I planted these a few weeks ago and they don’t look like they’ve grown at all. We have been getting a ton of rain and the soil is staying super wet. I brought in 10 yards of mushroom compost/soil to put over the native clay soil I have.
Also, I think because it’s so wet my plants are starting to get eaten alive. The neem oil isn’t doing much, should I do it more often or try something stronger? Any help would be so greatly appreciated!!
Zone 7b.
Also, I haven’t fertilized anything yet. I thought the compost would hold them over for a while but maybe that would help?
by Dense_Struggle2892
9 Comments
I don’t think they’re stunted, honestly. Every plant I transplanted outside seemed stagnant in growth for several weeks. I amended the soil with blood meal and made sure they had the water they needed in between rains. After 3 or 4 weeks, everything started hitting major growth spurts. My tomatillos grew nearly a foot just last night. Just give it time and show some patience. They’ll catch up.
I find that even when properly hardened off, veggie starts will stall a bit when first put into their permanent location. Sometimes a few weeks. That said, colder overnight temps can definitely stunt pepper plants. Even low 40s/upper 30s at night over an extended time period can really set peppers back for a while, sometimes the whole season
That bell pepper plant is too small to have a pepper that big already. That will slow your plants overall growth. They are putting their energy into fruit not growth.
So you dumped 10 yards of compost and planted them straight in compost.
That’s the problem. Stuff is so dense, roots are going to rot
only time can help and tell
how many weeks ago?
Temperature. What has your weather been lately? They require a bit of radiated heat.
If night time temps are consistently under 55F, this will happen. They might even turn yellow but can actually turn green again once temps get high enough. This has happened to me 2 years in a row (2023-24). Realize that they could also die or never really recover if they stay yellow for a long time.
Why did you put neem oil on such young plants? Perlite would also help. And 10 YARDS of mushroom compost? God damn boy. Compost isnt a substitute for fertilization