sick peppers

[Crandrew]

Shhhhh dont tell anybody but I actually look forward to the peppers just as much as the tomatoes.

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by Crandrew

Shhhhh dont tell anybody but I actually look forward to the peppers just as much as the tomatoes.

Your secret is safe with me

[Mojave]

Originally Posted by Crandrew

Shhhhh dont tell anybody but I actually look forward to the peppers just as much as the tomatoes.

[Gavriil]

I've never tried fish emulsion, but from my experience I get some that look like that and it has been from over fertilizing I usually use 10-10-10 grass fertilizer and I through to much down around the plant.

[Smithma]

I live in zone 4 plenty of hot weather but my plants have done the same as you describe in past years. This year I started with sulfer dust in the soil and folliar spray every other week with Epsom salt mixed 1tsp in a spray bottle. The pepper plants sweet and hot are starting to produce and all look really good.

[clkeiper]

Peppers like it hot. We plant ours (all 90 or so) in black plastic. We water and fertilize only on occasion. Runty peppers should be tossed to begin with. They take too much babying to get a crop from them. Start your peppers in Feb or early March and start more than you plan on using. That way you have the cream of the crop to work with. seeds are generally cheap, don't' waste your time on growing a few plants from seed. Get a dozen or so started and just toss the rest or plant them in the back of the garden somewhere..or give them away, but starting with big healthy plants should be a priority for you, especially when the ground takes a long time to warm up. Get your plastic down as early as you can work the soil to get warmer soil for when you are ready to plant them out. Don't over fertilize them, either. They will get lots of leaf going on and no flowers.

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Peppers like it hot. We plant ours (all 90 or so) in black plastic. We water and fertilize only on occasion. Runty peppers should be tossed to begin with. They take too much babying to get a crop from them. Start your peppers in Feb or early March and start more than you plan on using. That way you have the cream of the crop to work with. seeds are generally cheap, don't' waste your time on growing a few plants from seed. Get a dozen or so started and just toss the rest or plant them in the back of the garden somewhere..or give them away, but starting with big healthy plants should be a priority for you, especially when the ground takes a long time to warm up. Get your plastic down as early as you can work the soil to get warmer soil for when you are ready to plant them out. Don't over fertilize them, either. They will get lots of leaf going on and no flowers.

Thank you for your advice.
I am new to peppers, so any advice is appreciated. I will definitely start more than I need, and much earlier next year. I will also give the black plastic a try.

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by Smithma

I live in zone 4 plenty of hot weather but my plants have done the same as you describe in past years. This year I started with sulfer dust in the soil and folliar spray every other week with Epsom salt mixed 1tsp in a spray bottle. The pepper plants sweet and hot are starting to produce and all look really good.

I will give my peppers a shot of Epsom salt spray. Thank you.

[Calcat36]

What kind of peppers are they? Peppers HATE wet feet, and you should not fertilize more than once every other week! Let them dry out until they really get droopy, and then give them WATER only. When they begin to pod, that is when you go to feeding once a week, as they are heavy feeders, like tomatoes, when producing.

When peppers, especially hot peppers have pods, the best thing to do is stress the plant out by withholding water until drooping. This produces HOTTER pods.

Best thing to do is let them be and show them some neglect. They will love you for it instead of you loving them to death!

EDIT: For the record, I have to start all of my peppers for NEXT year during THIS summer to winter over because the climate here and the temperamental nature of super hot peppers, hot peppers, and bells. I could NEVER grow any pepper since I was 5 years old too. Supers taught me so much. Listen to the plants, watch them, and they will respond in kind. Sounds zen-ish, but it is true. So this year's peppers were seedlings last year! Talk about patience and devotion! GOOD LUCK!

[livinonfaith]

I've never done that great with peppers prior to this year, especially the sweet ones. (Hots always do better for me, especially jalapenos and cyklons.) They've looked much like yours and only averaged a few sweet peppers per plant. I've tried growing them both in the ground and in containers.

This year they are all in containers. I've been throwing a small amount of that cheap 10-10-10 fertilizer on them about every week and a half. A lot of them are really starting to look nice. Much better than they have before, anyway. If things continue to go well, it looks like I will average at least twice as many peppers per plant than I would normally, maybe much more.

The weird thing is that all of the plants that I planted with two or three in a pot look much better than all (except one) of the ones that have their own pot. The ones in their own pot look less healthy, less bushy, and have set fewer peppers.

The pots with two or three plants are a little larger, but not by enough that they have more space per plant. They just seem to like having another plant with them. Or maybe the larger pot holds moisture better?

Anyone else find this to be true? I know that next year, all of my peppers, and eggplants, will have a companion in the pot.

[wally mcgee]

I have never tried peppers in containers before, but after this year, I'm going to give it a try next year.

[clkeiper]

[QUOTE=livinonfaith
The weird thing is that all of the plants that I planted with two or three in a pot look much better than all (except one) of the ones that have their own pot. The ones in their own pot look less healthy, less bushy, and have set fewer peppers.

The pots with two or three plants are a little larger, but not by enough that they have more space per plant. They just seem to like having another plant with them. Or maybe the larger pot holds moisture better?

Anyone else find this to be true? I know that next year, all of my peppers, and eggplants, will have a companion in the pot.[/QUOTE]
I have a friend who plants all her peppers in two's. She claims they support each other and grow better. My single sweet peppers in containers look spindly... the Sweet Heat's look much happier in singles in pots than the Orange Blaze, too. Maybe there is something to it...

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

I have a friend who plants all her peppers in two's. She claims they support each other and grow better. My single sweet peppers in containers look spindly... the Sweet Heat's look much happier in singles in pots than the Orange Blaze, too. Maybe there is something to it...

I will give this a try for sure next year, both in containers, and in the open garden and give each pepper a companion. Interesting

[livinonfaith]

Good, Carolyn, it's nice to know that I'm not just crazy! (At least not this time)

I will add that one of my favorites this year, so far, is the Beaver Dam pepper. It is a larger hot pepper that is described as being very mild. However, mine have a definite bite to them. My brother, who loves hot peppers, really liked these when I stuffed them with herb cheese spread and bacon. He compared the heat to a medium jalapeno. (But I like the taste of these better)

[Smithma]

I have just started some super hots seeds in peat pots for next year. First time growing. Will they grow thru the winter if you keep repotting and give them natural light, or do you use grow lights?