Balr14
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Another pepper plant problem

I do container gardening in Wisconsin. I've got about 15 containers, I'd say at least 40 gallons each. I have planted tomatoes, a variety of herbs, lettuces, cucumbers, beans and peas. I also have 3 containers of bell peppers, banana peppers and habenaros. Everything is doing great except the peppers. I have already harvested the peas and beans and most of the lettuce and am working on the seccond planting. I have at least 40 cucs and 150 tomatoes growing. On the whole, things are growing a little slower than last year. Except the peppers.

Most of my pepper plants are short, most have leaves that are curling, most have peppers growing and the plants aren't big enough to support them. The peppers are stunted and some are turning black (banana peppers). I've got some pepper plants where the leaves have brown edges.

I was told to dump coffee grounds around the base of the pepper plants. I'm wonderign if this is my problem. We have also had crappy weather for growing anything. One day over 80 degrees, most days are in the 60s, nights in the 50s, lots of overcast days with not a lot of heat or sun. Last year it was much warmer and sunnier. Does this have a big effect on peppers? It doesn't seem to bother the other vegetables much, just slows them down a little.

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donworden
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One of the things I noticed with my peppers, I have them planted in the same area as my tomatoes... One of the peppers is getting massive amounts of sunlight, and the other was til today shaded by one of the toms. The one with the full sunlignt is almost double the size of the shaded one. So I went out and pruned the offending tom. Maybe the plants arent getting enough sunlight. (jmho fwiw)

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applestar
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According to my May notes for hardening off peppers: "Peppers - ideal daytime temp of 75°~85°F and night temp of 55°~65° F Max 100ºF"
So I'd say it's been too cold for your peppers. Can you give your peppers extra protection? I found in the spring time that you can get about 5º~10º increase in ambient temp when the planting area is surrounded with clear plastic. If fungus/mildew type problem is an issue, maybe raise the bottom of the plastic a few inches above the soil or cut vent slits? An outdoor max/min thermometer might be your best friend. Note the temperature IN SUNLIGHT as well, because right now, the sun's pretty strong compared to May (I'm basing my recommendation on experiences back in May.) In the morning, I've noticed that the window-stick outside dial thermometer on my back patio gets pinned at 120ºF as soon as the sun hits it, even though the in-shade temp on the front porch might be upper 60's.

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gixxerific
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It's been a bad year everywhere for peppers I believe. I keep hearing it on this forum and have seen it many places around my house. Mine didn't ever grow much bigger than when I planted them, and than died off. Couple people I know with green peppers are having fruit damn near bigger than the plant, but that's 1 or 2 fruit and that's it.

Good luck, it's just been a bad year, for a lot of people.

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Duh_Vinci
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donworden wrote:One of the things I noticed with my peppers, I have them planted in the same area as my tomatoes... One of the peppers is getting massive amounts of sunlight, and the other was til today shaded by one of the toms. The one with the full sunlignt is almost double the size of the shaded one. So I went out and pruned the offending tom. Maybe the plants arent getting enough sunlight. (jmho fwiw)
Exactly the same situation in two of my raised beds (other places - peppers doing fine). Pruned some lower leafs off the tomato plants (all bottom fruits are pretty much harvested anyway), immediate growth increase on the pepper plants, no more blossom drops and peppers getting colors!

I really think that peppers (specially sweet/bell varieties) are more light/warmth sensitive).

Good luck with your plants, wishing you and your garden the weather you need!

Regards,
D

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Diane
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applestar wrote:According to my May notes for hardening off peppers: "Peppers - ideal daytime temp of 75°~85°F and night temp of 55°~65° F Max 100ºF"
So I'd say it's been too cold for your peppers. Can you give your peppers extra protection? I found in the spring time that you can get about 5º~10º increase in ambient temp when the planting area is surrounded with clear plastic. If fungus/mildew type problem is an issue, maybe raise the bottom of the plastic a few inches above the soil or cut vent slits? An outdoor max/min thermometer might be your best friend. Note the temperature IN SUNLIGHT as well, because right now, the sun's pretty strong compared to May (I'm basing my recommendation on experiences back in May.) In the morning, I've noticed that the window-stick outside dial thermometer on my back patio gets pinned at 120ºF as soon as the sun hits it, even though the in-shade temp on the front porch might be upper 60's.
Someone told me to put plastic down then plant the peppers. It might have worked if the sluggs hadn't taken over because of all that rain we had.
My two potted peppers are doing the best. I put a 6 inch strip of plastic between the plants. It isn't touching the plants at all. I do notice roots growing under the plastic so I keep putting more soil on them.
This is the best a pepper plant has grown for me so far.

Balr14
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Thanks to everyone who replied. Sunlight is not a problem, well there's nothing blocking the sun, anyway. We just don't seem to be getting much. It's rained twice since May, less than an inch; but my containers all have 3" water reservoirs that get filled every other day.

Is it a good idea to NOT give them plant food, like Miracle Grow, or NOT spread coffee grounds around them? I can't help thinking this is a big part of the problem.

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Duh_Vinci
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Miracle Grow?

Well, I've started my garden with all intentions NOT to use any chemical fertilizers. And I'm glad I stuck to my decision. Neighbor (2 acres away) uses exactly the same compost mixture for the soil amendment as I do (we got it from the same nearby farm), but he does use the Blue stuff to fertilize his garden, I don't... And every time he sees me, "how the heck do your plants grow and produce, mine are not so much?" (specially Tomatoes and Peppers)

[img]https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i230/duhvinci/2009_garden/2009_07_23_peppers.jpg[/img]

All I use is fish based 4-3-3 fertilizer (soil fed every 3 weeks) every 2 weeks I pray the leafs with epsom salt solution (particularly when the new flowers emerging) and on alternate weeks foliar spray with kelp solution.

For containers, I use substitute liquid fertilizer for Jobes organic spikes 2-7-4 (since liquid washes away too fast imo), but foliar feed the same way as the ones in the ground and raised beds plants.

Try it, would not hurt - just one or two containers, just to see if results would be different :wink:

Consider checking some info on [url=https://www.pepperjoe.com/articles/five.html]Pepper Joe's Site - "thriving" and such[/url]

Regards,
D



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