Pepper questions

[AMKuska]

For anyone more knowledgeable about peppers, I was advised to someone to repot my peppers which are not doing well in better draining soil. I purchased the well-draining potting mixture they recommended and went to pot them up....they're doing nothing upstairs and still just barely have their first true leaves, but root system is huge! How do I help them grow their tops as well as their bottoms??

 

[flowerbug]

For anyone more knowledgeable about peppers, I was advised to someone to repot my peppers which are not doing well in better draining soil. I purchased the well-draining potting mixture they recommended and went to pot them up....they're doing nothing upstairs and still just barely have their first true leaves, but root system is huge! How do I help them grow their tops as well as their bottoms??

warmth and sunlight. when we plant the greenhouse transplants out into the gardens towards the end of May or in early June they may seem to take a bit to get going but they come around eventually.

 

[digitS']

Peppers are different from nearly all the other garden vegetables.

Importantly, they are perennials. The peppers that I have each year have amazing root structure. They are preparing for a long life and using their light, water, air, and plant nutrient resources for root building. I really should move all to larger pots out of my commonly used 4-packs.

Not this year's peppers, however. The plants are just not growing with the lack of sunlight. Your clouds are over here day-after-day, AMK'. Come get them!

Now, anything that I say about peppers must be taken with a sprinkle of salt. Since nearly all my growing experience is here in this pepper-deprived area, I seldom have much of a crop. The best pepper plants I have had were those set in a bed in the greenhouse to grow thru the Summer. If watering them wasn't such a bother in there, that's where they should be every year! Let's see, how about if we both move to the highlands of central Mexico???

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

For anyone more knowledgeable about peppers, I was advised to someone to repot my peppers which are not doing well in better draining soil. I purchased the well-draining potting mixture they recommended and went to pot them up....they're doing nothing upstairs and still just barely have their first true leaves, but root system is huge! How do I help them grow their tops as well as their bottoms??

Are you keeping them in pots? I would loosen the root system and pot up. Some micronutrients maybe?

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Neighbor: Hey @digitS', why is the goodyear blimp in your front yard?

@digitS': Oh that is gonna be my new grow bag for peppers!

 

[digitS']

Should do it, @Dirtmechanic !

Then, it could be carried in and out of the greenhouse on bad/good days.

Installing a permanent tower crane in the backyard to lift grow bag over the house.

 

[heirloomgal]

For anyone more knowledgeable about peppers, I was advised to someone to repot my peppers which are not doing well in better draining soil. I purchased the well-draining potting mixture they recommended and went to pot them up....they're doing nothing upstairs and still just barely have their first true leaves, but root system is huge! How do I help them grow their tops as well as their bottoms??

One of the ingredients I find to really get top growth with both peppers and eggplants is heat. Even wild cherry/currant tomatoes will root and root, with little top growth, but when things finally heat up they go 'boom' up top. (A nitrogen boost can help too, while you wait for heat.) I use Muskie Fish Emulsion on all my peppers which bulks them up, somewhat, but also keeps the leaves really deep green and shiny, and really encourages a lot of new leaf buds.