Hey guys- ive been looking about this forumf or the last 5 months or so, and have always had the normal vegetable garden since i was a kid, but this is the first season i decided to kick it up a notch! I got some seeds from pepper lover and have had them growing since mid-feb. It seemed like they were all doing good at first, then over spring break, i had my mom take care of them and she over watered them big time, and i lost quite a few. Up to that point, my 7 pod yellows, and my scorpions and also choc. habs were growing like crazy. After this overwatering disaster, i lost all my choc habs, and all but 3 7 pods and all but 3 scorps. The scorps and 7 pods lost a lot of leaves too, so they are kinda lookin leggy, but they really arent, they are just naked lol. I also had choc bhuts and red bhuts, and fatalis growin. all the bhuts were tkaing forever to grow and now, those are the ones that look the best! Ok, im rambling, but my question is this, on an average, how tall or big should they be by this time? I planted them in the middle of feb. I had them planted in just coco and then when they got their first true leaves, moved them up to small clay pots, and some in those stupid jiffy pots (i hate these for some reason) i water from below, planted them in organic miracle grow potting soil, and just 2 weeks ago, started giving them fish emulsion and bonemeal bc the 7 pods and scorps were havin some weird lookin leaves. Ok, like i said, first question, and im might be dumb, im just thinking they are pretty small, or will they go crazy and grow big once they get outdoors?? (im in kansas, so it will be a cpl more weeks until i unleash them) any help would be great!
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Possibly a dumb question..
- Thread starter bigzthamoose
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Man, you are so lucky!!
I've heard lots of really bad things growing in that potting mix!! I started mine at the end of February and they average around 15 (in) plus. What I really want is thick stocks with dark green color. I prefer bushy plants over tall ones anyways, they just produce better yields.
Good Luck!!
I've heard lots of really bad things growing in that potting mix!! I started mine at the end of February and they average around 15 (in) plus. What I really want is thick stocks with dark green color. I prefer bushy plants over tall ones anyways, they just produce better yields.
Good Luck!!
Yours are friggin 15 inches??!!! Wow, mine are ohhhh about 5 inches max. What. the. heck. So its my potting mix probably? Is it too late to fix them?? I have read lots on soil, etc, but is there a brand that is good stuff that i could go pick up? I was planning on just putting them outside eventually, so i was kinda looking past the whole part between gettin them to germinate and sprout to planting outside. =( i fail. lol
Well to start, hello.
Second, good choice on seed suppliers.
Bhuts can vary. I started mine on January 23rd. Some are about 2 feet tall, others are about a foot. Just depends I guess. Also varies on conditions such as the soil, nutrients, sun (or light source) and several other variables.
btw..just noticed your soil. Are you using organic choice? if so, i would recommend getting them out of there. I tried that this season and is probably the worst soil i have ever used. Plants would not grow, it dries out to fast. If you wanna stick with Miracle grow, go get some moisture control and repot them. I have many plants in that soil and it has worked great, although you will find many people that say anything MG is crap...but honestly..organic choice actually is.
Second, good choice on seed suppliers.
Bhuts can vary. I started mine on January 23rd. Some are about 2 feet tall, others are about a foot. Just depends I guess. Also varies on conditions such as the soil, nutrients, sun (or light source) and several other variables.
btw..just noticed your soil. Are you using organic choice? if so, i would recommend getting them out of there. I tried that this season and is probably the worst soil i have ever used. Plants would not grow, it dries out to fast. If you wanna stick with Miracle grow, go get some moisture control and repot them. I have many plants in that soil and it has worked great, although you will find many people that say anything MG is crap...but honestly..organic choice actually is.
It was your post that was on my mind as well as the others that followed thereafter!!
I do have some as that are 2 ft, but the average is around 15 (in) plus.
Thats about where I am at. Several huge ones..average are probably about right where your at
Hey, Welcome. I was using the MG soil in the beginning too just because I didnt know any better and it was just ok as far as what my plants did. This year I reused what I had left of it and mixed it with 2 Huge bricks of promix and have seen much better growth out of this years plants. Started all mine late feb and they are all at least 15" and a couple new varieties I'm growing are over 2 feet! Even if you mix a little MG with a good medium like promix you should be fine. I'm sure peppers have grown in worse places. Good luck!
That seems to be the consensus around the forum!
Personally, I stay away from MG products for one simple reason…they're much better alterative out there.
Good Luck!!
I killed several plants last year with that Miracle grow organic choice crap. Evil stuff as far as I am concerned.
I have never used that in particular, but I have used miracle grow products before and they are pretty evil, I used to use that freaky blue fert on my cacti, and they all grew tentacles and up-rooted themselves of the nighttime to real havoc on my unsuspecting succulents.... Oh Wait.
I'm no spokesman for miracle grow, but sometimes that's all you can find. I have never tried the organic one, I
always buy just the potting mix. It was on sale at home depot so I bought 6 large bags for my earthboxes.
For the ground I buy organic compost. Below is some peppers I grew in miracle grow potting mix. Just want
to show, if that's all you can find for containers, it works.
Raelacea, cacti need special fertilizer that is very mild. Miracle grow was way too strong for them. I don't
even fertilize mine.
This is a gardenpatch, just like an earthbox, in miracle grow potting mix with additional fertilizer of course.
