Pepper troubles

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richnkim

New Member
I am having trouble with my jalapeno pepper plant. They are not thriving. :(

I bought some plants and planted them in Feb and they are not dying but not foing really well. They are getting new leaves (slowly) but the older ones are falling off. What can I do? :confused:
 

Blueaussi

New Member
Tell me about your growing conditions. What were the temperatures when you planted, especially at night and what are they now? Nighttime temperatures below 50F will make for unhappy pepper plants. How often do you water and how much? What fertilizers are you using? How many hours of sunlight a day are they getting? Do the leaves look normal when they fall off, or do they yellow first? Any leaf deformations?

Let's figure this out.
 

richnkim

New Member
Well, the temps were 60's, and at night it got down to the 40's and then sometimes in the 30's. I have them in raised boxes, so things dry out quickly. I water them every other day or so. No, fertilizer yet. They get about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. The leaves turn yellow first and there are no deformations.
 

Blueaussi

New Member
It's probably the temperatures. Pepper just don't do well when the nights get below 50F. If it warms up they might start doing better, but sometimes those early season cool temps can stunt the plant.
 

richnkim

New Member
Thank you for your help, Blue. Is there a type of fertilizer that I should use?

It is suppossed to be 77 today then 68 tomorrow and 66 wednesday, then warming up to 82 by friday and saturday 86.
 

Flower4Yeshua

Super Moderator & vegemm
Staff member
have to stand in agreement...if you cover them over night you will see a big differnece...although not needed if oyu don;t mind a slow growth...another month and the plants will take off and you will have more peppers than you can eat ...LOL..The only thing I miss about Sacramento is the growing season..
 

Dale

Super Moderator
Staff member
How often have you been fertilizing? Also every other day may be too much water with the temps being that cool. Peppers don't like 30-40's temps, especially 30's.
 

richnkim

New Member
I haven't fertilized yet. What kind do you suggest, Dale?

Debe, I did cover them when the temps were low. Maybe they will perk up this weekend. It is suppossed to get up to 82 and 60's at night.
 
R

RiverRock

Guest
would the wall o water work for pepper plants as well as tomato? Maybe that is an idea to warm them up.

RR
 

Flower4Yeshua

Super Moderator & vegemm
Staff member
I haven't fertilized yet. What kind do you suggest, Dale?

Debe, I did cover them when the temps were low. Maybe they will perk up this weekend. It is suppossed to get up to 82 and 60's at night.

I think if you just want early peppers...the wall o water or what ever would do well for you...but honestly it will not be long and the days and nights will be up there in high temps and peppers away...LOL..I talked with a friend this morning ...he is up HYW 50 a few miles out of Sacramento and his pepper plants also are slow growing at this point...but this is normal for this time of the year..he is also Organic as I am...he will side dress the plants he said in a wekk or so with some compost and then feed with compost tea there after...
 

richnkim

New Member
I have some compost and I will add some, around them. I'm sure they are going to get going. At least the are alive!!!
 

Blueaussi

New Member
would the wall o water work for pepper plants as well as tomato? Maybe that is an idea to warm them up.


Not if the ground hasn't warmed up. If I have learned anything at all about peppers, it is that trying to start them outside before the weather has warmed up is a mistake. If the ground temperature is below 60F you're going to have problems, and a Wall O Water isn't going to warm up the ground.

As for fertilizers, you don't want a high nitrogen fertilizer, unless, of course, you want low production and lots of aphids. I use Espoma Tomato-Tone (3-4-6), but there are plenty of other good ones on the market. Neptune's Harvest and Fox Farm make several other nice fertilizers. Actually, I am using Fox Farm's Peace of Mind Starter Fertilizer for plant out this year, and then will switch to the Tomato-Tone.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Hang in there Kim it's almost nice weather for a few months anyway. Peppers love sulfur also. Someone once told me to stick a match head down next to each pepper plant.

Don't feel alone on the peppers, I bought 6 habs to plant just for hot pepper spray and one by one my daughters stupid golden ( keeping until she returns to Fl) ate each one. I had them out back on the deck in a pot so they won't cross with my sweets.It is so late in our season I won't be able to find new plants.
 

Blueaussi

New Member
Are you trying to save seed on your sweet peppers? I may be telling you something you already know, and apologies if I am; but *points at self* pepper geek here. Cross pollination only affects the next generation, it does not affect the taste or heat of the peppers that season. So, unless you were planning on saving seed from the sweet peppers to plant next year, planting the habs near the sweets is not a problem.

And if you are trying to save pure seed, it's probably more effective to bag a branch for isolation than separate the plants by a short distance.
 

richnkim

New Member
I am so sorry CG about your peppers. I hope that you get some more. My peppers are still alive so I am holding out. for them. They are putting on new leaves. I can get new ones if I have to. I think that I will get a couple more anyway.

Blue, I didn't plant my hots together with my sweets because I din't want them to cross. I probably wont save seeds though. Thanks for letting me know that I can plant them by each other.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
I save the seeds in the seed packet only and keep them in my refrigerator during the whole year. They are viable for several years that way, then I need to buy new packets.
 


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