I've heard they don't like it under 50 but I'm not sure if that would cause yellowing.

Last year, I put my peppers out a little early and I suspect they gave me payback by doing NOTHING until nearly fall. The ones I started weren't growing at all and I ended up buying 2 plants from Walmart. In the end, mine did produce but it was probably the end of September before I got any peppers. I may be wrong about the cause of the slow production, but that's my theory.

You could try putting a jug of water beside them to absorb heat & keep them a little warmer at night and if you have any row cover, put that over them too.

Are they still in the pots, Mayberry? I'd say overwatering would be more likely to cause yellowing than chilly nites. Have you been letting them dry at least halfway between waterings? If it's overwatering, it should get better when you get them in the ground (the yellow leaves will continue to brown).

If some things stay in pots long enough that they become rootbound, they can start to deteriorate too, so depending on when you started them and what size pots they're in, that could possibly be a problem. That, too, should resolve when they get in the ground.

I'd put my money on the water!

All my stuff, which only includes two peppers, is staying out on my deck tonite, but it's up against the brick, so it'll stay a little bit warmer than other places I could put them. If you're concerned about them, cover them with a sheet for tonite. It'll help you feel a little better--whether it helps the plants or not!

My stuff was all out in the full wind today! Now that the swap is over, I need to get it in the ground, so it just needs to figure out how to deal with the conditions itÂs gonna be growing in! Tough love!

Skybird

Night-time temperatures will not average above 50°F here until June 15th. I see this average arrives for the Denver airport on June 5th. I doubt that I'll feel the need to wait even that late to set out the peppers.

They are becoming rootbound and, even tho' they were fertilized about 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the foliage of some of them is beginning to yellow.

Before the recent cold snap here, I was very intent on hardening them off. If for no immediate reason, I was mostly trying to slow them down. The peppers will certainly enjoy having open ground to grow in.

June temperatures will make a big difference in how they will perform for the year. There is no question that conditions here are not the best for them. However, I want them to have everything they need no later than the summer solstice out there in the open garden. If they malinger any longer than that because of cool weather, I probably shouldn't even have bothered trying to grow them that year.

Smaller varieties always seem to do better but I love the big Italian sweets! I was told today that after this chilly spring is past, the weather service is predicting a very warm summer! Just in anticipation of good pepper growing weather, I don't think I'll check that out myself, just yet.

A person has to find some reason for hope!

Steve

I'm close to being in the same boat, my peps are telling me it's time to go in the ground, despite 59kt gusts yesterday and breezy days as far as I can see. Second, they metabolize more efficiently at higher air and ground temps, so in cold ground they may not respond right away. Anyway, 1/2 dose of fert can't hurt unless they are overwatered.

Dan

Thanks, all--yes, they're still in pots, but definitely not rootbound since they were just potted up two weeks ago. Yellowing may also be from the richness of the new soil they're in--it's pretty cow-poopy smelling, so maybe they're getting a bit burned. More than likely, tho, it's probably the watering; as I had mentioned in the "thanks for the swap" thread, my paper pots (in which ALL of the peppers and okras are right now) are exceptionally good at holding water on the bottom, and hubby was diligently watering daily.

I went with Skybird's "tough love" management program, and they toughed it out last night. Since they've all been out in the wind anyway (yes, yesterday with all the gusts!), I wasn't the least bit concerned about that part, especially since they were moved closer to their final locations but still a little bit sheltered (on the ground between the potting boxes). Then, I got hubby out of the house this morning without his having watering ANYTHING, including all the wonderful little succulents that we got from Skybird at the swap. See, he was there and heard her say "let them dry out" but he just doesn't think that applies. Ah, well... soon they'll be moved into their summer homes, which of course are self-watering containers (EXCEPT for those succulents--they'll be on a strict "You'd better let Mama water them!" schedule), and the overwatering/burning from too rich of compost/soil will be a concern of the past!

Thanks again for piping in everyone--I will continue to baby my okra, but the peppers are every man for himself from here on out this year! I had a bumper pepper crop last year, which surprised me because I really didn't think it was all that warm, but the tomatoes were all loaded on the plants by first frost--still green as all get out. We'll see how this year goes!