First time pepper grower here in zone 7b. These are Santa Fe Guerros. For the past week, my plant has been dropping all its flowers, and can’t support any new fruit apparently. Is it because these 3 are sucking all the energy? Ever since they got big, the plant has “given up” on the others.
They are not even close to ripe but should I harvest to give back some energy to the plant? Help!?
It is fertilized with Sta Green organic plant food about every 2 weeks, is NOT in full Sun, but at least 5 hours a day
by ZonkedChain
9 Comments
Put it in a bigger pot, and your problems are solved.
Edit: much bigger pot
I think your plant is too small to produce any more. Probably needs a repot.
Plant is kind of small to just a bunch of peppers, imo. I’m growing those too and my plant was a little more than a foot tall before setting fruit. It’s now got about a dozen peppers that are around 3 inches long on there (and is still growing).
ETA: mine is in a 3 gallon pot
Thank you all! I just ordered some 5 gallon grow bags, I think these pots are 2.5 or 3 gallons. Should I leave the peppers on there or take them off?
I did take the first flowers off before these!
How big is the pot? I doubt it’s because the pot is too small although it would benefit from more soil. Try to give it at least 6 hours of sun. As long as it has consistent water, fertilizer and warm temperatures it will continue growing and fruiting. I would leave the fruit on it and just focus on providing it what it needs for growth.
give it a 5 ga or better yet, a 7.5 ga pot or grow bag. My peppers have dropped a lot of flowers the past 2 days because of the heat, but you need a bigger pot and a good potting mix like Ocean Forest. The bigger pot will also help buffer the effects of heat and hold water better.
What size pot is it in now? Can’t really tell by the photo. If it is a 3 gal pot that should be big enough to produce better. Are you fertilizing adding minerals and epsom salts mist or anything like that?
Is it getting enough sun? Also too much nitrogen promotes leaf growth but can suppress flowering.
NPK of nutes? And make sure tons of sun. It needs energy AND food, and make sure it’s not getting super hot (95°+F)