This is my first time growing peppers from seed. I know the first two are wild purple Guatemala and the second is scotch bonnet. I’m really not sure what I’m doing wrong. At night i leave them under a light inside and during the day if it’s warm i put them outside. They’re all in soil and i water when i notice them drooping or the soil getting too dry
by Sleipnirsspear
13 Comments
Not enough light for the floppy one, and not enough wind, and potentially too much water?
I would recommend supporting the ones falling over – a wooden chopstick and some wire works well for the shorter ones.
Why are the pots half empty?
Pic 2 got cooked by the sun, must not have been hardened off enough
Plants need water 💧soak them down and saturate the soil.
What size bags are those? Most peppers really like a lot of space for their roots and will essentially grow into their space just like goldfish. If those are little 5 gallon bags and then look you also only got them half full, you’re never going to get a good pepper anyway.
Make sure they’re in a minimum 15 gallon bags and fill those bags 👍🏻
Plants do need a night cycle too, if they are outside during the day no need to leave indoor lights on at night. Soil looks dry but stick your finger down into it 2 inches and if it is dry water them. Make sure you are fertilizing too unless you added fertilizer into the soil already.
I’ve had something similar happen, but it was because the plants don’t have any wind/fans on them. The stalks are weak and once they get tall enough the stalks can’t support the top of the plant. So they fall over. The plants continue to grow, but get all squirrelly. Like another comment, put in a brace that will still be tall enough in a couple weeks and train the plant to it. Be careful not to snap the stalk as you try to straighten the plant. Do it in stages if need be
1st plant looks beautiful, 2nd had a bit of scorching from not hardening off properly (but new growth will be fine), 3rd and 4th just need some support (chopsticks work well at this stage), 5th is growing beautifully but will also soon need support. My suggestion is to water thoroughly and let the soil “mostly” dry before you water again. Stick your finger in the soil to the 2nd knuckle, if it comes out with soil, it is still too moist to water again. As the plants grow some, add a bit of soil around the stem (capsicum will grow roots from the stem, some just take longer to do so).
Have you ever watered them?
No advice, but The first one looks great!
Warmer temps will help.
Maybe too much light. The sun is powerful. Getting that in the day is enough. If it’s cold, bring them in and leave them in the dark overnight. You can get a moisture meter off amazon to ensure there is moisture below the dry surface. Your plants are small so the roots may only be a few inches deep. Check for moisture at that depth.