So this will be the third year I’m growing peppers in this little side space beside my house.
It’s about 8’x30’ and through the growing season it gets direct sun between ~ 10:00 – 4:00. The taller the plant, or higher up it is, the more sun it gets.
Wind protection is the major reason I’m growing in this spot, as having them out in the open back yard in spring/early summer gets them obliterated by high winds, especially with support cages.
The last two years have been 80% chinense with a few baccatums and annuums. Everything has been in 7 gal bags, and getting into the 4.5’ – 5’ range.
I’m trying to do fewer, bigger plants with bigger grow bags (15-20 gal) and auto-irrigation in 2026. Irrigation will be on city water.
This is where I have a few questions.
I’m concerned that 1/4” soaker hose lines are likely to clog up if they’re being fed city water for 9 months?
If I’m still wanting/needing to FEED the plants as often as possible (hydrolysate) I’m still needing to get in there and hand water them regularly, so do growers typically still have to get in and hand feed every few days?
Shade cloth – I haven’t been using any. In my area, am I likely to see better production in the HOT months if I incorporate it? Keep in mind that shade cloth would pretty much eliminate direct light all together for them in the narrow side plot I’m growing in.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated!
by CapsicumINmyEYEBALLz
7 Comments
Any other place for more sunlight? I think you’re good on space, but need more sunlight
I’ve seen people mount them on fences with a lot of success.
Looks absolutely perfect to me. Too much more sun and you’ll likely have to move them in the heat of the day. Shade cloth will only benefit you honestly.
Awesome plants. The spot in between houses is not ideal, but if they grew like those pictures then keep doing it. Maybe you can plant tall bushes to block wind?
Ive never used any watering system but i would definitely do it for 10+ plants. I dont think your water would clog the lines that quick. Does your house faucets or water hose sprayer clog often? Probably not.
I would sprinkle solid fertilizer on the pots every week. Easier than a liquid feed.
My plants suffer a lot in the summer heat . I need a shade cloth too.
I am unsure for peppers, but my tomato production in Texas absolutely exploded with shade cloth. Might be worth shading one or two plants for a few weeks to see if there’s any difference before rigging up larger solutions.
There are systems to mix liquid fertilizer into the irrigation line. I’m not sure what you’d need specifically for hydrolysate or whether your soaker line would clog from it, but 99.99% chance something exists for it.
Check out drip depot and ferigation – there’s a couple of videos they have on setting up a system using drip irrigation with the ez-flow tank. I’m setting up mine this spring after using a syphon and bucket last season. I’m also looking into hydroponic specific fertilizer as an option – foxfarm has one called cultivation nation that seems similar to their 3 bottle set. I haven’t used them before though so I can’t comment on how well they work.