Bell peppers are my favorite vegetable; however, I can never get my plants to produce. I think it is my nasty clay soil. Hopefully this year I have amended it enough to get some fruit.
Last season I got maybe three decent peppers (from six plants) and then a few of my plants just died overnight for no apparent reason and the others never produced any peppers bigger than a golf ball. Some of them would ripen all red but be about the size of a marble.
I always use drip irrigation on a timer, so water is not the issue. Oh well. I have heard from local gardeners that if I can just keep them alive through the summer they will produce much better in the fall...
That sounds like the trouble I was having. Did you start from seed, or buy starter plants? I found that my best solution was to start from seed, the plants take longer to grow, but they actually grow ;DBrant wrote:Bell peppers are my favorite vegetable; however, I can never get my plants to produce. I think it is my nasty clay soil. Hopefully this year I have amended it enough to get some fruit.
Last season I got maybe three decent peppers (from six plants) and then a few of my plants just died overnight for no apparent reason and the others never produced any peppers bigger than a golf ball. Some of them would ripen all red but be about the size of a marble.
I always use drip irrigation on a timer, so water is not the issue. Oh well. I have heard from local gardeners that if I can just keep them alive through the summer they will produce much better in the fall...
I also found that planting my bell peppers in containers have been a huge help, instead of in the ground. Get a 20gallon container from home depot, drill drainage holes in the bottom, get a bag or 2 of soil and plant the little pepper in the container.
Yeah, I did start them from seed. The giant containers are a good idea, I might try that this season too. I have a feeling it is a mix of poor quality soil and too much heat.SPierce wrote:
That sounds like the trouble I was having. Did you start from seed, or buy starter plants? I found that my best solution was to start from seed, the plants take longer to grow, but they actually grow ;D
I have the soil issue too- definately no heat issue here! Try the larger container, I did that with my one bell pepper plant and- though it grew slowly- it worked out great! I also sprayed it with the fish emulsion mix (water + the fish goo) and I think that helped too.Brant wrote:Yeah, I did start them from seed. The giant containers are a good idea, I might try that this season too. I have a feeling it is a mix of poor quality soil and too much heat.SPierce wrote:
That sounds like the trouble I was having. Did you start from seed, or buy starter plants? I found that my best solution was to start from seed, the plants take longer to grow, but they actually grow ;D
- PunkRotten
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I got some new seeds today called Bulgarian Carrot pepper. I am not sure I have an available pot for it. Will have to do some inventory. The thing is I will have about 5-6 plants for only myself. That is a lot of peppers. Last year I had serranos and I got so many of them. I wanna experiment with making different salsas; combining different tomatoes and peppers and seeing what kind of flavors I get. I also figure I could pickle a bunch of peppers if it gets out of hand.
- !potatoes!
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Just made some with my left over habaneros, cayennes and a ghost pepper. Also just got about 15-20 ghost peppers and dried them out, I'll be making a powder with them tomorrow.!potatoes! wrote:two words: hot sauce.
The plants are doing well though, getting new growth to fill in some of the lost leaves and branches; still a bunch of new peppers on the branches as well.
Second year gardener but this is what I'm growing for peppers this year. Kind of got on a pepper kick lol.
Hots/milds that have germinated and are under lights:
Aji Lemon Drop, Aji Limon, Aji Orange, Aji Panca, Anaheim, Bhut Jalokia, Big Jim, Biker Billy, Cayenne Long Thin, Charleston, Chimayo, Donne Solie, Dorset Naga, Fish, Fresno, Jalapeno M, Joe E. Parker, Long Bird, Pequin, PI653748, Red Habanero, Ring of Fire Cayenne, Serrano, Orange Habanero, Uba Tuba, Trinidad Scorpion, Whippet's Tail.
Sweets that I'll be starting next weekend:
Ashe County Pimiento, California Wonder, Corno di Toro Rosso, Garden Leader Monster Bell, Quadrato Rosso D'Asti, Red Marconi, Sweet Banana.
Hots/milds that have germinated and are under lights:
Aji Lemon Drop, Aji Limon, Aji Orange, Aji Panca, Anaheim, Bhut Jalokia, Big Jim, Biker Billy, Cayenne Long Thin, Charleston, Chimayo, Donne Solie, Dorset Naga, Fish, Fresno, Jalapeno M, Joe E. Parker, Long Bird, Pequin, PI653748, Red Habanero, Ring of Fire Cayenne, Serrano, Orange Habanero, Uba Tuba, Trinidad Scorpion, Whippet's Tail.
Sweets that I'll be starting next weekend:
Ashe County Pimiento, California Wonder, Corno di Toro Rosso, Garden Leader Monster Bell, Quadrato Rosso D'Asti, Red Marconi, Sweet Banana.
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