Habaneros not producing

[Smithma]

I planted 2 seedling red Habs in late march they are now about a foot tall with good stems dark green leaves, they had 1 bloom last week with not results. I have used folliar spray once a week with Epsom salt the next week with kelp, ground soak weekly with worm tea or kelp. Have feed twice pwith sulfer dust. Question! Am I over watering, do Habs fruit the first year? It has been a little wetter and cooler this year but have still had some 100 degrees days.

Also they get afternoon shade from the caged tomatoes that are producing an abundance of fruit in the same soil getting the same feeding.
Mike

[peppero]

I wish i could tell you why. mine have just started some production with some of the plants about the size of yours while some others are about three feet tall. the short plants were planted later than the others and they are the ones that have produced about 8 pods; same soil. go figure.
best wishes on your production.

jon

[Levent]

All the peppers (I mean Capsicum species and varieties) fruit in the first year.Give them more sun light and low N fertilizer.Sooner or later they set fruit.

[b54red]

Miracle Grow seems to work well with peppers. My Jalapenos have been over producing. If I don't pick them fairly often the limbs will break. Last year I had two Jalapenos that didn't produce well and two others that were pepper machines and they got the same treatment. You just never know with peppers.

Last year my bells produced very well early in the year and again in the fall. This year I got almost no production from my bells until about a week ago and now they are putting out like crazy right during the hottest part of the summer. I've been growing them for nearly forty years and never know quite what to expect with them.

Bill

[noinwi]

The C. chinenses have a longer growing season than the C. annuums, so be patient. You may have to bring them inside at the end of the season to finish ripening. I agree with Levent on the nitrogen fert...too much can cause a lot of foliage growth and fewer flowers. I have also found most peppers prefer a little drier conditions than tomatoes.

[Smithma]

Thank you all, it's going to rain the next 3 days, but I will stop watering until they shows signs of wilting and hope for the best. My jalapeños and sweet peppers planted right next to the Habs have been producing very well. Have been using Tomato-Tome on all Toms as well as peppers, adding coffee grounds aronds pepper stems fon N. If all else fails will try to over winter the best one. Thanks again
Mike

[jack03111969]

I would also suggest nest year start your pepper seeds around the middle of January. I started my red habs January 10th and they are loaded with peppers..................

[b54red]

I agree you need to start your seed very early for Habs. The one time I grew them they didn't start making til late August. It seems the hotter they are the slower they are to produce. My Malaqueta peppers are just now showing a few ripe peppers and they have been in the garden just as long as my Jalapenos and Pappadews which started producing over a month ago.

Bill

[Smithma]

Yes thanks, i may be pepper crazy But have tiny Moruga and Ghost pepper seedlings just coming up in Jiffy cubes. It's really my first real try from seeds, does everyone use grow lighs and probably a propagation matt in the winter? I don't have much winter sun I can count on.

[noinwi]

Any bottom heat will help germination, 80-85 degrees being optimal. I used to have a shelf above our router/modem and that worked quite well. After germination(baggie method) I just used compact flo bulbs in whatever available lamp I had to treat the plants as houseplants for the winter. I was only starting a few so didn't need a lot of space. I wasn't trying to produce fruit early, just have healthy foliage growth until Spring.
Overwintering after the growing season never worked well for me as I always brought in pests and didn't have enough light for larger plants.

[dahoss2002]

Originally Posted by Smithma

I planted 2 seedling red Habs in late march they are now about a foot tall with good stems dark green leaves, they had 1 bloom last week with not results. I have used folliar spray once a week with Epsom salt the next week with kelp, ground soak weekly with worm tea or kelp. Have feed twice pwith sulfer dust. Question! Am I over watering, do Habs fruit the first year? It has been a little wetter and cooler this year but have still had some 100 degrees days.

Also they get afternoon shade from the caged tomatoes that are producing an abundance of fruit in the same soil getting the same feeding.
Mike

HMMM... So they have been planted 4.5 months now and are only a foot tall? My Ghost seedlings I planted in late March are almost 3 feet now. Don't give up though. Some of my best pepper production comes in September and October. I'm near Shreveport so our weather is not too different until December.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by dahoss2002

HMMM... So they have been planted 4.5 months now and are only a foot tall?

That was my first reaction!

In Oklahoma City, pepper plants put outside in late March should be 3 feet tall and producing like crazy by now. If after 4 months, a pepper plant is only 1 foot tall, then that to me says it is stunted due to soil which is not amenable to peppers, lack of sunlight, lack of fertilizer, or diseased plants.


After years of having mixed results in the ground, but consistently excellent results in containers, I now exclusively grow peppers in pots. A single pepper plant for all but the largest fruit (bell, paprika) will do nicely in a 3-5 gallon pot. Four pepper plants will do great in a 15 gallon pot.

Just make sure to use potting mix (not soil). Controversially, I do add 10% compost to my container mix. I know some folks into containers feel it makes the mix too heavy, but I have had good results this way. Don't forget the 1/2 cup of dolomitic lime!

Also, if you want REALLY hot peppers, then harden your heart and mistreat your plants. Go as long between waterings as you can, letting the plants wilt slightly.

[Smithma]

I do appreciate ereryones help, I do plan on container planting some and have created a pepper raised bed using the soil mixture suggested by feldon30 except for the dolomitic lime? for next years crop. Will look it up and add. What I don't understand is why are the jalapeño and sweet peppers growing next to the Habs doing so good, jalapeños 2 1/2' and a sweet oner 3' tall and I'm picking mature fruit ever week now for over a month. Will keep waiting and hoping.
We have had a wet and cool summer this year, great for the Toms not so good for peppers.
Mike

[Gavriil]

I'm not a habanero guy but have had to nurse this one chocolate habanero plant that made it out of half a row which didn't make it for the last 4 and 1/2 months
it just started to produce some fruit about a week ago so I can only say wait and hope.

[peppero]

I got to pick my first caribbean red yesterday from a plant that is small and dwarfed by the habaneros planted with it. the habs are starting to load up and the jalapenos are doing well. typically production is great in the month before the big freeze which is usually in the first two weeks in november. pepper plants do very well in the cool weather of fall.

jon