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bcmolle

My lousy jalapeno plants. Suggestions?

bcmolle
9 years ago

These plants have not grown at all since I put them in the dirt. It is somewhat embarrassing posting them, but I would like so have productive plants; so here goes nothing. They were planted May 16, fertilized with fish emulsion, and epson salts, alternating weekly. They had been hardened off when they were planted. Your help would be greatly appreciated. I am assuming that this season ais a loss when it comes to these plants, but ideas for ways to fix this for next season would be great. You'll notice that the plant at the bottom of the picture is much better than the others; what would cause this? I have only been watering as needed also.
God Bless.

Comments (6)

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    If they aren't overwatered....then they are seriously lacking Nitrogen. Gently dig down beside one of those runts and find out if the soil is dry, wet, hard, et cetera. If the soil is dry, do a very thorough and slow watering, then fertilize the following morning. I can't see Epsom Salts being of any use in this stage of growth.

    Josh

  • tomt226
    9 years ago

    21-0-0, side dress one tablespoon per plant, and water in...

  • djoyofficial
    9 years ago

    I did a lot of experimenting this year and I ended up with two plants that looked just like those little guys, bare stalk with a little foliage on top but they never really grew. All my other plants have grown somewhat normally. The two that were scrawny like that were planted straight into my native soil which grows other plants great. No matter how much/little I watered, fertilized they wouldn't grow. I have decided that in my case the soil compacts to much, naturally, so the roots didn't get enough oxygen and or weren't strong enough to dig in, stunting the plants severely. What is your soil like? Did you amend it with anything?

    dj

  • bcmolle
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Greenman- soil seemed to be neither moist nor dry. I am going to try different techniques on different plants, and see if I can figure out a problem.

    Tom- thanks, I will try this tomorrow.

    DJoy- I kind of thought that too, especially because my plant in a planter is growing wildly. Soil was amended with composted horse manure over the winter. I plan on adding plenty more composted manure at the end of the season.

  • TNKS
    9 years ago

    STRANGE , you can just about grow a Jap on a rock(seriously)
    Must have some really funky dirt ?

    Good luck with whatever it is thats holding you up

  • djoyofficial
    9 years ago

    I haven't tried the 21-0-0 side dress... too late for mine.... one still has a speck of green, it didn't keep up with the pests....
    My soil is like a heavy creek bottom sand with fine silt. Lots of terrestrials (worms and such), but, watering seems to carry all the silt down and clog up all the work that the roots have done. Its one of those things damned if ya water and damned if ya dont.
    If the 21-0-0 doesn't work in breaking down some of the cloggers (not the dancing kind ha ha) I would recommend amending with something that will help create more air pockets in the soil for next year.. I did that with all my other plants this year while using different measures of native soil as well and have seen varying degrees of success.

    I'm pretty new to all this so take it all with a grain.... just my two bits.

    dj

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