Yay for indoor peppers :)

[csvd87]

My Filius Blue pepper plant that I started from seed some time in June is sitting next to my computer monitor under a fluorescent desk lamp, it is now flowering and even has 1 pepper growing.

[csvd87]

Here are some photos:

[stella1751]

Wow, csvd87! That is a gorgeous pepper flower. It looks like a houseplant. I had to look it up online, never having heard of that kind before. Cool. You'll have to post peppers when they are blue. How odd is that?

[csvd87]

They are supposed to be a purpley-blue, but it will be neat when there is that mixed with yellow and red. Hopefully it will continue to produce, it never dips below 65 in my house, and it is under a light.

My Black Pearl pepper is next to it, but it is at least 20 to 40 days away from maturity. Also, its not looking like a black pearl, but maybe it needs more heat/sun to get the foliage nice and black.

[crobi13]

How do you get it pollinated?

[garden5]

Pepper flowers, like tomatoes (they are of the same family) are what is called "perfect". This means that, among other things, they have both male (stamen) and female (pistil) parts on the same flower. In short, the flowers are self-pollinating. All you have to do to pollinate the pepper flowers is just tap them a few time with your finger.

[csvd87]

Aren't they great garden5? guess you could do it with eggplant too... although you would need to find a dwarf variety or keep the eggplant well pruned.

[Hispoptart]

That plant is really pretty, great job!

[garden5]

CS, have you been giving your plant any fertilizer?

[csvd87]

Thanks Hispoptart

Garden5, yes, every once in a while i will give it a watering with MG's Tomato Fertilizer(because it has less nitrogen than the all purpose, having pretty good success with it so far, but will probably go with something a little less potent when I run out) and i'll mist it with an epsom salt solution.

[gixxerific]

Nice plant, that thing is looking great especially for just being under a desk light.

Good job, I agree you need to post some pics of those blue peppers when they are ready.

[garden5]

OK, now, I noticed that you said you kept it under a light. I'm wondering how well a plant would over-winter without supplemental light, just whatever comes through the window.

[gixxerific]

I was looking out at some pepper plants I have in pots OUTSIDE and thought about you. I have a few that are 1/3 that size. You could take off a stem of that one and that would blow mine away.

What is the secret, c'mon you can tell us.

[csvd87]

If I knew the secret I would tell you, but this is my first year, maybe I'm some sort of guru. I started it in a 4 inch pot under a 100w fluorescent CFL in a foil lined cardboard box with a hole in the side for the lamp to poke through. it was under 24h light.. and has been ever since i sowed it.

I really believe in using the lights to help pepper seeds germinate, ever since reading somegeek's thread, it only takes about 6 days tops for most pepper seeds, and that is using Miracle Grow's Seed Starting Mix. other than the MG Tomato Fertilizer there is some Worm Castings in the potting mix i used, which i don't know where to find anymore since the bag was like 10 years old or something.

[garden5]

AHA! I'll bet it's the worm castings. I can remember a thread where a member (DV?) did and experiment with seedlings and found that having some WC in with the mix made those seedlings grow way better than any others.

....Or, it could just be beginner's luck .

Either way, you're doing a great job with the pepper plant. I'll have to try your
"germinating under lights" next year.

[thyme2garden]

Wow, that is one healthy looking pepper plant, and with gorgeous pepper blossoms, too!

I'm also a first year vegetable gardener this year, and have had my fair share of newbie mistakes. But this is how we learn, right?

My first attempt at trying to germinate pepper seeds indoors near a south-facing window was an utter failure. Some seeds did eventually germinate after a few weeks, but the seedlings were spindly and did not do well. I think it was just not warm enough in the house.

My next attempt was in our homemade indoor grow box (built from a used armoire). The pepper seeds all germinated within days, and the plants are growing really well, both in the grow box and also outside (I transplanted a few outside). So yes, I second the method of germinating and growing the seedlings under lights, at least until they get established somewhat.

I'm thinking about bringing in the outside pepper plants to overwinter indoors. It's good to know that they may have a chance at a perennial life with just a florescent desk light!

[garden5]

Wow, that is one healthy looking pepper plant, and with gorgeous pepper blossoms, too!

I'm also a first year vegetable gardener this year, and have had my fair share of newbie mistakes. But this is how we learn, right?

My first attempt at trying to germinate pepper seeds indoors near a south-facing window was an utter failure. Some seeds did eventually germinate after a few weeks, but the seedlings were spindly and did not do well. I think it was just not warm enough in the house.

My next attempt was in our homemade indoor grow box (built from a used armoire). The pepper seeds all germinated within days, and the plants are growing really well, both in the grow box and also outside (I transplanted a few outside). So yes, I second the method of germinating and growing the seedlings under lights, at least until they get established somewhat.

I'm thinking about bringing in the outside pepper plants to overwinter indoors. It's good to know that they may have a chance at a perennial life with just a florescent desk light!

I think this thread shows that they have more than just a chance. I'm glad I saw this because I was planning on overwintering some of my more unique peppers and was also wondering if it would be a total failure.

Now....if they can only survive the deer until then .

