. Awesome video btw

[@EnglandAndy]

what is the pumps watering schedule on/off times?

[@kingofkleen1]

I have been growing red jalapenos and after 7 months they finally began fruiting. Between 2 plants they are producing 12 peppers and lots of blossoms. After another month the peppers are looking nice but still aren't red. The other night I was making pico and I harvested the largest pepper, about 4" long. As I was cutting it I took a taste. NO HEAT AT ALL. After 8 months? What do you think is the cause?

[@brianforrest6047]

What was the time frame for when you rehydrated the rock wool? You forgot to mention that crucial step...

[@VeggieBeard]

Did you put out a follow-up video of the cross pollinating of these 2 plants? I got invested in the video and wanted to see the results of the cross, but I didn't see the follow-ups on your channel.

[@radon035]

The naga brains look beautiful. Fan of the shar-pei as well 😂.

[@popcornshiner3937]

DWC works great, the only thing that put me off was the noise of the airpumps

[@PepperGeek]

Yes, same. Also, this container was too small to get a consistent pH - they fluctuated way too much which caused issues

[@phpnotasp]

When, if ever, do you pot these in soil?

[@nml5536]

can you show how you change/add water? are you throwing away the old nutrients or adding additional to the existing etc.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing - just reading about green sand now. Seems like a good way to get potassium into the soil!

[@RFabs89]

Great DIY project - very inspiring. But isn't hydroponic more expensive that soil when nutrients have to be given constantly?

[@PepperGeek]

Yes hydroponics are not always a cheap route to take - I can now say I definitely prefer soil!

[@MegaTVscreen]

@@PepperGeek What's the advantage(s) of the hydroponics then? I thought that you basically trade the cost/time factor, where growing in hydroponics you make the plant(s) grow faster/give fruits faster (as with tomatoes or the "greens"). Is it correct or there are literally no advantages to the traditional "soil" method?

[@erickmartinez8699]

@@MegaTVscreen i’d say it’s much cheaper/easier

[@trunkmonkey355]

Do you think your air stone affected your PH? I know if I agitate/aerate my swimming pool with a fountain it raises my PH and I have to add acid at least once a week.

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

Hydroponics is fairly forgiving of pH as long as minerals stay dissolved. pH is important in soil mainly because it effects the solubility of minerals. (and for extreme acid lovers like highbush blueberries it limits the nitrification of ammonium.) Anyway, most hydro mixes are nitrate based and esp with a single part blend they will be acidic in order to improve solubility. When the plant only has nitrate availible it will force the solution to higher pH as the nitrate is used, when ammonium is the main N source the plant will force pH down. This happens because the ionic charge balance must be maintained both in the plant and around the roots, so the roots release a -OH as an exchange for a -NO3, and they release a +H in exchange for a +NH4. Use weak acids and weak bases to buffer pH, strong acids and bases are very all or nothing.(Weak and strong has nothing to do with dilution.) The "ideal" ratio of NO3 to NH4 is not 1:1 because there are other ions involved like +K +2Mg +2Ca +2Fe and -3PO4 -2SO4, the best balance for many plants tends to be like 80%-90% of N from NO3. This is all specific to hydroponics, in soil there are microbes that convert NH4 to NO3 and clay particles with a net negative charge to hold the +NH4.

[@bryanr4088]

I wish I had more of this knowledge? Is there a place where I can go to study what you are talking about?

[@JETBLACKPRIEST]

Was there ever a pt 3 to this?

[@Smack315]

I can’t find the part 3.

[@kennethsanchez0622]

What did you mix in water

[@BigBoyCub13]

Quick question. When germinating in the Tupperware did you open the lid for air once a day?. Do you think soaking seeds prior to sowing would improve the germination rate?. Reason being I’m getting conflicting information from sites and people and I really don’t want to mess up this project

[@heddahman]

Hi :) Thanks for this informative video, we are planning to start up with a 12 pod premade box to grow chillies. We are living in the arctic where we will need artificial light and have bought a solid lamp. However, we are wondering about a couple of things you probably know the answer to ;) When germinating, do the seedling rockwall pods need light or is heat sufficient? we are planning a setup with a tiny greenhouse over a heating mat and are wondering if we need to install the artificial light source over that? Or is it sufficient to just keep it in regular house lighting? And lastly, once they´ve sprouted a bit and can be transferred to the larger pod station, will the plants be okay in regular room temperature with artificial plant lighting? Sorry for all the questions, we really want to succeed in growing chillies at 78 deg north :)

[@PepperGeek]

Hi, thanks for watching! So, the seeds do not need light to sprout, so normal room light is good. The heat may will help speed it up. Once they sprout, the heat may should be shut off, as the roots don’t like to be too warm. Normal room temp or a bit higher is ideal once the plants are growing. Sounds like a fun project, so good luck!

