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kellynola_gw

Bell Pepper Not Flowering

kellynola
14 years ago

I planted two bell pepper plants and one jalapeno back in March. I made the mistake of planting them next to some tomato plants and corn (I've learned my lesson there). The tomatoes and corn have been removed and the pepper plants look healthy but only the jalapeno is flowering and producing peppers. Might the bell peppers still be salvaged or should I just call it a season and replant?

Comments (6)

  • matrixman
    14 years ago

    March may have been early for peppers to be put out even for zone 9. Me personally, I put them out out a week or two after the tomatoes. They may have been set back by chilly nights. If the plants are healthy there is no reason for them not to recover.

    Hang in there you got a long season.. they'll bounce back and bloom soon enough.

    Remember...Peppers are like people. If you wouldn't be comfortable camping out in the yard at night, the pepper plants would not either. Hope that helps.

  • kellynola
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks, this is my first year and I have a ways to go before I get my timing down :)

  • organic_tx_gardener
    14 years ago

    The peppers that I put out in March (several types, both sweet and hot) are doing much better than the ones I planted a couple of weeks ago. I just started getting some of the Gypsy, Anaheim, and Brazilian star peppers, and there are more peppers growing on the plants, as well as pepper flowers.

    Here in central Texas it is getting hot enough during the day that even peppers (the newly planted ones) are having trouble getting established now. I also tend to think that if you have a choice, you're probably better off sticking with the ones you plated in March. If you have the space, though, it wouldn't hurt to plant another pepper or two. It should extend your pepper harvesting season if you have some planted in March and some planted now.

  • shawnann
    14 years ago

    Last year I read a little book with frugal gardening tips and one was to use a 16 oz spray bottle of water with 1 tbs of epsom salt to increase blooms on tomato/pepper plants. I did it last year and it worked great! I just started doing it this year as mine are a bit behind yours. But I hope to see similar results. I just sprayed to coat the leaves and that was it. I didn't do it too often, maybe about 4 times over the season, every few weeks when I thought about it.
    I hope that helps! It's worth a try and cheap!
    My Garden Blog

  • lowraine
    14 years ago

    How long does it take for a small green pepper to grow? I have them on my plants, about the size of an eraser on a pencil. They don't seem to have grown any in the last week or so.

  • kellynola
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    @ organic tx -- I too think that March was ok as my jalapeno is doing great. It's the bells that aren't doing anything. I've started some seedlings to plant later this summer.

    @shawnann -- I'll have to try the epsom salts. I've been meaning to pick some up anyway.

    Thanks to you both!

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