Today’s container peppers are from my daughter’s sunny patio. For some unknown reason peppers do not grow well in her garden. Two years ago (2014) I suggested she try growing peppers in containers and gave her 2 pepper plants in 2-gallon containers. She had very good results and decided to do the same again last year (2015) but using larger containers and that made a huge difference. She harvested enough peppers from just the 2 plants for all her needs plus extra to share with neighbors.
Sweet Peppers
Left Photo : Jimmy Nardello. Right Photo: Doe Hill Golden Bell.
I emphasized that there be only one pepper plant in each 6.87 gallons (26 liter) container.
Pepper Seedlings on May 24, 2015
The above pepper seedlings are thinning from Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden that I brought home and nursed.
At LGHVG, seeds are sown in cell packs, 2 seeds per cell. Seedlings are thinned to one plant before being bumped up into 3″ container and us volunteers are the beneficiaries of the extra seedlings from the thinning.
Both pepper plants are very happy and growing well on the patio where they receive full sun. The plants were kept adequately watered throughout the growing season and fertilized once a week with water-soluble fertilizer following package directions.
Immature peppers
Left photo: Jimmy Nardello. Right photo: Doe Hill Golden Bell.
Peppers ready for harvest
By planting only one pepper plant in each container, there was no overcrowding and both plants produced abundantly. My daughter did not buy a single pepper from the food market.
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Gifts from Mother Nature
November and December, 2015 was unusually warm in the USA Northeast, there were a few below freezing and frosty nights during those months but because my daughter’s 2 pepper plants and one cherry tomato plant were in containers, she was able to bring them into the garage at night and take them out during the day. Having the foresight to place wheels under each container made it easy to wheel them in and out.
All the photos below were taken during December, 2015 in Massachusetts where my daughter lives.
December 15, 2015 – last of the Doe Hill Golden Pepper
Look closely at the lower right to spot the lone Doe Hill Golden Pepper. The plant did not produce any more peppers.
Jimmy Nardello, on the other hand, continued to produce and was brought indoor 12/22/15 for the remainder of winter.
Jimmy Nardello continues to ripen, indoor, on January 6, 2016
Still going strong and producing/ripening on January 14, 2016, amazing!
Jimmy Nardello
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The cherry tomatoes were totally unexpected. She never got around to disposing the dying tomato plant left it in the garage and got a pleasant surprise!
Cherry tomato photo taken on December 9, 2015
Yep, those ripe cherries were tasty.
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The lettuce bed was covered, every night, with GardenQuilt Covers from Gardeners Supply and uncovered during the day (the white roll between the raised beds is the cover).
Lettuce photo taken December 12, 2015
Look closely at the upper left corner to see 2 heads of radicchio.
Sure has been a very unusual gardening season and an extended one!
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Copyright © by Norma Chang. All Rights Reserved. Do not use/repost any photos and/or articles without permission.
Do visit Michelle at From Seed to Table for more Harvest Mondays
Garden to Wok 
It looks like your daughter inherited your green thumb. 🙂
Hello Karen,
She is a type “A” person who once decided to do something does her research and tries her best.
Like mother, like daughter! She is a great gardener too. Love those beautiful peppers.
Hello Angie,
I will pass your compliment along to my daughter. Yes, those peppers are gorgeous and sweet.
Wow, that is amazing! I’ve never been able to get pepper plants to thrive indoors, they always seems to get infested with aphids or something and I have to banish them to the cold outdoors. Your daughter definitely got your gardening genes!
Hello Michelle,
Guess one can say it’s beginner’s luck. That was her 2nd year doing vegetable gardening, hope she continues to have good luck.
This gives me hope. I think I may try containers on the deck with peppers and tomatoes this spring…one more time! Your daughter certainly had a beautiful harvest.
Hello Betsy,
The advantage of growing crop in containers is the flexibility of moving the containers around to maximize sun exposure.
Those peppers look terrific! Every year I plant peppers in the garden, but 3 years ago, I decided to also grow a few in pots that I bring inside to the garage during the winter months of TN. However, I get frustrated every year with them b/c I find very tiny white crawling bugs and also what appears to be tiny black bugs with wings (possibly the adult version of the whitish bugs) on my pepper leaves. It makes the leaves and the surface where the pepper plants are sticky. I see your containers of vegetables & fruits, so hopefully, suggestions PLEASE on how to get rid of this pesky bugs.
Hello Somy,
Hard to say what the bugs are but they may be mealy bugs. A solution is to take a sample to your local cooperation extension or garden center/nursery to have them identify and hopefully offer a solution.
