[FARM] Not so peppy Pepper plants

[Walrus Whisperer]

Three years in a row and I still cant get the peppers going well. WHAT am I doing wrong? they arent crowded, the soil is getting better every year, I DONT use fertilizer,never really needed it before because I amend with compost or rotted manure-everything else seems to do fine except those dang peppers. Out of 15 or 20 plants I'll be lucky if I get 15 or 20 peppers. these are various ones this year-2 diff jalepeno type, some habanero, some reg green peppers. The plants never seem to get nice and bushy like the ones I see around, stay kinda spindly looking.

AAAAUUUUGGGHHHHH!

 

[rb.]

WW, mine were like this too, until my uncle gave me a tip. Put rotted (or bagged from the store) manure around the base of the plant once a week. Don't put it right up to the stalk, but below the leaves. Don't be too stingy, but don't bury the plant in it. Each time you water, or it rains, they get a shot of it in the roots. I did it last year when I planted them in planters on the deck in regular potting soil. They bushed out big time in a few weeks, and we had peppers faster than DH could eat them.

We've got Chilis (sp?) and reg. green peppers. They're still somewhat scrawny looking despite the manure because we just haven't had the hot, hot, sunny days much yet. When we have a few days in a row, they'll take off like gang busters. I've also found they don't like to get too dry in the roots, so water deep.

 

[ShepInTheValley]

I've had the same problem and someone told me to try adding Fish Emulsion to the soil. I plan to try that.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

"we had peppers faster than DH could eat them."

I wouldn't mind that at all since my DH is the one who eats them, too!

I'll try that, I have a few bags of the manure left. That must mean that they are heavy feeders, which I had never seen written anywhere.

I heard a LOOONG time ago that you should put an unstruck match under each pepper plant-something about the sulfur, but never tried it-(It could have been for beans-its been a long time)

 

[A.T.Hagan]

What's the weather like where you're at?

Peppers like it hot and will often sulk until the weather does get hot.

They do like moderate amounts of fertilizer, but you have to go easy on the nitrogen or you'll get big beautiful leaves and few fruit.

Not too much water either, but don't let them dry out.

And full sun.

.....Alan.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

This IS montana, but last year was a scorcher from the 1st of june for the rest of the summer-90's almost every day.
This year has been below average for my area-60's to 70's and it just this week started warming up here to 80's.

They pretty much have full sun from around 8am till 6pm or so.

Its just that I see other gardens in the neighborhood when we walk the dog and their plants look marvelous, and one can SEE the peppers forming on them....

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Try giving them a smidgen of potash then. Not a lot though. Wood ashes will work.

.....Alan.

 

[prudentwatcher]

I put epsom salt in the soil when I plant the seedlings. I use containers for my peppers. I get about 6 or 7 green peppers per plant (we don't use that many) and I've gotten about 20 jalapenos already and the plant is loaded with more peppers and has grown really tall. Don't know how much I used, just dumped a lot in the soil. Seems to work.

 

[securitysix]

Check out www.pepperjoe.com he has alot of good info.

 

[cooter]

security six,,,,

thanks for the pepperjoe link,,,,,,,