Some peppers producing flowers buds too soon

[PunkRotten]

Hi,

I have a few peppers under some lights right now. All are around 4-6 inches at the most. I noticed on atleast 2 of them they are starting to grow flowers. And the thing is they have maybe only like 3-4 sets of leaves. Plants are not even 2 months old.


I know the best thing to do is pinch off the flowers. But why are they producing them so fast? The soil is basic potting soil, which I added a pinch of organic 4-4-4 fertilizer and a pinch of azomite. Lights on about 12-14 hours daily and are T8 daylight bulbs.

[rainbowgardener]

It's okay; it's what they do. My pepper plants that are hardening off have little baby peppers. If it is still awhile before you can plant yours, you can pinch the flowers. If you will be able to put them in the ground soon, you can leave them and they will be your early peppers.

[Tonio]

pinch if you want.

Wait, are you talking bell or chile? PR, I thought you grew chile, and not bells?

With chile: I tested a v. , few pinched and a few unpinched, and it doesn't seem to matter. They will drop the flowers if they are not ready. They will drop flowers if there is some set/fruiting. The type and growing conditions would effect the response.

Not sure on bell's, I haven't grown bells for a few years.

[PunkRotten]

One is a pepperoncini and the other is a chocolate bell.

[applestar]

Generaly, I think in most cases, the blossoms will not set or peppers will drop the premature fruits if stressed. (Prolonged stress seems to kick in a biological imperative and the plant will try to mature whatever little fruit it can pour the last bit of energy into.).

On the other hand, if you are in a temperate winter area with a long growing season or where you can easily overwinter them though, preventing them from fruiting in the beginning to concentrate on foliage growth may be a good idea.

I think TZ once posted that it takes 50-55 days (hmm... Does that seem lomg?) from blossom to mature into a vine-ripe fruit for tomato. I wonder how long it takes for peppers?

[PunkRotten]

I sprayed some fish fertilizer on my tomatoes and peppers at like less then 1/4 strength. I sprayed just the foliage. Came home and all of them have droopy curved leaves. Today most of the tomatoes seemed to have rebounded but the peppers still look sad. And the thing that is worrying me is 2 of the worse are the ones I am most looking forward to and have no spare plants like I do the others.

BTW the flowers are growing on most of the peppers now. I may pinch some back and may leave some on some of the others. I think I am gonna take 1 of my tomato plants out today to start hardening off. I have a green zebra that looks super. It is the only one that has flawless leaves and growth. Plus I am gonna grow it in an 8 gallon pot.

[littlekrb]

I have a similar question. My pepper plants are 9-10 inches tall. I transplanted them 10 days ago. They already have pea sized peppers that sprouted. I don't remember ever seeing the blossoms but I did go out of town last weekend and we had several days of rain so there were a couple days I didn't go down and check on them. Should I be pinching those off? I had extremely unproductive plants last year, and I'm not sure if that's because of record heat or novice mistakes. Either way I don't want it happening again. What to do?

[littlekrb]

Anyone?

[rainbowgardener]

I thought the question was already answered.

"It's okay; it's what they do. My pepper plants that are hardening off have little baby peppers. "

Just leave them alone. If the plant can't support producing peppers yet, they will drop off as applestar said. Otherwise they will be your first peppers.

[OROZCONLECHE]

You don't think the pot might be too small, when the plant its pretty rootbound it let's the pepper know its time to produce flowers.

[Ohio Tiller]

Leave it the small early peppers taste the best they have a sweetness to them. They tend to be smaller but as my wife says they are the best she ever ate.