My first attempt to grow Hot Peppers...

[RayR]

Looks much better. Powdery Mildew turns brown when it's dead.
Keep spraying all your plants every 5-7 days with the Actinovate/BioBiz combo. Even though Excel LG (Phosphourous Acid)) doesn't directly effect Powdery Mildew it has a possible side benefit as it triggers a Systemic Acquired Resistance pathway in the plant. I forget how many times it is recommended to apply to peppers, I think 4 times per season??? Anyway read the instructions, applying it too often can have negative effects on the plant.
Like Drew said, if it comes back switch off to another fungicide.

[Dork Fish]

got it! I will spray again tomorrow.

[Dork Fish]

Okay, It turns out that what we thought was powdery mildew was really Edema.

I found this article...
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29127-a-topic-on-edema/

[jmsieglaff]

So how was your pinching back decision? In my winter experiment plant I'm pretty convinced I need to start all my peppers very early and then pinch back and let the side branches develop. This guy is just starting to flower.

[Dork Fish]

Everything is great! I think I will continue cutting them back!

[luigiwu]

Thanks so much for this thread! This is the first year I'm growing peppers and I've learned a lot on here. I only do containers and I'm about to put my baby peppers into their final buckets. What do people usually do to support their pepper plants? It sounds like pinching off the center is the way to get a bushier plant. Does a bushier plant give more yield? In my small urban garden, I have more space vertically than I do horizontally. I can tie up these plants like tomatoes using a single string too so maybe I'll try both and see?

[drew51]

I pinched some of my peppers others I left alone. I'm not really seeing any difference. The untouched ones have plenty of fruits, just as many as the pinched versions.Many become multiple branch plants all by themselves. Some I want to overwinter in tree form, so I didn't pinch them. I want a long central leader. Ornamentals seem to go multi branch with no help from me. I'll probably overwinter a couple of those too.
I'm also concerned about season length, no doubt pinching sets them back. I think it is very similar to pruning tomatoes, which some do, some do not.
Also removing early fruit didn't seem to do anything except make the plant produce more. After removing them twice, I gave up and let the plants fruit. No energy is being directed to vegetative growth, but into producing more buds after pinching them off.

[Dork Fish]

Well, I got my plants moved into their bigger pots around the 4th. I used half happy frog and half cow manure, with one part worm compost. I have been using fish emulsion for fertilizer. Should I be adding anything else for my peppers?

Also, I spray at least once a week with my actinovate/exel Lg/bio bizz mixture.


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[luigiwu]

What size are those pots, Andrea? Are these the plants that you top off? They've certainly very healthy looking!

[Dork Fish]

They are 5 gallon. Yes, all of these were cut back. Thanks Hopefully I can keep them that way. lol

That is why I am curious about what I should fertilize them with.

[luigiwu]

Thanks! Is there a "best" position to pinch off the tip? Say above 3 sets of leaves or?
I wonder if eggplants work the same way as peppers when it comes to pruning?

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Dork Fish

They are 5 gallon. Yes, all of these were cut back. Thanks Hopefully I can keep them that way. lol

Originally Posted by Dork Fish

That is why I am curious about what I should fertilize them with.

A lot of options there. I myself put Dynamite control release fertilizer in the mix, along with Alfalfa, and dry molasses. I also give them a quarter dose of calcium nitrate every time I water. It has rained so much it's been 2 weeks since I watered them though. I also used rock phosphate in the mix, azomite, and worm castings too. Here's 1/2 of my potted plants. I have ornamental peppers elsewhere, and 6 other plants are in raised beds. The grey root pouches are 15 gallon, the brown ones at the end are 10 gallon. I made my own potting soil, pine bark fines, peat or coir, or both, Fafard 52 mix, Pro Mix, compost, and diatomaceous earth. You can also see my rain barrel with 2 30 gallon garbage cans, and 5 gallon jugs all full of rain water. I also have a 50 gallon garbage can , so have about 200 gallons stored. I mostly though use that water for my blueberries.


