size of pots

[nolandyet/nowwedo]

This is the first year growing chillies for me and I have about 20 plants in 3 inch pots, they need re potting soon . What size pots should I put them in? These will be their final pots for growing on the greenhouse shelf.
Thanks,
Rich.

[nolandyet/nowwedo]

[aj]

I'd never put anything from 3 inches into their final pots; I pot them up one size at a time otherwise by the time the plant gets big enough to produce all the goodness in the compost goes stale.

The bigger the final pot though the better the yield. A 3 inch plant sat in a morrisons bucket for weeks on end is just wrong!

[dtw]

10 to 12 inches is usual, you can get away with 8 inches if you feed and water more regularly.

[Duke Ellington]

I have grown chillies for years now and have always gone from a 3or4 inch pot to it's final pot in the greenhouse with great success! I would agree with Dtw's 8 10 or 12" pots. just remember if your final pot is too large your chilli will produce loads of leaves at the expense of chillis. This is okay if we have a long summer. ...but not okay for a short one.  Chilli plants quite like a certain amount of root restriction.

duke  :)

[nolandyet/nowwedo]

Thanks for the advice, time to pot on then.
Rich...

[emielou5]

Hi there, I always go from 3inch to a final 6litre pot. I'm with everyone else on not wanting too bigb a pot that will go on developing roots and leaves for months, you want to get all that done with and start producing those fabulolus fruit.

[Hazelb]

I'm glad I read this. Me and hubby are new to chillies ( growing them, not eating them  ;D ) and we were debating pot size at the weekend.

They are in 3" pots at the moment. So should I leave them in the pots until they have roots coming out of the bottom before potting on?

We plan to keep them well fed and watered. Is tomato food ok for chillies?

[goodlife]

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We plan to keep them well fed and watered. Is tomato food ok for chillies?
Yes you can give them tomato feed..BUT..don't give it in same strenght as you would do for tomatoes. Chillies are not big 'feeders' and too much feed will result too much foliage and not many fruits.
Once you have repotted your chillies into the final size pots..you should not need to feed them for several weeks as there should be plenty of nutrients in the compost.  Once the plants start pushing lot of flowers, then start feeding using that well diluted feed. I would use double the amount of water(or more) for chillies (and peppers) for what it says in the instruction label. And do let the compost go 'dryish' in between waterings..they like good thorough watering and then let them use almost all up untill giving them their next drink.
Chillies don't mind if their 'toes' dry out  a bit..but hate sitting in wet compost for long periods of time. 

[BarriedaleNick]

I always veer to a smallish pot size for chilis - the root balls never seem as big as you might think.
Also I avoid watering at night - as goodlife says they are not happy sitting in wet compost - cold wet compost is worse - I try to water in the mornings.