This rings true for me. I have several bell pepper plants, but my harvest has been slow and rare. My red bell pepper plant in the front veggie bed has finally fruited... after two months of being dormant.
In May/June, it grew this beautiful red bell pepper. It was small, but still very red and very cute. But before I was able to harvest it, a bug or animal took a big chunk of it. So it was not edible. Finally, the same plant has begun to fruit more peppers.
Below: The new bell
I had given up on the plant. I figured it was dead. And I am very happy to see this new growth. The same plant is also flowering. There are two more flowers that are ready to give birth.In the backyard, the bell pepper plants look awful. I've harvested two bell peppers from two different plants. Since then, I've seen nothing. Oh well. I wonder what I am doing wrong.
Bell peppers love heat, and it's been pretty hot here. Maybe there is something missing in the soil. I did add more manure to my soil, and that helped the other vegetables, but not the bell peppers.
Next year, I will devote either an entire raised bed or a square foot box to one plant or vegetable. That way, I can make sure that the soil composition is the same, and hopefully they will thrive.
Until next year, I am back to fall planting...
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15 comments:
Yeah for your pepper! It's growing! My plants have also been pretty sparse with peppers this year. Normally my husband takes care of fertilizing but I think he was lax this year. I'll ask him what he uses for peppers. That's great that you have flowers again, hopefully the fall crop will be better than summers.
Don't give up yet. Now the weather is moderating and rains are returning, your summer crops will get a second wind and do well.
Your pepper reminds me of the lone pimento we have growing.
Peppers do like the heat but it's quite normal to see the plants go into a kind of "limbo" during the hottest part of the season and for growth to stall.
As Tina said, you may see your plants have a resurgence now that the worst is over.
Well, I hope the worst is over :-(
PS I've put a comment about the cat food issue on my blog.
I never have good luck with bell or any pepper for that matter. I don't know what I do wrong- I suspect that I over water.
hmm, did they have a cold start in the spring. I was following a post on garden web vegetable section in the spring about peppers. The lady planted them, then had a cold spell and it stunted them.
I don't recall when you planted these but this may be the case.
I have a good amount of peppers growing but it is getting so late in the season and none of the bell peppers are even close to being ripe. I have had really good luck with mild banana peppers this year. I have been harvesting them since June.
My bell peppers didn't do so great either. Plus, you are right. The bugs like them lots. I do have some that are flowering again so I guess we'll have to see what happens.
Now, my banana peppers did great.I harvested a good bit from them and they are producing again.
I think bell peppers are sooo touchy, its not fun to watch a plant stunt. We in Maine do not have a long enough heat season to get peppers. I've always wanted to taste them fresh.
I too have bell peppers that are not doing anything. A couple peppers but were deformed---they actually looked like a cross. My pimentos didn't do either. Now my banana peppers are a whole different story. They have produced more than we can use. I've given them away even. The bushes are still loaded. As I can see it they will produce till the frost kills them back.
Hi Cindy, I didn't really fertilize this year, maybe they need fertilizing of some kind. Oh well. I'll have at least one pepper to look forward to. I hope the fall crop will be much better as well!
Hi Tina, I hope you are right. I am enjoying the slightly cooler weather and the rain is making me much happier. I hope the peppers start to produce soon.
Hi Mother Nature, peppers are funny business. I also had a lone jalapeno, but it has been eaten and enjoyed.
Hi Mick, I don't know how you do it. Your abundance of bell peppers is amazing, but maybe Oklahoma weather is more conducive than TN weather for bell peppers. I also hope the worst is over.
Hi Rob, I don't know what's wrong either. maybe square foot gardening and bell peppers don't mix? I don't know if I overwater or underwater. That is a frustration.
Hi Dan, Nope, I didn't have a cold start in the spring. I planted them in May, and the weather has been pretty warm. It seems a lot of people have done well with banana peppers. We've had a nice crop of thai peppers, so who knows? maybe bell peppers don't like me, lol.
Hi Susie, I'm glad I'm not the only one with the bell pepper dilemma. I know bugs love to eat them, *sighs* But I want to eat them too! lol. Banana peppers sound good. I might have to try to grow it next year.
Hi Dawn, Maine might not have a long warm season, but the state is beautiful, so you have lots of other things to enjoy. I wish it would snow in TN once in a while. That would be so nice.
Hi lola, I also had a deformed bell pepper and I wondered if the plant variety was mislabeled. It was very long and not plump like a bell. Everyone's banana peppers have done wonderfully. I think I may have to plant that next year.
DP,
Our peppers have been slow too. Although I think it was because the got crowded out by the squash! I won't do that again next year. I suspect you'll get more peppers. Our growing season could last into October so your harvest may just be a little late!
I feel lucky! This is my first year planting any type of vegetable and the bell peppers have done fairly well. Each plant has produced six tasty peppers. New flowers have also popped up recently so there should be more soon.
On the other hand the tomatoes haven't done squat. My cherry tomato plant was totally destroyed by hornworms. The damage was impressive.
Hopefully you got some rain from the remnants of Fay.
Hi Dave, Thank you for the optimism. I hope the peppers perk up. I am still amazed at how big squash and zucchini plants actually get! Crazy!
Hi Hap, Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm glad to hear that your peppers are doing well. Yuck for your tomatoes, those hornworms can be gross! What area of the country are you from?
We did get some rain, so I was very excited!
Our green peppers have not done well and the purple has given us a few. But the hot peppers are doing great!
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