Event No. 6 - How Ed Currie Sets Up His Greenhouse

Ever wonder how Smokin’ Ed sets up his greenhouses at PuckerButt Pepper Company? In the video for Event No. 6  of Ed’s Reaper Growing Camp, Ed is back to tell you all about his greenhouse setup and show you exactly how he gets things done. Make sure you watch the video itself, you don’t want to miss out on the visual part of the process.

Ed starts by showing how he sets up the drip irrigation system inside of the 120 by 30 feet greenhouse. The PuckerButt team lines up their plants in rows of nine and they set them three feet apart. This configuration allows for good airflow, which in Ed’s opinion is the most important thing second to pest control inside of a greenhouse. 

Every three feet, so at every pot, an emitter is added to the hose line that runs above the plants. Water slowly drips from the hose and through the emitter into each potted plant. You can also use a drip emitter that has a spike at the end that goes right into the soil and leads the drip directly into the plant’s container.

Ed waters his plants at a low rate, 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening at about eight pounds of pressure. At this rate, you’re letting out approximately one quart of water per pot during the drip time. Even if you have drip lines set up, you still need to check your pots every day to make sure the water is still running and the plant is growing like it should. Have a hose set up so if you need to water something, you can fill up a bucket and quickly bring water to the thirsty plants.

 
At PuckerButt, they put a water filter in the irrigation line inside of the greenhouse to filter out particles from fertilizers and sand that can be found even in city water. The sand or other particles can clog emitters and stop the plants from getting the water they need. You can find these various tools online or at most greenhouse or lawn care facilities. Or, plumb it up yourself like the team at PuckerButt with some piping and hoses from your local hardware store.

Frequently Asked Growing Questions

1. Why are you still potting? Shouldn’t you have finished 3-4 months ago? According to Ed, it really doesn't matter when you pot your plants. You can get peppers at almost any time during the season. If you live in a place that experiences high temperatures, plan to plant for about 120-150 days. If you’re planting in a more moderate climate, you’ll want to plant for closer to 60-90 days. In South Carolina, the PuckerButt team is lucky to have a long planting season.
2. Why am I seeing spots on the leaves of my plants? Is this okay? Spots on leaves can come from a lot of different things such as bugs, water that gets burned by the sun and dries up too quickly or they could even be bacterial. Whenever you see a leaf with a spot on it, pinch it off and be careful not to damage the stalk. Give the plant some time to see if it can grow through whatever the issue is.

Stay tuned for more growing guidance, how-tos and behind the scenes information to come. As always, send any and all questions to staff@puckerbuttpeppercompany.com, keep watering those plants and NEVER give up on your seeds.