Best Soil For Pepper Plants – Potted Plants and In-Ground
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An argument could be made that the success of a garden relies almost entirely on the quality of its soil. We have tested and tinkered with many, many potting soils, soil amendments, and other products to dial in the perfect soil for pepper plants.
In this article, we’ll go through some of the best soils on the market for growing peppers (and other veggies). Whether you’re growing your plants in pots, in a raised bed, or in an in-ground garden, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll also touch on compost and the important role it, and other organic materials have in building great soil for your pepper plants. If your soil is not ideal, compost will help to improve it.
Keep in mind, this article can be used to find or create a good soil for more than just peppers. If you grow tomatoes, leafy greens, root veggies, or other garden plants, these recommendations should help too!
Best Soil for Peppers in Pots
Head to your local nursery, and you’ll probably have several bagged potting soils to choose from. Some are cheap, others seem outrageous, but what are the best soils for growing peppers in pots?
We have grown hundreds of potted pepper plants over the years, so we have a good idea of what works well. If you’re looking for a one-stop general potting mix to use, look no further than these great options.
1. Fox Farm ‘Happy Frog’ – Buy on Amazon >
This bagged potting soil has been a dream come true for our pepper plants. After we sprout our pepper seeds, they reliably grow fast and healthy in this soil.
Happy Frog has everything a pepper plant needs to grow, including forest humus, perlite for excellent drainage, natural slow-release nutrients, beneficial mycorrhizae, and more. As soon as you grab a handful of this soil, you can feel that it is high quality.
Some key ingredients: Composted forest humus, earthworm castings, bat guano, dolomite lime, mycorrhyzae, and beneficial bacteria.
One of the great additions to Happy Frog soil are mycorrhizal fungi. These species of fungus form a mutually beneficial relationship with the roots of plants, enhancing root growth, plant health, and disease resistance.
Tip: Store Happy Frog soil in a cool, dark location to avoid killing the dormant mycorrhizal fungi spores.
We were also happy with the results using Fox Farm’s Ocean Forest, but not as much as Happy Frog. Ocean Forest lacks the mycorrhyzae content that perhaps works well with Capsicum species. Plus, it is more expensive.
Soil comparison (video):
Watch our soil comparison video where we tested 5 popular bagged potting mixes to find a winner.
2. Miracle Gro ‘Performance Organics’ – Buy on Amazon >
Another, more affordable option for potting soil is Performance Organics from Miracle Gro. This bagged soil is often easier to find locally than Fox Farm products thanks to large scale distribution.
This soil is good right out of the bag, containing all of the essentials to build a happy root system for peppers. It has slow-release fertilizer, compost, perlite, and peat moss.
One minor drawback is that this potting soil is not inoculated with beneficial bacteria or fungus. While these are not essential to a potting soil, it is nice to give your potted plants as much good microbial life as possible from day 1.
We have also seen good results from Miracle Gro’s line of organic fertilizers, which can provide pepper plants with all the necessary nutrition through the season.
Other good potting soils for peppers:
- Black Gold potting soils
- Pro Mix soils (fertilizer usually required after the first month of growth)
Another excellent option is to simply make your own potting soil from raw ingredients. If you are growing many potted pepper plants, the savings can be significant. Spend the extra time and save some money while you’re at it.
Homemade Soil Mix for Peppers
If you have a local nursery, chances are you have access to the basic building blocks of good, homemade potting soil. Here in New England, peat moss, perlite, sand, and compost are all readily available to buy individually.
Basic Potting Soil Recipe for Peppers (Raised Bed or Containers)
Finding the golden ratio is going to depend on your climate, how often you can water your plants, and other personal preferences. However, I will share a simple, rough template to start with for a basic homemade pepper plant soil:
- 1/2 peat moss. Peat moss (or coco coir) are used to increase the soil’s ability to retain nutrients and moisture. We prefer peat moss as it does not compact over time like coco coir can. Peat decreases pH, so lime is often added as an amendment to counteract the acidity.
- 1/4 organic matter. This can be homemade compost, rotted manure, chicken manure pellets, etc. This should be as diverse as possible, coming from multiple sources if possible.
- 1/4 drainage. Perlite, vermiculite, or sand all work great for aiding in drainage. They also give the roots more channels to grow through and better access to oxygen.
This basic recipe is a good starting point, but we love to continue experimenting every year with our own soil combinations. Play with the ratios, along with additional amendments, and compare the results of each plant to hone in on your perfect recipe.