[@heddahman]

@@PepperGeek thank you so much for the feedback! We have ordered everything we should need now, hopefully we will have some peppers in spring :) Thanks again!

[@blasermann1994]

I just started to grow hydro. I started with proper ph. How often should I be checking it? I also started with 50% strength. Did you mention the strength you started at? I have a few with edema as well. Need more water thanks if I end up keeping them

[@joshspunkrockgarden9914]

He used 1 tsp of MaxiGro in a half gallon of water. The bag recommends 1-2 tsp per gallon, so he's using full strength here.

[@wherewolf1346]

Quick question. If you were to cross a heatless habanero with a reaper, would be heatless without changing the flavor?

[@PepperGeek]

Unlikely to be _heatless_, you'd probably fall somewhere in between. Through selective breeding over several generations, you may be able to reduce the heat down

[@brianjc3333]

Came for the peppers. Stayed for the pretty guy.

[@larrymorales8673]

Do you keep the rock wool under a lamp as well as heating mat

[@PepperGeek]

Heating mat to allow the seeds to sprout, and once they sprout the heating mat turns off and the lights turn on

[@deeannray5093]

How did you get two hoses attached to one pump so each plant had it's own hose? Thanks for any response. - Susan Burns

[@PepperGeek]

There were little splitters that I used to channel the water to multiple tubes

[@evilmode100]

Its the air you are putting in that change ur ph a lot.if you use aeroponic methods where water pump instead of air pump is used then ph stays more stable.

[@PepperGeek]

Interesting, thanks for sharing

[@evilmode100]

@@PepperGeek Thank you my friend my peppers are going great :)

[@m4xw499]

@@PepperGeek Also the fact that tap water was used. Adding nutrients / acid causes tons of tiny CO2 bubbles to form that instantly dissolve, so the PH will look lower than it actually is. Over time when the HCO3 content lowers, PH will drift. Also adding CO2 from the air can cause stuff to form Calciumcarbonate again and that will increase it also (equilibrium reactions).. PH I had them from 5.5 to 6.5, they seem to love the mid 5 range in veg and 6.4-6.7 in bloom. FWIW just use rain water ro RO-water, I've had peppers from EC 1200uS-2000uS(!), most happy at around 1200-ish but they can stomach a lot, for reference. You might need to supply Calcium and Magnesium seperately tho, but its cheap. Main stems tend to go crazy tho and grow human-face-sized leaves, after topping I found it helps a lot cutting them as well to increase growth a lot, this was prevailent with Habanero Yellow.

[@mansoormohammadshafiq4746]

I started my seeds in potting mix instead of rock wool. Could I surround the young root system with it when transplanting to jars?

[@PepperGeek]

Probably? The only issue with going from soil to hydro is the dirt getting into the reservoir.

[@mansoormohammadshafiq4746]

@@PepperGeek Ok will keep in mind and clean the roots thoroughly, thanks! 🌶

[@pawepanka7783]

Hello, hope you can help. Can one grow different varieties of chilies in the same place if you are not collecting seeds. Will it have an impact on the chilli fruits. As I said, not interested in collecting seeds for next year.

[@PepperGeek]

Yes you can grow any peppers next to one another without one affecting another’s flavor/heat.

[@andylimb]

Was a part three created or is KZbin trying to drive me crazy searching for it?

[@PepperGeek]

There was going to be, but the seeds produced by the pepper were not viable :( We'll be doing some crossbreeding soon, but this cross didn't work out unfortunately

[@Smack315]

I can’t seem to find part 3! Can somebody please send me the link or tell me what I can find it under.

[@InfectedChris]

He left us all hanging...

[@dimitricherny]

How do you add the correct amount of water to the jars?

