Pepper Plant help needed - MERGED

Zazen999

stormbreaker wrote: »

I am trying chilis and peppers for the first time this year in pots outside. They grew really well to begin with but appear to have stopped. All the plants are flowering but the stems appear to be going black in places, is this the 'norm'?

They have stopped because the weather is not as warm as it could be, and you are growing them outside.

The stems do go black, esp when they are outside - it is a sign of getting accustomed to the weather and wind - you don't see this on indoor peppers.

the_other_mce

Zazen999 wrote: »

Can the OP change the title of this post to 'Pepper Helpline' please.

Thanks in advance.

Title changed as requested!!
It has been an informative thread for me though - I guess I'll leave mine for a month or so and see what happens. It was interesting finding out that quite a a few people have slow growers!

Zazen999

the_other_mce wrote: »

Title changed as requested!!
It has been an informative thread for me though - I guess I'll leave mine for a month or so and see what happens. It was interesting finding out that quite a a few people have slow growers!

Hi

:rotfl: at title change!

Last year I didn't get any pepper harvests until early September; so don't be too keen to chuck them out.
Also, did you know you could overwinter them indoors, thus you can still harvest peppers through the winter and next spring they will flower again and produce much earlier next year?

Also, on our first year of growing peppers, we grew them on a balcony in Nottingham and were still harvesting them at Christmas. Actually, we had them for our annual Christmas Day Chilli [I'm not a traditionalist and can't be bothered with roast dinner on xmas day], so don't be too keen to chuck them away if they don't produce as early in the season as you would like.

JenniO

I feel a bit silly, but as I'm having the same problems are you saying that you can dig them back out of the soil and put them back in pots over the winter in your greenhouse (heated I assume) and them plant them back out again next spring?

it doesn't kill it getting plucked back out of the ground i guess is what I'm asking.

Zazen999

JenniO wrote: »

I feel a bit silly, but as I'm having the same problems are you saying that you can dig them back out of the soil and put them back in pots over the winter in your greenhouse (heated I assume) and them plant them back out again next spring?

it doesn't kill it getting plucked back out of the ground i guess is what I'm asking.

you can, but it depends on how careful you are with the roots. I'd do it now if you are planning to do it at all.

I grow 3 or 4 outside now, and keep all the ones that I want to overwinter in pots. For example, my sweet chocolate peppers - half are indoors and half are out. My chillis though are all in pots in the garage [we have a pretty light garage] or in pots in the mini greenhouse.

miss_corerupted

i have only 3 pepper plants left the slugs got them. So i've brought them indoors only about 5in tall atm and no flowers. Is bringing them inside the right thing i wonder?

WilChil1964

I've grown four sweet pepper plants from seed in a pot, they're about 7 or 8 inches high and have been inside until today, however I've just put them outside with my cucumber plants because there were lots of little flies buzzing around the plants, tiny little black flies. Is this normal or was there something in the compost? Don't really want to leave the peppers outside as they were doing fine inside, but they don't have flowers on them yet.

Money_saving_Diva_2

Chilwil, I have actually talked about this problem in another thread cos I had these mystery flies in my houseplants which moved to my chilli and peppers when they were growing on my windowsills. They are called fungus gnats and tho they don't harm the plants they are fairly annoying to have around.

You can read about them here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests_and_diseases/nonflash_index.shtml?black_fungus_gnats

There is a way to deal with them, but this is what I have gleaned from reading and research. You CAN zap them with something deadly and horrible, but three tips I found that I have put together to call my 3 prong gnat killer...:rotfl: . Let the soil dry out a little first and then try this...

Ok, the first method is to remove the top half inch or so of soil as the grubs live there. Replace with new soil and then sprinkle with cinnamon (yes I know this sounds odd, but it doesn't damage the plant and the grubs seem to die) I just used cheap powdered cinnamon. Then finally buy some sand and put about half an inch of sand over the entire pot - this stops the female flies burying into the soil as apparently they hate sand!!

I have done this to all my peppers and fingers crossed, it's been 5 days and no flies so far!

I have some peppers indoors and others outdoors in pots in a sunny spot on the patio. They are all about 8 or 9 inches tall with several flowers on and even the beginning of a pepper on one of them. I intend to move them indoors again now I know the flies are gone, as it will keep them out of the wind and give them an extra blast of sunshine thru my windows!! It's my first year growing them, and they are special dwarf versions made for tubs and patios or windowsills, so I am not too worried about how tall they get. Just be patient, the weather has been appalling, I bet yours will flower soon!

c00kiemonster_2

Those little black flies I have always known as Fungus knats, they love the damp compost and the best thing to do as msd said is cover the surface of the compost with a dry barrier.
I use clay pebbles and this sees them off for me;)

cm

irishwexford

I have three peppers growing in pots in the mini greenhouse and have lots of flowers . Last year I planted in garden but with all the rain did not get many to eat. They look very healthy at present will not put them outside at all. Interesting about bringing them indoors for winter. I will try that.