There are several possible reasons pepper fruits do not grow to maturity, here are some: (1) insufficient pollination, (2) too much or too little water, (3) temperature too cool or too warm, (4) too much nitrogen in the soil–over fertilized. Read the posts at this site on growing peppers.
Another frequently asked question is “Why are my peppers not blooming?”.
Pepper plants that have green growth and no flowers or fruit at mid-season are likely growing in soil too rich in nitrogen. Give the plants a soluble fertilizer (for fast uptake) that is rich in phosphorus. You might try an organic bloom booster fertilizer.
Yet another question we ran across in our research was “Why pepper plants won’t grow?”.
So a picky pepper plant with no flowers or fruit may be the result of an incorrect temperature zone, either too hot or too cold. Another common reason for a pepper plant not producing may be blossom end rot, which is caused by a calcium deficiency and occurs when night temps are over 75 degrees F.
Peppers can be finicky–high and low temperatures can delay flowering and fruit set–temps in the 80s. F are about right. Make sure the soil staying evenly moist so that the plant does not become stressed. As well shield the plant from wind.
Hot pepper plants not growing successfully may be in highly acidic soil . If you have your pepper plants in the ground and are mixing in additional nutrients, or if you are growing them in containers, you will want to avoid sphagnum and peat moss mixtures since they are more acidic.
Can You Grow Your Own peppers?
When growing your own peppers, keep in mind the fact that your plants will need the right amount of nutrients, never too much or too little. If your plant has too much nitrogen in it, it will grow rather largely, but the fruit itself won’t reach the size it needs to as a result.
One inquiry we ran across in our research was “What is the best temperature to grow peppers?”.
Peppers are warm season plants suited to USDA zones 9b-11b that thrive in temperatures of 70-85 F. (21-29 C.) during the day and 60-70 F. (15-21 C.) at night. Cool temps retard the plant’s growth, resulting in pepper plants that aren’t flowering, and thus, pepper plants not fruiting either.
Another thing we wanted the answer to was, can You transplant peppers without hardening them off?
One source claimed that transplanting plants without hardening them off will also stunt them . Peppers moving from greenhouse to garden need time to adjust and get used to direct light. Pests are often still on the leaves and can be easily found and identified. Plant disease is a bit harder to spot.
Why are my peanut peppers dropping leaves?
Pepper plant leaf drop can be the result of stress– too much water , a container that does not drain–would be one reason. Too little water would stress the plant as well, and also temperatures too warm or too cold.
One way to think about this is temperatures greater than 90F can cause pepper blossom to drop and fruit to sunburn . Shelter plants from the heat by placing a frame and shade cloth over the plants or by planting between taller crops. If temperatures remain high, lightly mist plants with cool water in the middle of the day.
What are the most common pepper plant problems?
Common Pepper Growing Problems: Seedlings are cut off near the soil surface . Cutworms are gray or brown grubs that hide in the soil by day and feed at night. Handpick grubs from the soil around plants. Keep the garden free of plant debris. Place a 3-inch cardboard collar around the seedlings stem and push it 1 inch into the soil.
This is the most unforgivable form of over-loving your pepper plants. Too much water can cause a plethora of issues, one of which is stunted pepper plant growth. While under-watering isn’t great either, over-watering just might be the death of your plants.