Grow bags may not be the most popular option in the gardening world, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a good one!
Poblano peppers love grow bags because you can easily place them in full sun and they have excellent drainage. Grow bags that are at least 5 gallons large are perfect to accommodate poblano peppers’ large root systems. Another perk of using grow bags is the freedom to place your bag high up if you have trouble bending down.
Keep reading to find out why grow bags and poblano peppers are a match made in heaven – and how you can grow poblano peppers in grow bags yourself!
Do poblano peppers grow well in grow bags?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, what are grow bags, and are they even worth it?
Grow bags are pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the name – they’re bags you can grow vegetables in. Sort of. In reality, they may be slightly more akin to soft pots that offer excellent drainage and are significantly easier to move around.
Poblano peppers grow well in grow bags. Grow bags have plenty of benefits that are particularly good for growing peppers such as quick drainage and the ability to be moved into the sun. So long as your grow bag is at least 5 gallons large, it can also accommodate the large root system of your poblano pepper.
Poblano peppers love large grow bags. They drain quickly, can be moved into the sun, and have enough room to hold the plant’s expansive root system.
How to grow poblano peppers in grow bags
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of growing poblano peppers in grow bags!
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags:
- Germinate your poblano pepper seeds or buy seedlings
- Transplant your young poblano pepper into the grow bag
- Place your grow bag in full sun
- Water your poblano pepper
- Fertilize your poblano pepper
- Prune your poblano pepper
- Stake or cage your poblano pepper
Keep reading to dive in!
Germinate your poblano pepper seeds or buy seedlings
First, you need to get your baby plants going! To do this, you can either germinate from seed or buy seedlings from your local garden shop.
To germinate poblano peppers by seed:
- Sow seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before you want to transplant
- Plant them ¼ inch deep in peat pots
- Keep indoors in a warm and sunny spot
Here’s a well-kept secret: harden off your seedlings with a few days of reduced temperatures and water to mitigate transplant shock!
If you’re buying seedlings, keep an eye out for pests or brown spots. Starting off with an unhealthy plant is less than ideal.
Transplant your young poblano pepper into the grow bag
Now it’s time to get those babies into your grow bags!
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags, transplant after nighttime lows reach above 50°F. Do your best to transplant on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon. Don’t transplant until three sets of true leaves have developed. Once you transplant your pepper, fertilize at ¼ or ½ strength and water thoroughly. Don’t worry about the initial transplant shock!
Poblano peppers are warm weather plants – don’t transplant them until after nighttime lows reach above 50°F.
It’s ideal to transplant on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon.
Here are some important things to consider when transplanting poblano peppers:
- Allow your peppers to develop three sets of true leaves before transplanting
- Be gentle when removing the peppers from the germination tray
- Fertilize at ¼ or ½ strength and water thoroughly
- Don’t stress out about transplant shock
Place your grow bag in full sun
Poblano peppers need full sun to do their best, so it’s important to place your grow bag in full sun.
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags, place your grow bag in full sun. The more sun that your poblano peppers get, the better!
Poblano peppers thrive in full sun. Track how much sun different areas of your yard get throughout the day, and place your grow bag wherever you get the most sun!
Water your poblano pepper
Thanks a lot, captain obvious.
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags, water your poblano peppers. They need 1-2 inches of water each week. The soil should stay damp within a few inches of the surface. Consider using mulch to keep in moisture. Water early in the day so your leaves don’t get sunburnt. You may be over-watering if you have soggy soil, wilted leaves, and a wilted stem.
Poblano peppers need between 1 and 2 inches of water per week. You want the soil to stay damp within a few inches of the surface.
Mulch is a good way to keep the moisture in. Another trick is to water early in the day to avoid sunburn on the leaves.
Signs of overwatering include soggy soil, wilted leaves, and a wilted stem.
Fertilize your poblano pepper
Some of us skip this step, but it really makes a difference.
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags, fertilize them when you transplant them and then 2-3 times throughout the season. You can also use an extended-release fertilizer which will release nutrients consistently and is a one-and-done deal. Peppers need a fertilizer with an NPK value of 5-10-10.
Poblano peppers do best when they’re properly fertilized.
Fertilize your poblano peppers when you transplant them at ¼-½ strength. Then fertilize them 2-3 times throughout the season.
Another option is to use an extended-release fertilizer so you can do it once and forget about it! They also have their perks, such as consistent nutrient release.
Peppers enjoy an NPK value of 5-10-10.
Here are some bonus tips for fertilizing poblano peppers:
- Use less fertilizer in heavier soils
- Don’t fertilize germinating seeds
- Only fertilize once the first true set of leaves has developed
- Only use ¼ or ½ strength fertilizer on young plants
If your poblano peppers have yellow or brown leaves, tip burn, or spindly growth, these are all signs that you may need to fertilize.
Prune your poblano pepper
Pruning poblano pepper plants has many surprising benefits!
To grow poblano peppers in grow bags, prune your poblano peppers. Pruning improves fruit production, promotes plant health, and can create a more beautiful plant shape. Pruning also encourages root growth, promotes branching, creates air movement, avoids pests, and can help your pepper plant push out one huge final yield.