[csvd87]

I think this thread shows that they have more than just a chance. I'm glad I saw this because I was planning on overwintering some of my more unique peppers and was also wondering if it would be a total failure.

Now....if they can only survive the deer until then .

I know, deer suck, found this morning part of 1 of my cayenne plants was eaten, and most of my "Unknown Sweet Pepper"(way to label my stuff!)

Also, about 3 weeks ago the jerks ate basically my entire soy bean plant, thankfully i never plucked the cotyledons and it was able to send out a few more leaves... but just now are they coming out. I want an air rifle to pelt them with pellets to ward them off

[applestar]

Be on the look out for hornworms too. We've been trying to bring inside and observe their lifecycle (DD8's science project) with 3 caterpillars since the beginning of August. All three erupted with parasitic wasp larvae and had to be taken back outside. The 4th one finally matured to begin to pupate under showed up and shredded paper towel lining the container, and this guy I found feasting in my hot pepper bed!

[stella1751]

csvd87, I asked this question in another thread, but this appears to be a better place for it: What would you say are the ideal conditions for growing a pepper plant indoors?

I'm especially concerned about light: Can they survive under fluorescent lights alone, or do they need light from a window? I think I have a spot for them in the kitchen. It will mean leaving my portable dishwasher by the sink all winter long, but I can live with that. The plants will receive minimal light from the kitchen window, but that room is lighted by fluorescent lights. Do you think that will be enough?

[garden5]

csvd87, I asked this question in another thread, but this appears to be a better place for it: What would you say are the ideal conditions for growing a pepper plant indoors?

I'm especially concerned about light: Can they survive under fluorescent lights alone, or do they need light from a window? I think I have a spot for them in the kitchen. It will mean leaving my portable dishwasher by the sink all winter long, but I can live with that. The plants will receive minimal light from the kitchen window, but that room is lighted by fluorescent lights. Do you think that will be enough?

I think that fluorescents alone will work, though it's probably a good idea to have one "cool" bulb and one "warm" bulb (I'm referring to the light spectrum, here). As it is said that light in the "warm" spectrum stimulates flowering and fruiting whereas the "cool" light stimulates vegetative (leaves, stems, etc.) growth.

You can tell if the bulbs give off light from the "cool" or "warm" spectrum by looking at the package.

[csvd87]

Well mine haven't been near sunlight at all, only under the fluorescent. but it has been nice and warm for them, rarely over 90. It is a 27W bulb, don't know the lumens though...

[garden5]

Well mine haven't been near sunlight at all, only under the fluorescent. but it has been nice and warm for them, rarely over 90. It is a 27W bulb, don't know the lumens though...

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's cool-spectrum. When it is lit, does it give off a "blueish" light or a warmer light? Desk lights are usually blue-spectrum, though the fact that it's fruiting makes me wonder if it isn't full-spectrum .

[csvd87]

Well if i stare at it its blueish.. then goes kinda purple but seriously its blue.

I need to get off my butt and finish my grow table in my garage. shoulda done it yesterday... wood was dry.

[stella1751]

If my plants make it through tonight's threatened freeze, I think I will experiment. I have three potential locations and three plants. One could go into the kitchen, under what Garden5 would probably call "warm" spectrum light (no blue) and little direct sunlight; another might be squeezed onto my desktop (a stretch) with one of those curly-fry light bulbs in the ceiling and lots of eastern sun; and another could go in the basement under my grow light with weak, almost non-existant natural light and temps in the 50's.

(In the Frankenchile thread, Soil said he prunes his down and sticks 'em in the greenhouse over the winter. He says they do just fine, that they go dormant. I imagine greenhouses have only diffused light in the winter, anyway.)

The most important one is the big producer, the one that's putting on enormous peppers like a house-afire. I think that one should go on my desk, but I'm not certain.

[garden5]

If my plants make it through tonight's threatened freeze, I think I will experiment. I have three potential locations and three plants. One could go into the kitchen, under what Garden5 would probably call "warm" spectrum light (no blue) and little direct sunlight; another might be squeezed onto my desktop (a stretch) with one of those curly-fry light bulbs in the ceiling and lots of eastern sun; and another could go in the basement under my grow light with weak, almost non-existant natural light and temps in the 50's.

(In the Frankenchile thread, Soil said he prunes his down and sticks 'em in the greenhouse over the winter. He says they do just fine, that they go dormant. I imagine greenhouses have only diffused light in the winter, anyway.)

The most important one is the big producer, the one that's putting on enormous peppers like a house-afire. I think that one should go on my desk, but I'm not certain.

Hmm, I'd say in the basement, under the lights, for the big producer, but your basement sounds pretty cool, not necessarily what pepper like.

I'm going to have to say you are right about putting it on the desk. That "curly fry" lightbulb is a CFL, just like the ones you grow plants under (OK, it looks different). If you could, perhaps get a dedicated desk lamp that uses one of these CFL bulbs and use it only for the plant. That would be idea. You said that the bulb it will be getting light from is in the ceiling, which means that it will probably be pretty far from the plant, which means that it really won't benefit the plant much at all.