Other amendments to consider adding:
- All purpose slow-release fertilizer
- Bone meal
- Blood meal
- Alfalfa meal
- Feather meal
Some plants may prefer more organic matter, while others might need a looser soil for easier root penetration. Peppers like a good balance of both, not too fluffy, but definitely not compact, allowing for easy drainage.
Now, let’s go deeper into each of the vital components of a healthy, quality soil.
Organic Material
Though the percentage of organic material required is somewhat low (5-10% for in-ground soil), it is the most essential part of top-performing soil. Compost, rotted manure, alfalfa, and other ingredients provide natural, slow release nutrition for your peppers.
Nutrients are, of course, critical for healthy potted pepper plants. With organic material added to your soil before planting, the natural ingredients have time to break down into usable forms of the primary and secondary nutrients.
Nutrient and Water Retention
If your soil cannot hold onto nutrients, your plants will suffer. This is the main benefit of using peat moss or coco coir. These materials increase the cation exchange capacity (CEC), allowing for better nutrient uptake and fertilizer effectiveness.
Organic material is also helpful for increasing water retention and CEC, so we do not recommend using peat moss for in-ground beds. Instead, simply amend your garden soil with compost in the fall, or at least 2-3 weeks prior to planting in early spring.
Drainage
For healthy drainage, there are several options. Sand is usually the cheapest option, but it is heavy, so keep that in mind. If you are making soil for a raised bed, sand is a great option if your soil is clay heavy. Top soil is another natural, cheap option for filling raised bed with good draining material.
Two lighter ingredients that are common for drainage, particularly in potting soils are perlite and vermiculite. These are easy to find at gardening centers and both drain very well. They also help retain moisture (which seems counterintuitive), but this makes them excellent additives for potting soil.
Perlite is an especially useful material that helps prevent compaction over time. This volcanic glass is extremely lightweight, but holds a ton of water per cubic inch (20-50% by volume). It is dusty, so be sure to wear respiratory protection when handling dry perlite.
The benefit of mixing your own soil is a cost savings over bagged soils. Additionally, if you get the materials delivered in bulk, you avoid using one-time use plastic bags to transport the soil.
In-Ground Soil
If you are building a new, in-ground garden bed, it is best to start with a soil test. Send away 1 or 2 samples from the planned growing area to learn exactly what is already in your ground soil.
From here, the best course of action is usually to apply a layer of compost to the surface and lightly loosen the ground soil. This will help aerate the ground, relieve compaction, and begin to enrich the soil for growing peppers and other vegetables.
Sand, Silt, Clay, and Organic Matter
One of the things a soil test will tell you is the sand, silt, clay and organic matter content of your soil. These are the 4 primary components that make up natural, living soil. Some plants prefer denser, clay-rich soils, however, most vegetables prefer a well-draining, loamy soil.
There are many varieties of peppers, but most thrive in a sandy loam soil. This means a soil made up of primarily sand and silt, with just a touch of clay, and around 3-5% organic matter.
Regardless of your soil’s composition, compost and other bulky organic materials will steer your soil in the right direction over time. Compost is not only rich in nutrients, but it also adds structure to the soil, improving aeration and the ability for the roots to grow freely.
Protecting Ground Soil
One of the most important things for growing plants in the ground is to keep the soil covered when it is not in use. Through the winter, into the rainy months, and in any walkways, be sure to provide some protection.
One method is to plant a “cover crop” in the fall. This keeps the soil organisms alive and active, while also helping to avoid soil erosion. Some crops, such as peas, can add nitrogen to the soil if mowed just before flowering.
Another option is to simply cover the soil with a tarp or a thick layer of mulch when not in use. This can be ugly, but the goal is still achieved. We have used a heavy duty tarp for our in-ground beds that are not actively growing crops.
Protecting the soil helps retain the micro-organisms that keep garden soil happy. It also helps prevent the good soil from washing away or from drying out and eroding in hot, dry weather.
Do Peppers Like Acidic Soil?
Perhaps as important as soil structure and nutrients is pH level. A soil test will tell you the soil’s pH, a difficult thing to properly test for at home. With this knowledge, you’ll know what to add to reach a perfect pH for peppers.
Peppers grow best in soil with a slightly acidic pH, between 6.0-7.0. This is the ideal range for peppers and many other gardener’s favorites, but the plants will grow outside of it. If you are having trouble growing peppers, then perhaps a pH test can help get to the bottom of the issue.