In this photo you can see a couple of my peppers in the small rectangle in the foreground. This is my raspberry patch on the left. The 4x4 bed is a blueberry surrounded by strawberries. The far bed is 8x12 with musk strawberries, and Pineberries. A row of radishes in the center. The last bed is all radishes for now. it will have pole beans and melons shortly, once radishes are ripe (about 10 days). Photos were taken yesterday.

[Dork Fish]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

Thanks! Is there a "best" position to pinch off the tip? Say above 3 sets of leaves or?
I wonder if eggplants work the same way as peppers when it comes to pruning?

I cut after the first set of leaves. It was pretty drastic

[Dork Fish]

Very Nice!!!

Originally Posted by drew51

A lot of options there. I myself put Dynamite control release fertilizer in the mix, along with Alfalfa, and dry molasses. Okay, unfortuantely I am a little late for this, so I will be limited to top dressings. I also give them a quarter dose of calcium nitrate every time I water. Okay, I do have calcium nitrate. What is a quarter dose? I have the Mittleider mixture: 13-13-13, micro nutrients, epson salt. Could I use this mixture on the peppers? It has rained so much it's been 2 weeks since I watered them though. I also used rock phosphate in the mix, azomite, and worm castings too. Here's 1/2 of my potted plants. I have ornamental peppers elsewhere, and 6 other plants are in raised beds. The grey root pouches are 15 gallon, the brown ones at the end are 10 gallon. I made my own potting soil, pine bark fines, peat or coir, or both, Fafard 52 mix, Pro Mix, compost, and diatomaceous earth. You can also see my rain barrel with 2 30 gallon garbage cans, and 5 gallon jugs all full of rain water. I also have a 50 gallon garbage can , so have about 200 gallons stored. I mostly though use that water for my blueberries. I have always read to let your peppers dry out between watering. Is this true?

[drew51]

Yes, I let my peppers dry out sort of, not bone dry, just barely moist, but mother nature keeps watering them, so my watering have been limited. They could have used water today, but it is supposed to rain here tomorrow, so I didn't water them.

I will water if the rain does not come by noon. I'm not familiar with Mittleider, but it sounds good! Also Top dressing is fine. When I reuse the soil next year, that is what I will do.



Saying a quarter dose of calcium nitrate was vague, sorry. I give them 1/4 teaspoon mixed in 2.5 gallons each watering. Hopefully 4 times a month. This really is a very low dose. I think this gives them a dose of calcium quickly. No other product can deliver it this quickly. Bone meal takes months to breakdown, so does lime. When peppers are a little older, and larger, I like to cut nitrogen, so I stop the calcium nitrate. The dynamite is still giving them some, the organic fertilizer too (alfalfa, worm casting, molasses, and compost) so they are not starving. I'm also light on these amendments. I mix 20 gallon batches of soil. I use a handful of alfalfa, 2 tbsps of azomite, 2 handfuls of worm castings. 2 oz's of dynamite, A handful of dry molasses, etc.

I have had good luck doing this, but hey each person's conditions are different, your mileage may very. If I feel the plants are not growing well after I stop the Calcium nitrate, I may give them a 1/4 teaspoon of 15-30-15 fertilizer.

I also use beneficial bacteria and fungi via MycoGrow

http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/mycogrow-soluble-1-oz.html



And

Biota Max

http://biotamax.com/ORDER.html



I use them when planting out, and also water them once more a month later with a solution of above products. I use label directions on dose.



Dynamite is a CRF (Controlled release fertilizer) it lasts longer than Osmocote. I buy it here, cheapest I have found, 7 pounds! Free shipping!

http://www.seedranch.com/Dynamite-All-Purpose-Select-Indoor-Outdoor-Plant-F-p/dynamite-organic-7.htm





This routine is still a work in progress. I may change it up and adjust if I see benefit in doing so. Sometimes I use different organics, it depends what is on hand. I have some new organic fertilizer I want to try from Texas, MicroLife Vegetable and Floral 8-4-6 7lb Bottle. A friend has had fantastic results with it. I saw his extremely impressive plants, I'm going to try it!