No Peppers!

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golddog Western, PA(Zone 6a) Jul 24, 2002

In haste to encourage my pepper plants to grow, I over fertilized, and at the wrong time. Wonderful growth, but no flowers. Any tips on when to fertilize would be appreciated.

Post #37041
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dsrtgdn Lancaster, CA Jul 24, 2002

If the pepper plants are unlucky that year and have to grow in one of the newer (less amended) beds, I put a bit of organic fertilizer in the planting hole at transplant. That's seems to be all they need.

Chris

This message was edited Tuesday, Jul 23rd 10:52 PM

Post #310051
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melody Benton, KY(Zone 7a) Jul 24, 2002

I find my peppers do best with minimal fertilizer.I put a scoop of compost in the hole at transplanting and give them a couple shots of manure tea over the growing season.They happily produce till frost kills them. In my opinion,peppers do best when slightly stressed anyway. But I mean_slightly_.I sometimes let them wilt down a little in the afternoon(not hard to do in 100* heat)I think this makes them hotter. Commercial growers will sometimes flood fields a day or two before harvest to build heat.

For sweet peppers,plenty of water is best.It builds good thick walls that give that juicy crunch.I still prefer to hold the fertilizer to a minimum.

It sounds like you had too much nitrogen in whatever you were using.It promotes lots of foliage growth,but very little fruiting.

Post #310057
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golddog Western, PA(Zone 6a) Jul 27, 2002

Today I took inventory of my soon to be pepper supply. No, I didn't have a calculator in hand, nor did I need one. It looks like 2 peppers for 4 plants. That's 1/2 pepper/plant. Next season I must lay off the fertilizer.

Post #312690
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dsrtgdn Lancaster, CA Jul 28, 2002

Don't feel bad at all golddog. You've reminded me of the year I learned that...even tho peppers and tomatos are in the same family....they do NOT have the same water requirements.

My peppers would wilt so I'd water the entire garden. The major problem with that was watery tomatos. Very little flavor that year in them at all. It took me a while and some gentle and then ungentle hints from friends before I got a clue but now I know.

Peppers root systems are closer to the soil surface than maters. SO they feel the heat more.

I learn of something to change every single year.

Post #313318
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