• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

No new growth...2 months

M

matt up north

For some reason, my two year old plant isn't pushing any new growth. I kept it through the winter under cover, but it still go a touch of frost which killed off the top portion. This spring, April, I depotted it and put it into the raised beds. It has looked the exact same since I put it in.

We have had amazing weather, nice and hot, I have made sure to water it plenty and fertilized it a couple times with 16-10-10. Just not sure what is happening. Thoughts.
 
IMG_20140613_110710.jpg
IMG_20140613_110856.jpg
 
millworkman said:
She needs to be fed but it looks like the ground is already very saturated.  Fertilized recently?
Click to expand...
I was thinking fed too much. Then again, I never feed for the most part...
 
"I have made sure to water it plenty and fertilized it a couple times with 16-10-10. Just not sure what is happening. Thoughts. "
 
Ground is saturated so that I can water between timer irrigation.  I just added some fertilizer three days ago for the third time this season.  That said, I have seen crisped plants from too much fertilizer, so if anything I am light handed with it.  
 
I am perplexed with this.  All of my other plants are just taking off and pushing tall.  My Habs are already flowering, normally I have to wait till July!
 
Cut back all of those dead sticks. Just leave the one with new growth on it and see if it takes off. Perhaps it's trying to spend energy where it's not needed. Let the ground dry out some, too. It's obviously got some life left in it, so nurture the one and neuter the rest.
 
Buzz said:
Cut back all of those dead sticks. Just leave the one with new growth on it and see if it takes off. Perhaps it's trying to spend energy where it's not needed. Let the ground dry out some, too. It's obviously got some life left in it, so nurture the one and neuter the rest.
Click to expand...
 
Dont cut them ALL the way off, just further down.  They look like they are still greenish so could sprout new growth.  I would try and let the ground dry out a bit and if you have been feeding, lighten up on that too.  Pictures of your other plants would help too, especially those in the immediate vicinity.
 
We just got through a 110° heat wave. I wanted to make sure that this guy is still kicking and watered just prior to this pic. I will try to stop watering for a touch though as the peppers I have need some heat anyways. :D
 
Its possible you have some root rot going on too, if its been hot and wet and your soil looks super dark black.  Ever taken a soil temp a couple inches down during a blazing day?
 
Here are a couple of pictures of peppers that were planted at the same time.
 
20140613_131437.jpg

Above is my Diablo plant.  Just started flowering before the heat wave, but I think it killed off the blooms.
 
20140613_131459.jpg

Above is my Fresno.  This has a good twenty peppers on each plant and I have already harvested five green ones.
 
20140613_131517.jpg

Here are my Habs, with three more behind that I planted two weeks later.  You can see a little "crispy" leaves on top that I think just got a bit too much fertilizer early on, but I have worked that out I think.
 
As you can see, they started as just six leaves and are now pretty tall or bushy.

millworkman said:
Its possible you have some root rot going on too, if its been hot and wet and your soil looks super dark black.  Ever taken a soil temp a couple inches down during a blazing day?
Click to expand...
I have never done that before.  Sounds like a solid idea.  So I just ran out and we are looking at 78f at 6" down and it is sitting at 83f right now.  Moisture is looking good on all the boxes, so I just turned off the water for a week to let it dry out and stress the plants a bit.  Maybe it is just too much water.  It isn't my first thought due to the rest really flourishing.  Micromanaging.  I will come back in a week with an update.
 
I have about done in a few plants that eventually came bounding back. As millworkman said, try keeping things going - the plant may surprise you. Also, he's a smart guy - a good one to listen to.
 
Mostly right now I see your pics and am jealous! I've only had my plants for a few weeks, so they are much, much smaller than yours. Plus we keep having chilly temps - it's 62F here right now and supposed to get down to 54F tonight - so they're being slower than I want. Ah well, this is how we learn patience, right?
 
I believe as stated above the plant has had some root rot going on. I would dig it up carefully at this point and wash the roots to see how they look. Either way take a good bit of the soil out and replant if signs of live root exist with fresh soil. Also while some may say 16-10-10 is fine I would say a 10-30-20 liquid fertilizer would be better to nurse it back to health. The liquid fert will be used rapidly by the pepper if there are roots to absorb it. All plants of the nightshade family are high phos low nitrogen plants and pushing veg growth when the roots are weak does not help. What kind of pepper is this ? 
 
Well I dug it upaand it wasn't very wet. I stopped watering for a week to allow everything to dry out and now he is dead :(. The root ball was less than an inch deep. Now I only have first year plants again.

Not the worst outcome, but I had hopes for it.

Well on to battling tomato blight (it seems).
 
FWIW I love your irrigation setup ..doing the same next year to our garden after we raise it and my pepper containers ....
 
matt up north said:
Well I dug it upaand it wasn't very wet. I stopped watering for a week to allow everything to dry out and now he is dead :(. The root ball was less than an inch deep. Now I only have first year plants again.

Not the worst outcome, but I had hopes for it.

Well on to battling tomato blight (it seems).
Click to expand...
Guess most of the roots had died off already. Too bad, but at least you have your little ones!
Good luck in the tomato patch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top