Questions on Growing a Pepper Garden

[anchordown]

A few quick questions: I'm new to this, so be kind.

I purchased some pepper starter plants this year, because last year I tried seeds and insects devoured the baby plants overnight.

The guy from "Bonnie" plants, was stocking home depot so I picked his brain for a bit, and he suggested removing the flowers because "you want the plant spending its energy growing up and out, not flowering".

My questions:
The actual peppers come from the pollinated flowers once they have bloomed and fallen off...

So, at what point do I stop picking the flowers off?

If you suspect a fungus of some kind, what's the safest/most effective spray for vegetables?

Thanks for the insight.
DZ

[razyrsharpe]

some plants will blossom extremely early...while the plant is very small. when this happens, the plant puts all energy to blossom/fruit production, and not to stem/leaf production or so I have read. the idea is to allow the plant to grow large and strong before allowing fruit production. exactly how big to let them grow is up to you. you don't even have to pinch any buds. but a larger, stronger plant can produce more and bigger fruit. so pick one.

[cynthia_h]

If you suspect a fungus of some kind, what's the safest/most effective spray for vegetables?

If I suspect a fungus but can't identify it, I take either the plant or a "sample leaf" to my local independent nursery/garden supply store (NOT Home Depot etc.) and ask for their help. I have two that I go to near here. Both tend toward the organic school of problem-solving, so I feel confident that I'll be comfortable with their advice.

Have you asked local professionals for help w/the suspected fungus?

Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[petalfuzz]

This is from Jerry Baker's book, "Terrific tomatoes, sensational spuds, and mouth-watering melons"

Fungus Fighter Tonic
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 gal warm water

Mix first 3 ingredients into a paste. Place the mixture into the toe of an old stocking (panty hose), and steep it in 1 gal warm water for several hours. Remove stocking. Spray on your plants every 2 weeks throughout the growing season.

Another tip about fungus is that it spreads easily on tools or clothing if you garden after a rain. So stay out of the garden until the foliage is dry.

[anchordown]

Some of the starter pepper plants I purchased have been in the ground a month and don't seem to be getting any bigger, while others are doing well.

They aren't "dying" perse, but seem frozen in time.

Suggestions?

DZ

[DARK505]

What soil mixture did you use? Was it previously used for anything else? Are you using any fertilizers (and if so what)? How often are you watering? Are ALL of yours not growing or just some faster than others?
What kind of peppers (just curious)

Some of my peppers grew way faster than others, so I have some that are about 18 inches+ and the ones next to it (planted at same time) has just started growing and are only 6 inches... so I'm by far no expert, but could hopefully help somehow lol

[anchordown]

It is a mix of the clay-like soil we have here in western NV, and organic vegtable soil from home depot. I am watering on mini shrub sprinklers for 20 min 3x a week.

My red and green bells are growing much faster than my cayenne and habanero. Those are pretty much the same size as the day I bought them almost 6 weeks ago.

P.S. I can not for the life of me keep the aphids off of my plants/peppers. Dish soap and water kills the few on top of the leaves but most of them are underneath. I went through and blasted most of them off with water yesterday, and today they are back. I also bought 500 ladybugs and they made one pass and pretty much left.

DZ

[DARK505]

I'm not sure how hot it is where you are but I'm having to water 2x a day due to the intense heat...
Have you tested the soil for nutrient levels?
Any fertilizers besides the original soil?

I'm using Foxfarms fertilizers (besides the compost/soil mix) and it seems to have helped alot. My cayenne are growing faster than my habaneros are, my habaneros have only grown a little bit from when I bought them (also about 6 weeks ago) but are showing signs of growth so far. (see my new thread for pics)

I also bought some ladybugs and ive seen maybe 5 since I released them 4 days ago.... well someone wont have to pay for ladybugs this year.... I am trying praying mantis this year to see if that helps but I don't have any signs of bugs (besides my one tomato plant chopped at the base... errrrr) and hopefully if/when I get aphids my manti will be ready for them haha.

Last year I tried my own concoction to get rid of aphids and I think it worked pretty well... I used the standard bit o dish soap and water but with a twist. I took some cayenne peppers that I had, crushed em up and let them soak in the soap/water mix for a few days, shaking it up every once in a while and it seemed to work...

[anchordown]

whats the best way to test the soil? buy a kit or find someplace locally> I'm in reno, nv.

dz

[DARK505]

You can find soil testers at most nurseries. as long as you know whats in your soil you can adjust from there

[damethod]

I spray Liquid Copper Fungicide on my fruit trees and have sprayed them on my peppers in the past. It brought my mango tree back to life..so, I swear by it. You can find it at your local home depot. It's in the section where they have the pesticides.(Pint sized white bottle with a green label)

[Mommagreen]

I have a quick question to add to this discussion.

My two largest pepper plants are maybe a foot tall, if that. The thing is that they are not getting bigger or so it seems. They are already flowering and have fruits on them.

Will pruning help or is it too late?

[DARK505]

My two largest pepper plants are maybe a foot tall, if that. The thing is that they are not getting bigger or so it seems. They are already flowering and have fruits on them.

Will pruning help or is it too late?

I had a similar question about my jalapeno plants and the best suggestion I got (which seems to have helped so far) is to pick the peppers before they are full grown since if you pluck the flowers/buds the plant will still spend the same amount of energy growing new ones. Keep in mind this was regarding a jalapeno pepper, I don't think I would pick my chili peppers since they arent really very usable when undergrown

[anchordown]

that makes sense. with peppers, how do you tell the difference between over and under watering?

[DARK505]

Good question, so far ive only had signs of under-watering so I really cant say from experience what over-watering does. Under-watered plants look droopy and unhappy, blossoms shed, smaller peppers, and blossom-end rot/dry rot on the tips of peppers as well