I would think as long as the pot is large enough 4-5 gal you should be ok. Also depends on where you are at and what the avg temp is in your area.

I have a black pot with my Ghost chili in it, and that's sitting on our driveway on asphalt and I have not seen any ill effect on the Bhut. That said our avg temp in PA 90-98 so far with high humidity. I guess if you were in the dry desert and 100-100+ avg temp, you may see the plant affected by the heat cooking the roots. I don't know about the foil idea it may work or get spray paint to change the color?

Maybe someone else has experience with dark pots in 100+ temps will comment, interesting topic.

Mark

Mine seem fine, but like Mark said, we don't have weeks on end of high 90's and 100's. AND... it cools down here at night. This concerned me a couple weeks ago -- so I went out in the middle of the day to check the soil temp Was fine.

I do mulch a couple inches though..

Kevin

Oh, yes, roots can cook in black plastic pots.
I shade my containers with those nursery flats set on the southern exposure, and all is well. We're back up into the 100F's...after enjoying the past few days of mid-90F's.

I spray painted my pots white..and have to water everyday..temps here are upper nineties every day and some weeks of 108 are common..I've been dealing more with blossom drop than I think cooked roots..so long as they are on dirt and not concrete or asphalt..they should do fine..they may root into the ground ..but that just equals bigger plants

A week or so ago in NorCal, we had temperatures in the 80's for a few days.

We had some disposable income. Wife decided to buy herself another new bag (purse) and some shoes she doesn't need.. I tried to get even and treated myself to a Milwaukee Laser Temperature Gun Infrared Thermometer (Model # 2266-20). Around $89 at Home Depot.

Testing out my new "toy," I pointed that thing at everything.

My arm = 91 F
Visiting sister's little dog = 92 F
Bedroom wall = 77 F
Toilet Bowl = 72 F
Toilet Water = 69 F

Brick structure in the garden = ~ 119 F
Ground soil/pepper bed = ~ 80 F
Leaves on pepper plants = ~ 83 F

#15-Gal Black pot with a Lemon Tree in it = ~ 147 F !!!!

Wow. That was very surprising. Multiple measurements were always around mid 140 F. My skin temperature = 91 F. Then back to the black pot = around 147 F!

Anyway, my lemon tree is doing fine (I think). The leaves look good and there are lots of baby lemons on it.

This post was edited by 0x0is0 on Thu, Jul 11, 13 at 15:35

I live in OK, we've had a mild summer so far, only 3 days of 100+, but we've had a lot of 90+, I have this year (and last) at least 30 peppers in 5 gal black plastic pots and they are doing fine. Interestingly, I've had several times where I haven't had to water but every other day. It has been 100+ the last 2 days and my pots haven't been drying out. Seems like my raised beds are drying out faster. Can't figure that one out.
Pam

Oxoiso - Great testing with the temp gun, John has one of those that I totally forgot about that I'll have to dig around for and test the soil temps in my black pots. For years I've planted in white 5 gal buckets but this year I added about 20 black buckets to the mix..... It'll be interesting to see what the difference is between the black and white buckets.... They seem to dry out about the same...but then when you have a 4 year old grandson sprinkling the plants every chance he gets it's hard to tell....

I think it depends on the plant and pot size.
Manzanos need a big pot.I think in small pots the roots cook.
But a bigger plant of a different variety does just fine in the same sized pot,same soil etc.

Black pots are great for warming the soil early in the season. However, by mid summer, they can heat up too much and cook the roots of certain plants. I had not noticed peppers having much issue with them but tomatoes certainly do. I go ahead and shade mine with cardboard in late June/early July. Better to be safe than sorry.

I am growing all my super hots in black pots and they are going like gangbusters. Only had one issue with one drying out to fast...likely the result from the heat causing rapid evaporation.

The smaller the pot, the more likely to over heat the roots. Most of mine are in 7 gallon or so pots. Again, not noticed any root problems. But, I put up my shades anyway the other day.

I actually had some in 1gal black plastic pots last year, and it was one of our hottest summers, we had 33 days of 100+ several 110+, they didn't do as well as the ones in 5 gal pots, but they survived and produced peppers. My biggest concern this year, all of mine (other than the ones in ground) are in black 5 gal pots (well, except the ornamentals that are in 1 gal pots), they aren't drying out that much - even the ones in the 1 gal pots. It's taking 2 days for the ones in 5 gal pots to actually dry out and it's taking 3-5 days for the ones in 1 gal pots to dry out. Most of June and july has been in the 90's with a few 100+. I guess the humidity is keeping them from drying out. I just expect more drying. but, the worst I have had with any of mine, in full sun, is a bit of wilting inbetween watering. In fact, I would say the ones I have in pots are doing as well or better than the ones in raised beds.
Pam