Container Pepper Plant Minnesota
Trying to grow a container pepper plant Minnesota? It’s much easier than growing in the Minnesota soil. Let us show you how to be successful with this awesome summer plant!
Contents
- What is a Container Pepper Plant?
- Who is a great fit?
- Where’s the best location?
- Why you should grow with a container pepper plant
- How do I grow a container pepper plant?
What is a Container Pepper Plant Minnesota?
Great question! It’s only the best way to grow a pepper plant in Minnesota hands down!
It’s only the best way to grow a pepper plant in Minnesota hands down!
We’ve tried multiple different methods in this state, and the reigning champion method is the container pepper plant. There are multiple issues with growing peppers in the state of Minnesota which shed light on the reason container pepper plants are the best.
Temperature/Climate
The first reason here is due to the cold harsh temperatures we face. Pepper plants are native to tropical climates, and consequently, Minnesota is naturally hostile to this type of plant. The same can be said about tomatoes and other tropical plants too. Every year around Mother’s Day, it just seems like winter doesn’t want to quit. What’s worse is if your were to attempt direct seed peppers into the ground, you wouldn’t even come close to having a full harvest because there isn’t enough time for the plant to grow to maturity. The best way we’ve found to combat the Minnesota climate, therefore, is to transplant young pepper plants into containers. This will set them up to have the best chance of success to finish their lifecycle.
Who’s a great fit?
Container pepper plant growing allows a shortcut to the growing season in the state of Minnesota, and anyone who appreciates and values time is a great fit for container peppers. We can say this because with MEG’s Edible Grow Bags for instance, all that’s involved is finding a sufficiently sunny spot wherever you live and adding water. That’s it! Tried to grow peppers the traditional way in Minnesota before and failed? You’re also a great fit for containers. Nervous to try because you don’t have a “green thumb”? You’re also a great fit for container peppers.
Where’s the best location?
The best location for acontainer pepper plant Minnesota is a south-facing side of a house, multi-season room or any place with sufficient direct light to help your pepper plant grow at optimum speed. Many sources will say reference hours of sunlight per day. We have a different opinion on this point thought. Find a spot which allows for “all” of the sunlight to hit your pepper plant (or tropical plant) from dusk to dawn. The more light your pepper plant receives (given other optimum inputs), the quicker it can bolt, flower and fruit. Find a sunny spot which is unobstructed by any trees, buildings, horses, pigs, llamas and other sun-blocking, non-translucent objects. Seriously! You may thank MEG later.
Why you should grow with a container pepper plant
So, we’ve already mentioned a few of the reasons to grow with a container pepper plant including temperature and shortcutting the growing season. Additionally, there are many, many more beneficial reasons for growing pepper plants in a containers.
Root Zone
The root zone is one of the many crucial zones on a pepper plant. Extremely Cold temperatures during the winter in Minnesota result in the ground freezing many feet below the surface. Ever try digging in the topsoil right after the snow melts? It’s a tad bit difficult due to … the ground being frozen! Pepper seed companies include information on the seed packet to transplant peppers outside into a garden after the air temp is above 50F at night. That sounds great, however, the soil temperature is still not as warm enough for optimal growth. A container allows the roots to sit up above the soil in a convenient container which warms up the roots and soil much quicker. Ever seen plastic sheeting on a farm field of strawberries? This is the same reason. The farmer is trying to warm up the soil quicker than what would otherwise happen naturally.
Root Zone Part II
Container pepper plant Minnesota hold the roots and soil. A second benefit of a container is having well aerated, loose soil, because soil compaction is one of the biggest problems with traditional farming. All the large machinery running back and forth over the land takes its toll on the topsoil and can result in severe compaction. The more compacted the soil is, the harder time the roots have to work to penetrate the soil looking for nutrients and water. This not a problem with containers however.
On a side note, some will say you shouldn’t use native topsoil in a container because the soil isn’t loose enough. We’ve tried it however. It works as long as the topsoil is a nice loamy soil. If you have clay soil though, it may be a better idea to use compost with your mix as well as other amendments such (i.e. vermiculite, perlite).
How do I grow a container pepper plant?
If you grow a container pepper plant in anything other than a MEG’s Edible Grow Bag, you have a lot to consider. First, MEG grows edible plants exclusively in fabric bags. It’s the best way we’ve found to grow plants and provides for the healthiest root zone experience for the plants. Other types of containers can be literally anything. Here’s a list of some containers:
- clay/terracotta pots
- plastic
- coffee cup
- bathtub
- kiddie pool
- glass wine bottle
- metal containers
- the list goes on forever actually…
Let’s discuss one of these popular types of containers. Clay/terracotta pots are indeed popular options. They can be expensive sometimes. That’s not the biggest concern however. They can be heavy once they’re loaded down with soil and water. Remember water weighs roughly 7 pounds per gallon. If you a 15 gallon clay/terracotta pot with a couple gallons of water, try moving in on Mother’s Day when there’s a threat of frost! Fabric pots weigh a fraction of this and that’s why we love them!