Purple Bell pepper issue

[smokensqueal]

We bought a Purple Bell pepper plant from the stor this spring. It's still alive even though a few times it didn't look like it was going to make it but it hasn't grown over 16 or so inches and hasn't produced a single pepper. Any ideas on what might be the issue? Even if I can't salvage this one this year I would like to find out what the deal is so I can adjust for next year. On occation I've seen a white flower but they don't seem to stay around for long and it produces nothing.

[midnightbloom]

I grew purple peppers this year, I live in the same area as you, and My plants haven't grown much taller than a foot and a half , but they are producing peppers, unfortunately they're not getting very big

[mr_tumnas]

Where is it planted? Is it in soggy soil? It sounds to me that your plant is experiencing stress (it happens to the best of us.. ). This could be from conpacted soil (roots have trouble pushing through), soggy soil, climatic conditions, or simply lack of nutrients or water.

Are these leaves wilted or does it show any othe unusual signs?

[smokensqueal]

It's planted in a newly constructed raise garden bed. It was planted with compost and the soil shouldn't be compacted. The tag said to keep moist so I keep it watered but I don't soak it but it did have a few very soaking rains. Some leaves looked a bit wilted but most look very nice. At one time I did have quite a few on the lower part just fall off even though they looked fine.

[dinker]

Hello neighbor I'm from ks not far from Olathe
Do you use a fertilizer? Sound's to me like to much nitrogen.

[smokensqueal]

For me no fertilizer just compost.

[tkharper2]

I am in KY (zone 6b) and have 2 lilac pepper plants. One grew about 1-1/2 feet tall, the other a little smaller (and that plant isn't producing much at all). The taller plant produced 4-5 beautiful, normal sized fruits. I was excited to see numerous blooms on the plant and eagerly awaited another flush of fruits. It is now only producing half-sized fruits which progress rapidly from the ivory color to purple, without getting large. The small fruits are not nearly as sweet tasting either. I have harvested 5-6 of them, and there are probably 5-6 small fruits on the plant now.

Anyone have any ideas? I know I haven't fertilized much. They are planted in raised beds, in topsoil mixed with a generous amount of peat and compost.

[brewerjamie15]

I'm in zone 5, and it's starting to cool off here. We've had a pretty dry summer, but I watered regularly, had some pretty good soil, used no chemical ferts, but I too had problems.
I'm growing Marconi Red peppers and Red Bell Peppers.
Last season my peppers did poorly. I had chocolate bell and some other type. Cross breeding was not a concern for me at all.
This season is pretty much the same as last season. Plants hit around 2-3' tall, produce very little fruit (were supposed to be prolific) and I lose a pepper or two because of rot or whatever.

It has been bugging me that the peppers seem to be a "fruitless labor" taking garden space and my hopes of a harvest that could be given elsewhere. I hope to figure this out in the off season as it's concerning me to the point that I'm thinking that next year I won't have any pepper plants. I'd like to have peppers in the garden, but not like I've been getting.

edit:
Oddly enough now that it's getting cold out here in south east WI., my pepper plants have a ton of blooms. I thought they were hot weather lovers????

[brewerjamie15]

Smokinsqueal-

I looked up the problems common to pepper plants in my Ortho Problem Solver (7th ed.).
From what you describe, you could very well be experiencing (as could several of us)
BLOSSOM DROP
If your plants contract blossom drop, you will likely see very little or even no fruit development, mis-shaped fruits or fruits with a leathery or rough skin.
Often times the plant itself will remain lush or vigorous.
Temperature fluctuations are often credited with introducing blossom drop. Improper fertilizer levels (most likely my problem) can be a catalyst for this phenomenon as well.
It may not be too late to save your current plants since temps should be evening out for fall. Try an A.P. Fert to get things running smoothly again.

[smokensqueal]

Thanks for the info. The other day we had a heavy rain and the plant actually grew and has some larger flowers on it. I'm going to keep trying.

Do you know if you have to have more then one pepper plant to produce fruit? To help it pollinate can I do the paint brush thing?

The kids and I were joking around and might try to bring it indoors for the fall and keep trying. It's kind of a challange and I would like to get at least one pepper from it.

[smokensqueal]

ssshh I don't want to say it to loud but last night I saw a pepper. Not sure what the deal was but it doesn't matter as long as I get one pepper.

I still might bring it in over winter to see what it does just because it's so small.

[mhroman]

About purple peppers, I bought the Pinto Noir variety from Burpee's. I'd never grown purple before and expected the flesh to be purple, but only the skin is. The inner fless is light green. Does this sound right or are the peppers just not ripe? Thanks for your help.

[stella1751]

Several years ago, I started way too many hot pepper seedlings. I had to give some away to a friend with excellent soil, soil she composts like mad. My peppers, grown in what was then a heavy chalky soil, were incredibly prolific, producing dozens of peppers per plant. The plants didn't get large, but they sure produced!

My friend never got so much as a single blossom from hers. I always suspected her soil was too good for peppers, too rich and too high in nitrogen. Sometimes bad is good for peppers

[kgall]

I planted three bell peppers..Two green and one yellow. Unfortunately it rained almost the entire month of June. All of the blossoms fell off and the leaves all turned yellow. About a week ago I was going to pull them out and I saw that they are growing again! I really am hoping for some peppers! I just hope there is time!

[Diane]

I planted three bell peppers..Two green and one yellow. Unfortunately it rained almost the entire month of June. All of the blossoms fell off and the leaves all turned yellow. About a week ago I was going to pull them out and I saw that they are growing again! I really am hoping for some peppers! I just hope there is time!

Peppers are always a problem for me. But I decided to do everything I could to grow them.
Raised bed with new soil, manure, humus and compost. With all the rain the slugs ate them to nubs.
Within one week of little rain and some killing of slugs, my peppers are making a huge come back. They even have buds!!
A burpee plant that is planted in another area has been very slow. Now it has 6 small peppers on it after constant blossom drop. I placed a pot of flowers next to it so the bees could find those white flowers.

Two plants in a pot of MG and compost are doing great after a slow start.
Once I showered the plants with some epsom salt and that helped the light green color to become more green.
I also gave them all one feeding of acid fertilizer.
I said I would try everything.
They move fast when they do move.

[pepper4]

mhroman, yes I think it is normal for just the skin to be purple and inside green. At least mine were. I also found when if you cook them even the skin turns green. I too haven't had much luck with my peppers this year. I got 1 good sized green bell and the rest of them stayed really small. I planted hungarian, bananna, purple, red, yellow and green bell. Some are in containers and some in the ground. Neither produced much. Oh well maybe next year.

[mhroman]

Thanks pepper4. I guess that puts the kybosh on my colorful pepper jelly collection entry at the local fair. I need 5, but only have four. And purple would have looked so cool!