Containers vs in-ground for chinense — is it even a debate?

Second year growing, running out of in-ground space. Thinking about moving some of my chinense plants to 7-gallon fabric pots. Habaneros, one Scorpion. Anyone gone fully container? Any yield difference you've actually noticed?

7 gallon is fine for a habanero, but go 10+ for a Scorpion if you want it to size up properly. Chinense want to run root heavy. I run fabric pots exclusively for the last 3 years — easier to manage soil, better drainage, can move them if you get a late frost scare.

My in-ground plants consistently outperform my containers by late season — bigger plants, more fruit. Containers dry out too fast in July/August heat, and you're watering daily if you're not on drip. If you've got the space, in-ground wins. Containers are a compromise.

The root restriction in containers can actually increase capsaicin production through stress response — same principle as water stress before harvest. So container-grown super-hots may have marginally higher SHU than the same variety in-ground, at the cost of some yield. Tradeoff depends on what you're optimizing for.