Event No. 4 - When Is Too Soon to Transplant?

You have questions about transplanting, and Smokin’ Ed is here to answer them! In the last Reaper Growing Camp Event, Ed and the PuckerButt team showed you how to transplant your pepper plants when they’re ready so that they have the space to keep growing in a larger environment. Growing Camp members don’t miss a thing—you all reached out to us with even more questions. So, Ed and the team are back to give you answers.

1. In the words of Smokin’ Ed, to start transplanting, you don’t need anything fancy. To transplant their Carolina Reaper plants, the PuckerButt crew grabs a seven gallon bucket to fill with Miracle-Gro Performance Organics potting soil. Ed recommends a seven gallon bucket because he has found that it gives plants the best outcome, but anything 4.7 gallons and above will do. 
2. What should I do about fertilizer? When potting, Ed and the PuckerButt team use Miracle-Gro Performance Organics potting soil because it fertilizes plants and gives them the nutrients they need for the first 30-60 days. After about 30 days, Ed recommends adding some Fish Emulsion to the soil to pop up the plants and give them a boost. A little while later, you can also add a small amount of Botanicare Cal-Mag to further enrich your plants.
3. Is it normal for my plants to drop leaves? Yes! Don’t worry, it’s totally normal for your Reaper plant to drop leaves. In a future Growing Camp video, Ed and the team will take you through how to trim bottom leaves.
4. What do I do if my plant is rootbound? If your plant is rootbound, meaning the roots have totally taken over the space within the pot and created a dense web, give the roots and the soil a crunch with your hands to free them up before planting them in a new space. Don’t worry, a little pinching won’t do your pepper plant any harm!

Make sure you watch all of Event No. 4 to see how the dying plant Ed clipped in the last Growing Camp video is doing now, to check in on the PuckerButt team’s newly transplanted plants and also to take a look at how Ed’s plants in peat pots are doing vs. the plants that were potted using just Miracle-Gro Performance Organics potting soil. If you have any questions throughout the planting process, send them over to staff@puckerbuttpeppercompany.com. Your question could even be featured in a future Growing Camp video. And lastly, in the words of Ed, remember to NEVER give up on your seeds!