I guess you are right.When two years ago I planted peppers in planters they gave outstanding result from what I had before. Here’s a picture of my red hot chilli pepers. http://bit.do/bJ8Er
Hello Balvinder,
Beautiful pepper plant, love your plant stand.
Haven’t had much luck with peppers in the past, even in containers inside & out, but… you helped my garden thrive this year, so I shall have another crack at it. Also…. Your daughter is amazing, what a brilliant crop of goodies she produced. 🙂
Hello Anna,
Do have another crack at it, adequate watering and weekly fertilizing is the key as the container has limited nutrients due to limited space and leaching.
I love that Jimmy Nardello in the container. I should try that to see if I can extend the season a bit, but I have limited sunny window space.
Hello Dave,
My daughter has Jimmy Nardelli next to her grow light.
Gardening can be such a challenge but it is so rewarding. Look at the result of moving the pepper plants into containers. Fantastic! Cherry tomatoes in December? Unbelievable! After years of so-so harvests of my container tomato plants, this year a built a raised bed and the plants literally went wild. You would have thought that I had put some radioactive fertilizer in the soil. I cannot wait to see what challenges will surface this spring and summer.
Hello John,
Glad your raised beds produced excellent results I am sure next year will be just as good if not better.
That’s the thing about gardening, Norma. The hope that next year will be better. 🙂
Hello John,
We gardeners are an optimistic bunch 🙂
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – lovely!
I have decided on trying to grow a fig tree in a pot, never knew I could do it until I saw your tree.
Have a beautiful week Norma. I need to get back to blogging.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hello Mandy,
Looking forward to reading about your container grown fig. A beautiful week to you too.
Hi Norma, your daughter is very fortunate to have inherited your green thumb! Her peppers look wonderful…makes me want to grow container peppers too but the squirrels and the birds are too hungry and they usually get to our crop before we have a chance to sample them! Last year, I had over 7 figs and the guys ate them while we were at the cottage (even though I put netting over them)! They even ate unripened lemons from Oscar (our Meyer Lemon tree). Inside, Oscar has finally produced two lemons that I think will survive, I have a grow light on him during the day and he seems to be doing very well.
It’s gotten a little colder here and we get a light dusting of snow almost every day, but I’m not complaining as we’ve only had to shovel twice this winter!
Hello Eva,
Wild life can be a major problem and I have my share. Glad Oscar is producing indoor for you.
This week we are back to normal winter weather but the blustery wind makes it feel much colder. Bracing for the major snowstorm predicted to arrive on Saturday into Sunday not looking forward.
Hope it wasn’t that bad. We didn’t even get a flake!
Hello Eva,
Would you believe we only got a few flakes. A friend who lives less than 10 miles south east of me got 2 inches, go figure.
Your peppers look divine Ms. Norma. I haven’t seen any really good looking peppers as of lately so I guess I will have to learn to grow them myself. I just love your garden.
Hello Kia,
Thanks, but I cannot take credit, those peppers are from my daughter’s garden.
How lucky is your daughter to have you :). Looking at plants growing has always brought pleasure to my heart.. and looking at your harvest always makes my day, makes me feel how amazing life is!!! Thanks for sharing, I will try and start gardening this spring and I hope you release some guiding posts about how to start a garden and the dos and don’ts of it. Thanks
Hello Amira,
Here is a link that I think you will find useful: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/planning-your-first-vegetable-garden/
Send me a note if you have any questions or need additional information.
Great looking peppers! We bring in our jalapeno plants inside in November and they do a great job at keeping us supplied with peppers to about March. I just picked a big handful to turn into candied jalapenos!
Hello Pamela,
Will your jalapeno make it to spring and continue to grow so you can put it outdoor and it start flowering and producing again?
That’s a lot of tomatoes to get from a ‘dead’ plant! The peppers all look great and you have so many varieties. I have heard NY has been hit with a severe blizzard. I do hope you are okay xx
Hello Charlie,
We escaped the blizzard, all the snow stayed south of us, sure glad we did not get the predicted 3-8 inches.
Look at those container peppers thriving! Now this I’m going to do for sure. One pepper plant per pot? I can handle that. I think I have a project for when we return home. So glad you excaped the blizzard. It looks like it was a big one!
Hello Kristy,
I am sure you will do great growing peppers in pots.
I too am glad we escaped the blizzard, NYC was at a standstill, all Broadway shows were cancelled.
Wow! Really lovely gifts from mother nature♥
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