Bell Peppers Started from seed still small...

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
Seedsower Franklin, WI(Zone 5a) May 07, 2005

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong this year?! My bell peppers I started from seed are the same 1" high (tall) since they germinated....weeks ago.

I'm fertilizing etc.

What's up with that?!

Thanks,
Sandy

Post #1453779
Quote
cottonpicker Audubon, PA(Zone 6b) May 07, 2005

Are they warm enough? Plenty of light??

LD

Post #1453855
Quote
Seedsower Franklin, WI(Zone 5a) May 07, 2005

They're under flourescent lights or in a south facing window. I've tried both

Sandy

Post #1453979
Quote
spectrum (Zone 2b) May 07, 2005

What size container do you have them growing in? Maybe the roots don't have enough space.

Post #1454564
Quote
Yuska San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) May 08, 2005

Sandy, if you have enough plants that you can risk a small experiment, you might try something I read about recently (I think it was in a DG thread but don't remember where.) Tomatoes benefit from being set deeper in the soil when transplanted, and develop strong roots along the stem portion that is buried. I had always thought that tomatoes were the only plants to be handled that way, but someone commented that peppers too could benefit. My pepper seedlings have been very small this year also. As I've transplanted them into the garden, I've been setting them even with the soil line at the point the embryo leaves (cotyledons) had emerged. Thus far they seem to be quite happy and are growing nicely. You might try this with a few plants - 3 or 4 - moving them to larger containers. I have no idea whether it will work!

Post #1455774
Quote
critterologist Frederick, MD(Zone 6b) May 09, 2005

When I transplant pepper seedlings from the seed starting tray to their 2 inch pots, I do plant them deeper, up to the cotyledons like Yuska said. However, I don't think peppers will benefit from being planted deeper than that in the garden (with tomatoes, you can bury the stem up to the last few leaves, laying the plant into a trench if it's tall), as their roots like it warm.

Sometimes pepper seedlings just sit there looking small until they've filled their pot with roots, then they take off. If your growing conditions are fairly cool, they might not get too big until you set them out in the sun-warmed garden.

Post #1457673
Quote
Sequee Carmel, NY(Zone 6b) May 09, 2005

Mine are incredibly slow this year, too, despite starting on a heat source, then being moved to a grow lite. I keep waiting for them to take off - ha!

Post #1457878
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Vegetable Gardening Threads

Go to all Vegetable Gardening threads
BACK TO TOP