Why does pH matter? The acidity of soil dictates how well a plant can uptake and use nutrients. This is often the cause of nutrient deficiency – not that the nutrient is lacking, but that the pH is off and the plant can’t access the nutrients that are already there!
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I hope this article has helped you find the best soil for growing your peppers. Whether you are growing in pots or in the ground, your first priority should always be the quality of your soil.
At this point I am looking for a good potting soil for seedlings, in between sterile seed starting mix and outdoor potting soil. I’ve had pretty good results with Fox Farms Happy Frog, but it is not perfect as it is a coarser texture than I’d like for this stage. I’ve also been using Miracle Gro Indoor Potting Soil this year, especially as 1/4″ of top dressing, as it seems to really cut down on fungus gnats and has a very light texture (I often apply it right after potting up, after watering).
The main indoor seedling problems I have had this year are leaf curl (from LED grow light sunscald) and leaf edema on a small minority of peppers; and leaf and branch dropping on tomatoes, both while they are 2.5″ and smaller pots. I haven’t lost any plants to either condition and they seem to grow out of it — and I suspect that’s more the fault of the bright lighting and small pots than the soil.
I’m not expert but I found a solid recipe that’s worked well on Reddit. It’s a single block of coco coir(650g), 5C perlite, 5C Vermiculite and I add 2 cups worm castings because I tend to leave my seedlings in place a small while.
Has worked great for me so far
I’m in NY state and would like to grow some Hatch chilies. I know the Hatch valley is rich in volcanic soil. Is it possible to mimic this soil here in my garden?
If you’d like I’m sure you can add some amendments to try to mimic the region – however, you won’t be able to mimic the dry air and elevation differences. I’m sure you can be successful growing hatch chiles in NY state, we’ve grown then here in CT several times with great results!
hello
I need help
I already potted my pepper plant in clay soil ( because it was the only soil which is available at the time )
will my pepper plant thrive ?
will I need to repott them ?
will the yield be bad ??
My tomato transplants got fried in straight ffof. Too heavy and too hot. I will cut it with pro mix and perlite this year in florida. Interested in your take on happy frog soil as peppers grow much the same as tomatoes and also grow jalapenos anyway. The picture does not look like enough perlite is in it. Did it drain ok?
I am using mushroom soil for my in ground peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. I mixed it with peat and it seams to be working very well. What are you thoughts on this?
@Andy, I am using mostly mushroom soil mixed with a little organic potting mix, some extra perlite for drainage, and a good dose of organic fertilizer with mycorrhizae and my peppers are doing very well.
The high nitrogen content is great for structural growth.
I dosed mine with some bone meal when i transferred my seedlings to their grow bags to encourage a lot of blooms.
If planting in the ground, it’s best to add the bone meal to the planting hole, mix it in with whatever other amendments you are adding.
If you have sandy soil, mushroom soil is fantastic for mending the soil. Most peppers prefer a sandy loam.
We have used it religiously whenever we plant trees or shrubs on our property, to great success. It provides a good source of nitrogen to help them get established.
Can you use tree and shrub soil for bell pepper plants
Laurels Heirloom tomatoes turned me on to happy frog, get mine for less at rural king and or local garden store.
Framers co-op has happy frog potting soil for $21.00 dollars for a 25 pound bag. That is the cheapest Price I seen. It’s the biggest bag I seen also. Good luck everyone spring will be here in a few weeks. Enjoy!!
Hi- What do you think about using sand as a soil cover for peppers instead if mulch?
@Lynnette Certain,
Sand can be ok in mild climates but if you have fairly warm and sunny weather the sand can heat up and scorch the vegetation, especially tender pepper leaves.
@Lynnette Certain, I expect it to work, but think of the longer term. I haven’t tried it outdoors, but I’ve used 1-2″ of sand indoors on overwintered peppers to prevent fungus gnats from getting in/out oftheir pots, which seemed to work. As Pepper Geek pointed out it is quite heavy for use in pots, and afterwards I had a bunch of kind of dirty sand I’ll probably end up using under stepping stones.
I know this article is about soil ! What about mulch ,you mentioned once about alyssum! Is alyssum a good mulch in my 4-4 raised bed ! I live in south Texas , it gets hot !
Alyssum is a great companion, and we’ll be experimenting using it as a ‘living mulch’ this year in our new raised beds. Haven’t tried it as a mulch, but it is great to have around your peppers regardless to attract beneficial insects.