Pruning poblano pepper plants can improve fruit production, promote plant health, and overall make them more sightly.
Let’s talk about the various stages of pruning poblano pepper plants:
- Early – Pruning your poblano peppers early in the season encourages root growth, promotes branching, and creates air movement.
- Mid – Pruning mid-season can help you avoid pests and forces your peppers to focus on fruit production.
- Late – Finally, a final prune late in the season can result in an epic last yield!
Stake or cage your poblano pepper
You might not think of staking or caging peppers, but these monstrosities really need it.
Stake or cage your poblano pepper plant while it’s still young and before it becomes an emergency! Stakes and cages are great for poblano peppers because they can reach up to 5 feet tall with heavy fruit and wide branches. Find a cage that’s 5 ½ feet tall – this way you can bury it 6 inches deep with 5 feet left to support your plant.
The most important thing I can say is this: cage your poblano pepper plant while it’s still young! The last thing you want to do is damage branches trying to fit a cage over a plant that’s already falling over.
Poblano pepper plants, under the right conditions, can reach staggering heights of up to 5 feet tall. That certainly warrants a cage.
Make sure the cage is at least 5 ½ feet tall. This allows the cage to be 5 feet above the ground while being sturdily buried 6 inches down.
Common problems of poblano peppers in grow bags
Now let’s talk about some turmoil you might run into!
Some common problems of poblano peppers in grow bags include:
- Over-fertilization
- Brown spots
- Not enough sun
No worries – we have solutions!
Over-fertilization
Remember how important fertilization is? Well, it can occasionally go wrong.
One common problem of growing poblano peppers in grow bags is over-fertilization. Using too much fertilizer can permanently damage your poblano peppers. Excessive fertilizer can hurt soil microorganisms. It can also cause too much growth, too quickly – and the roots can’t keep up.
Over-fertilizing poblano peppers can lead to more problems than not fertilizing altogether!
Excess fertilizer can permanently damage your peppers. Too much fertilizer can kill beneficial soil microorganisms by causing a salt concentration that’s too high for them to live in.
Another problem caused by overfertilization is that it can cause a lot of plant growth all at once without a sufficient root system to support it.
The best way to solve over-fertilization is to avoid it in the first place. Follow the directions on the package to a T! You may think that adding an extra sprinkle will give your plants a leg up, but it can actually be incredibly detrimental.
If you’ve already done the damage, you need to leach the soil. Water deeply over and over again for an extended period of time in the hopes of removing the excess fertilizer.
If you’re using extended-release fertilizer, remove any crystals that may still be on the surface of the soil.
Brown spots
Brown spots are always a real downer.
One common problem of growing poblano peppers in grow bags is brown spots. Some different types of brown spots include sunscald, cucumber mosaic virus, Anthracnose fruit rot, blossom end rot, and bacterial leaf spot. Each type of brown spot can be tracked down to a different root cause such as calcium deficiencies or contaminated seeds.
There are lots of different types of brown spots such as sunscald, cucumber mosaic virus, Anthracnose fruit rot, blossom end rot, bacterial leaf spot, and more. Each type of brown spot is caused by different conditions. For example, bacterial leaf spot can be caused by contaminated seeds, while blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiencies.
The best way to treat brown spots is through prevention. (Are you sensing a theme here?) Learn everything you can about the different kinds of brown spots that appear on poblano peppers so that you can take proper measures to avoid them.
If it’s too late, you’ll need to identify the kind of brown spot in order to treat it. Check out the blog linked above for an extensive guide that will help you out!
Not enough sun
Not getting enough sun can really hinder pepper growth.
Poblano peppers need full sun in order to undergo the amount of photosynthesis needed to fully thrive since they are such prolific producers. Place your grow bag in the spot that gets the most sun in your yard. If it’s still not enough, just do the best you can with proper watering, fertilization, and pruning.
Different plants require different amounts of sun based on the amount of photosynthesis they need to undergo. Since poblano peppers are such prolific producers, they need all the energy they can get!
Move your grow bag to the spot in your yard that gets the most sun. If it’s still not enough, you cannot do much besides following the rest of this guide.
How big of a grow bag do I need for poblano peppers?
Your grow bag needs to be at least 5 gallons large to grow a poblano pepper plant.
Can you grow poblano peppers in a 5-gallon grow bag?
You can grow poblano peppers in a 5-gallon grow bag. You shouldn’t go any smaller than 5 gallons.
How many poblano peppers can I put in a 5-gallon grow bag?
You can put one poblano pepper plant in a 5-gallon grow bag.
How many poblano pepper plants are in a 10-gallon bag?
You can grow up to two poblano pepper plants in a 10-gallon grow bag.
Poblano peppers need at least 5 gallons each, so you shouldn’t crowd more than two in.
Should grow bags be elevated?
You don’t have to elevate grow bags. Some people even bury them!
But if you have trouble bending down, you can definitely elevate your grow bag for better accessibility.
Can you overwater poblano pepper plants in grow bags?
You can overwater poblano peppers plants in grow bags.
That being said, it’s harder to overwater in grow bags compared to pots or containers.
This is because the fabric of the grow bag allows excess water to drain out more easily than in a solid pot.