The intensity of light reduces at the inverse square of its distance from an object, meaning if you move a light 2 times as far away, it becomes 4 times as week.

Eh, I'm splitting hairs. Just go for it and I'm sure it will work.

[csvd87]

The light only need to be on them for 10 to 16 hours a day, not 24... I'm just too cheap to buy a timer... i would probably also have to buy another powerbar just for said timer. That will all go in my garage... it will be a small setup, unless i feel like building another table.

[csvd87]

My first filius blue is about the size of a raisin now yay the next behind it is about the size of cucumber seed

[stella1751]

How fun for you to watch them grow while you work at your desk!

[stella1751]

I'm going to have to say you are right about putting it on the desk. That "curly fry" lightbulb is a CFL, just like the ones you grow plants under (OK, it looks different). If you could, perhaps get a dedicated desk lamp that uses one of these CFL bulbs and use it only for the plant. That would be idea. You said that the bulb it will be getting light from is in the ceiling, which means that it will probably be pretty far from the plant, which means that it really won't benefit the plant much at all.

The intensity of light reduces at the inverse square of its distance from an object, meaning if you move a light 2 times as far away, it becomes 4 times as week.

Eh, I'm splitting hairs. Just go for it and I'm sure it will work.

Garden5, I found this especially informative and interesting. Thanks!

[csvd87]

well i managed to overwater my plant (forgot to drain the dish under the pot) and it aborted pretty close to all its leaves and flowers in order to save the peppers it had on it growing... or at least thats what I'm thinking happened/is going on...

[stella1751]

Oh no! Will you be able to save the plant, or is it a goner?

[csvd87]

it'll survive, peppers are survivors. had an almost dead sweet cayenne, with all the leaves browing on the tips, slowly day after day i was plucking all the browning leaves, and it came back from near death and it is LOADED with peppers, 1 being at about 6 to 7" (supposed to get to 12") same goes for my banana pepper plant, almost dead, but it has a few growing.

I also overwatered my black pearl, but again, it'll be fine, all its small green new growth was fine, didn't fall off, this was happening with my Okra i had growing outside in a container, it was dying and shedding all its leaves, i brought it inside about a week ago and it is making a comeback, i figured it was dead, so i planted a few kidney beans in the container as an experiment (bought from bulk bin at grocery store) 1 is up, about 4 inches tall..

[stella1751]

One of the things I most love about peppers is that they prefer harsher survival conditions than my other plants. If you could see the tattered leaves on my peppers, you would be horrified. The winds up here can gust up to 60 MPH for two or even three days in a row. I'll watch the peppers from my office window, their leaves flapping and their branches paralleling the ground. Once the wind is done, they go back to business as usual, never refusing to set fruit, no matter how cold or how hot it gets, and adding new growth daily, despite our winds. They are a wonderful plant to watch grow!

I think I overwatered mine, maybe three weeks ago. Peppers would rather be thirsty than bloated. I know this. However, I wanted to make sure Frankenchile wanted for nothing, so I over-nurtured. One of the Habaneros couldn't take it. Its leaves got flat and dark, and it started to wilt. There was no mottling or lesions on the leaves; it wasn't ill. Just in case it was some odd disease I hadn't yet seen, I pulled it up. I could see by the roots, which were tannish, not clean and white, that I'd seriously blown it.

I didn't water the peppers for ten days after that. Each day, I dug my hand down deep into the soil where I'd pulled the one Habanero, and it was still moist. Yeesh! I was dying to water them, do something for them, but that particular bed really retains moisture! The best thing I could do, given my error, was to let them get a little thirsty so they'd send out fresh, new roots for water.

Finally, today, I started watering them again. The way they are responding, I may have gone a day too long. Better to underwater than to overwater, though. They're looking pretty pleased with themselves now

[garden5]

Stella, I'm glad my post about the pepper lighting helped you out.

That's really good info you gave about peppers preferring it to be too dry rather than too wet. About those pepper roots, I'm assuming that if the roots are tan, than there's too much water present; if they're white, everything is fine?

Now that I think about it, peppers are resilient. While many of my toms are languishing in the cool weather and being slow to put on fruit, my peppers are setting fruit just like it was July.

[stella1751]

Tan roots mean an unhealthy plant. It could be disease, but I ruled that out because it didn't manifest any recognizable symptoms and no other plants were affected. It could be a nutritional imbalance, too, which is possible, because even though I stir my compost tea prior to distributing it, this one could have gotten an especially strong dose of something. I wondered about root predation, but I didn't see any evidence on the roots.

I made an educated guess based upon the degree of moisture in the soil. Oh. Its position in the bed, as the end plant in the middle row, may have made it more susceptible to over-watering. I think it was over-watering, mostly because it took ten days for the soil to begin to dry, despite highs in the 70's and 80's. I think my second guess would be nutritional imbalance, though

I had a thought while writing this: Why don't container manufacturers make clear pots for houseplants? Then a person could monitor root health. Is it because the roots can't bear any kind of light?

[applestar]

Green -- sometimes black or brown -- algae grow on the interior surface and soon obscures the view.