[@PepperGeek]

I tried to keep about 1 inch of headspace at minimum. It was tough to check with these small jars, but I just unscrewed the lids and peaked every day or two.

[@tobias-holub]

9:13 „I repeat this process as the plants grow and drink the water“ please don‘t drink the nutrient water Calvin, it‘s not good for you (despite what the peppers would have you believe) hahahaha

[@PepperGeek]

😂 sometimes I don't phrase things perfectly...

[@TM-ro7lh]

I use a hard plastic mason jar with a grommet and a $10 solar panel. Peppers exploded with this method.

[@MegaTVscreen]

Where can I see the "Part 3" of this project? :)

[@PepperGeek]

We're working on a follow up, but it will unfortunately involve different pepper varieties, as the seeds harvested were not mature and did not germinate :(

[@valsacar1]

@@PepperGeek How productive were the ones in the mason jar vs your experience with soil grown ones?

[@vargonian]

Do the peppers grow full size in a jar like that?

[@InfectedChris]

I've done it with soil, during winter in the northeast USA, and had dozens and dozens of hot Thai peppers. No grow light either. In the standard Mason jar.

[@chasef1134]

Did you top any of these?

[@PepperGeek]

Only the zou-pi pepper was topped

[@yazhieralfaro5383]

is it indoor? if yes, do you use growlights? if so, how many hours a day do you use grow lights? thank you very much:)

[@yep5689]

18 hrs on 6 hrs off is the same as the longest summer days

[@cmalfaro2774]

thank you buddy@@yep5689

[@fl-master4199]

Is there already a 3rd part?

[@PepperGeek]

Not yet, had an issue with the seeds off the pod, none germinated. So, I'm working on crossing some other peppers for the '3rd part,' which will involve different pepper varieties, but will essentially cover how to crossbreed.

[@fl-master4199]

@@PepperGeek looking forward to it!

[@WhidbeyIsguy]

This is great , even I can get Ball Jars. But there is a question in general I have about hydroponics in general. Once a plant is established in Hydroponics and has a great (massive) root system is it ever planted in dirt?

[@PepperGeek]

It can be if you want - I would probably do it before the roots get huge. You can also prune the roots before transplanting into soil.

[@mvs6380]

When you transplant from hydro to soil just be careful as it will initially shock the plant. The root structure will need to change and during thus time I immediately water at about a third strength solution until the roots get used to soil. I heard many great reviews of people using Great White Mycorrhizae to powder the roots when transplanting to minimize shock and allow root to form better.

[@theprofessor4487]

At 9:13 you display a message that states, "I repeat this process as the plants grow and drink water, topping off the jars." In my experience, you should not top off the jars after the initial fill because the plant has roots that naturally do not sit in water but intake oxygen. If you submerge those, the plant will die or show signs of dying. This could be the cause of the Edema.

[@TotemoGaijin]

The problem with ph up /down products is that they really don't maintain that level. They're more meant as temporary solutions for aquarium stuff. You'd be better finding something you can keep maybe at the bottom of the jar to act as a buffer to maintain the ph you're looking for.

[@microsatellites]

Too much aeration will lead to flocculation and hence pH will not be stable.

[@cowboyblacksmith]

Hydroponics is cool, but I seriously wonder about the flavor and nutrition differences in a negative way over soil grown plants. The incredibly complex symbiotic relationships between a plant and the fungi, bacteria, and microbes that have developed over millions of years are absent. I can't think that chemical elements added to water are equal to natures perfection.

[@thomaswayne2696]

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[@puretoronto]

Looks like fiberglass insulation....

[@tatikagila5057]

Please say if degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius because the US is not the center of the universe.

[@jacknackly5321]

Yes we are the center of the universe even the sun goes round the United States 🇺🇸 America baby degrees F!!!! Miles an hour!!!!!

[@shakes73499]

PH should be 5.5 to 6.5

[@swampysanta5445]

peppers on the right ph was way to low

[@LarsLarsen77]

LOL, your ph meter is obviously not calibrated. Maxi-gro and water won't be that acidic.

[@johnkay2463]

You know it all depends on the water you are starting withs ph and ec

[@georgevandiemen9835]

Your plants are not looking good at all. Check the nutrition...