Added Two Piper Nigrum To My Collection Of Indoor Potted Tropical Fruit Plants

[Zibnaf]

Hi All,

I've recently added two piper nigrum plants to by collection of indoor potted tropical fruit plants.  I'm in a condo with floor to ceiling glass walls and a large south exposure, so I have pretty good space to try my hand at a few different plants.  I've got several Surinam cherries, grown from seed, that are a year old and doing very well; a strawberry guava that's three years old, very fast growing, but needs constant pruning to trying and maintain a shape to it; a calamondin that's several years old and was loaded with fruit last fall; a Maprang that's been very slow growing; a few of Luc's Garcinia's, but they're only six months old; and ideally I'll get some of my red jaboticaba seeds to germinate soon.

I've tried my best to read up online about keeping piper nigrum plants in containers.  From what I can tell humidity/water is the largest challenge, followed by temperature sensitivity.   Most websites say that partial shade and filtered light is important, but a few other websites say the opposite.  Should I be putting these plants in a spot that gets intermittent sun or in a spot with full sun and putting a shade/light filter over them?  I haven't come across much information on fertilizer/PH needs, my best guess is something for mildly acidic tropical fruit.

Any other advice / experience you can offer up?

[Chandramohan]

Hello,  Pepper plants need plenty of sun, but we always avoid the hot sun from the north-west from falling on the plants, until they are three or four years old. As regards fertiliser organic ones,like cowdung compost is the best,but please I do not know how the ones available in Canada smells!! Do not use inorganic fertiliser.

[Finca La Isla]

The soil should not be too acidic, 6.0-6.3 would be pretty good.  The soil should be easy draining but don't let it really dry out.
Peter