Aubergines and peppers

[roitelet]

Just a quick question. Can I grow Aubergines and peppers by the ring culture method? Has anyone done it?

[roitelet]

I'm just bumping this 'cos I would like some advice, pleeeeeeeease.

[WendyC]

No straight answer from me I'm afraid. When you plant are you thinking of using the ring to cover part of the stem or just as an open bottomed pot to stand on soil? The reason I ask is that tomatoes planted with the stem in the ring will produce feeding roots. I'm not sure aubergines and peppers will do them the same, so no real benefit. If you are thinking of an open bottomed pot then I don't see why not, although I've not done it personally.

[roitelet]

I'm going to use the rings as an open bottomed pot as I have grown plants of the same family in the same place last year. I will give it a go and see what happens. Some of the plants will be straight in the soil and the others ring culture. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Thanks Wendy.

[Fleurisa]

I know that chilies when planted deeper grow roots out from the stem

[smallblueplanet]

I'm going to use the rings as an open bottomed pot as I have grown plants of the same family in the same place last year...

I'm not sure what ring culture is, but we have to grow our aubs, peppers and toms in open-bottomed pots in the green house border because of small rodents tunnelling in the soil and disturburbing their roots! The open bottom end of the pot/bucket is lined with chicken wire to stop the little b*ggers tunnelling upwards!

[BertieFox]

It works perfectly well in my experience, and both pepper and aubergines establish extensive root systems during the growing period.

When I dig them up from the greenhouse bed at the end of the season, there are large water roots from both, as well as the fibrous feeding roots. All ring culture does is separate the two, by allowing feeding roots to form in the compost in the pot, and the larger water roots in the gravel or cinder bed.

I've not used ring culture beyond tomatoes, aubergines and peppers but I imagine it would work on almost any crop, though the extra water in the gravel bed might prevent things like melons ripening up to full sweetness.

[roitelet]

It all sounds positive! I have made the 'pots' from pond liner off cuts and now just need to mix some compost to fill them. Thought of a mixture of soil and garden compost. What are people's thoughts on this and what ratio would you suggest?