Jalapeno help =-)

[likenew]

Hiya, first post obviously!

This is my first year of trying to grow a garden, they are in pots since I live in an upstairs apartment.

I planted them all indoors first since the winter lasted so long, and have also long since put them outside. I water daily due to the heat, and have started using fertilizer as some leaves on some plants were turning yellow and dying. Well, my stronger jalapeno plant has grown lots of baby ball bearing sized peppers, 4 balls per section, probably 20 sections! They started out green, and haven't grown much, not even 1cm in diameter I believe. Now the ball bearing sized peppers have mostly all turned black, and have started to fall off.

Any idea what is going on? Is this something that happens in first year pepper plants?

[hendi_alex]

They should be making peppers. All that I can say it that the plants seem not to be happy. You could be overwatering, be sure to stick your finger or a moisture meter down into the soil and make sure that it has dried somewhat before watering again. My plants are watered twice per day and are in three gallon containers, but the plants are quite large and the temperatures have been 92-102 for most of the summer.

Do you keep bottom trays under your plants? Sometimes their holding water will cause the soil to sour and roots to rot in a potted plant. All of my potting soil is blended with perlite to allow for more oxygen in the soil and to for better drainage. Are you sure that the flowers got pollinated? It would be quite common when not pollinated for the flowers to drop without fruit set or perhaps for the tiny immature fruit to drop. I would suggest that you experiment with the pot size, the soil, with watering, with fertilizer, and with sunlight exposure until the plants perk up and look happy with nice green leave and vigorous growth. If you achieve that then maturing peppers are sure to follow. If however poor pollination is the problem, then you may need to assist the plants. I would guess that peppers are pollinated mostly by wind, so gently tapping can help. Also, you could take a Q-tip or other device and touch from flower to flower such that pollen gets exchanged. You may want to google pollination issues related to peppers in order to get more information on that.

[likenew]

I'll post pics in a little while, after I get home later. But the flowers have all turned to the little round jalapenos, so there shouldn't be anything left to pollinate? I do not have anything under the pot, though looking under, the holes were covered in dry soil. I do have the big middle hole on top of the space between wood planks on my balcony, and the four smaller holes should have enough space to drip out if needed too.

I stopped counting at 82 little round jalapenos, the smallest ones are still green, and like I said the biggest are no more than a centimeter in diameter and have turned black. I opened one of the ones that fell off, and it looked more purple. Lots of seeds in it too, though I don't think that matters much =-). They definitely have been dry, if I don't water by 10am the leaves get droopy in the heat and sun, but perk right up after watering. And the fertilizer I started using a week ago is "Connoisseur - ultra premium two part bloom fertilizer - part a", have not used part b though. And again, only for the last week.

Pics will be posted tonight, of the plant and one of a black pepper ball that fell off.

Thanks! =-)

[likenew]

Lets see if this works! Above is the plant, below is the pepper




Awesome worked! Anyway, plant pic was taken before watering for the day too.

[hendi_alex]

The plants do look healthy! You problem is a typical one. The plant was not true to label. This is some kind of cherry pepper, and the mature fruit is likely black in color. Such is true for some bell peppers as well, where the mature fruit is black. Jalapenos start out with a moderate to somewhat pointed fruit form which grow into the same general shape of a jalapeno. Some are a bid fatter. Different varieties have various traits of hotness, wall thickness, size, etc. but all are shaped more or less like a jalapeno.

On second look, I'm not even sure that the plant in the photo is a pepper. It seems to have pepper like branching, but the leaves don't look exactly right. Perhaps start a new thread with photo - [please help me I.d. this plant].

[jal_ut]

I think hendi_alex is right. Your plant was mislabeled. I can't tell what it is either. Did you taste that berry?

Huckleberry?

Welcome to the forum.

[mmmfloorpie]

Lol, that's actually kinda cool!

[likenew]

I think I shall repost then =-)

Just tried one, was a wuss before and didn't want to haha! Taste is rather mild...very very mild sweetness to it. Not bitter at all, doesn't really taste like anything I've had before.

Thanks for the help =-)