2010
always buy just the potting mix. It was on sale at home depot so I bought 6 large bags for my earthboxes.
For the ground I buy organic compost. Below is some peppers I grew in miracle grow potting mix. Just want
to show, if that's all you can find for containers, it works.
Raelacea, cacti need special fertilizer that is very mild. Miracle grow was way too strong for them. I don't
even fertilize mine.
This is a gardenpatch, just like an earthbox, in miracle grow potting mix with additional fertilizer of course.
2010
I'm no spokesman for miracle grow, but sometimes that's all you can find. I have never tried the organic one, I
always buy just the potting mix. It was on sale at home depot so I bought 6 large bags for my earthboxes.
For the ground I buy organic compost. Below is some peppers I grew in miracle grow potting mix. Just want
to show, if that's all you can find for containers, it works.
Raelacea, cacti need special fertilizer that is very mild. Miracle grow was way too strong for them. I don't
even fertilize mine.
This is a gardenpatch, just like an earthbox, in miracle grow potting mix with additional fertilizer of course.
2010
I agree. I think..no i KNOW there are better choices out there than MG but I think MG does have at least 1 or 2 good things
I agree some of them do majorly suck..like organic choice.
A couple of my plants are growing in MG Organic choice and it seems to have really stunted their growth. What concerns me is the amount of solid woody material in the mix. After a decent rain it looks like I have mulch on the top of my pots...
synclinorium, I would get them out of that mix if it's stunting their growth. I've never used their Organic choice
and I don't think I will. I went to a place called Southern States here in Virginia. They have a brand called Jolly Ranger,
I think that's the correct name. I want to say Jolly Rancher, but I know that's wrong. I may try it next year. They sell
a 2 cu bag of premium potting mix for 8.97.
and I don't think I will. I went to a place called Southern States here in Virginia. They have a brand called Jolly Ranger,
I think that's the correct name. I want to say Jolly Rancher, but I know that's wrong. I may try it next year. They sell
a 2 cu bag of premium potting mix for 8.97.
Some of the Miracle Grow stuff works quite well, I just don't think any of them are the best choice for peppers. Most of them are too high in nitrogen. Peppers don't need a lot of that. Now for flowers and such it can work wonders.
Nothing wrong with coco coir either it just doesn't have any nutrients in it so you have to start feeding the plants early in life.
Once you get them outdoors and hardened off they should do just fine. If it was me I would go with some Pro Mix HP when it comes time to pot them up. Add some compost and find a fertilizing regime and stick with it.
Best of luck to you.
Nothing wrong with coco coir either it just doesn't have any nutrients in it so you have to start feeding the plants early in life.
Once you get them outdoors and hardened off they should do just fine. If it was me I would go with some Pro Mix HP when it comes time to pot them up. Add some compost and find a fertilizing regime and stick with it.
Best of luck to you.
Well - This is going to be a long response, but I am experiencing the same as you. 2 years now.
In January 2011 I used rock wool to germinate Bhuts, Scorps, 7 pods, Naga, Choc Hab and a whole slew of of others. I had over 100 seeds germinate. At the first onset of true leaves I repoted the RockW cubes to MG potting mix in plastic beer cups. I should have thought twice before I made the same mistake again this year!! All of the plants stalled on any further growth. By mid April they were all at the same size as when I repotted them!! All had turned from dark green to a purple/yellow coler.
The issue I experience using MG potting mix is that the top layer dries out very fast, seedling start to wilt which makes you think you have to water them. But the bottom layer is water logged even with drain holes in cups. The transition of roots between the rock wook to the water logged MG never happens. Hence the plants just sit there stunted. Closer look at exhumed plants shows that all the root tips are damaged.
In a PISSED OFF STATE MIND, in march I just grabbed a bunch of soil out of my garden and direct planted new seeds to that soil in gallon containers - no special seed prep at all. The majority of seelings are all going strong now with a number of new secondary leaves. I also replanted a number of the stunted seedlings to the garden soil and they have started to grow again. I am too concerned that this long period of stunted developement may hurt summer plant size. I am hoping not as my experience with the same issue last summer is that the ones that did survive, did grow nicely once they go into the garden.
Note to self for next year - do not use MG and replant to larger pots on initial repotting. I am going to read THP in detail for the best recommended mix to try.
In January 2011 I used rock wool to germinate Bhuts, Scorps, 7 pods, Naga, Choc Hab and a whole slew of of others. I had over 100 seeds germinate. At the first onset of true leaves I repoted the RockW cubes to MG potting mix in plastic beer cups. I should have thought twice before I made the same mistake again this year!! All of the plants stalled on any further growth. By mid April they were all at the same size as when I repotted them!! All had turned from dark green to a purple/yellow coler.
The issue I experience using MG potting mix is that the top layer dries out very fast, seedling start to wilt which makes you think you have to water them. But the bottom layer is water logged even with drain holes in cups. The transition of roots between the rock wook to the water logged MG never happens. Hence the plants just sit there stunted. Closer look at exhumed plants shows that all the root tips are damaged.
In a PISSED OFF STATE MIND, in march I just grabbed a bunch of soil out of my garden and direct planted new seeds to that soil in gallon containers - no special seed prep at all. The majority of seelings are all going strong now with a number of new secondary leaves. I also replanted a number of the stunted seedlings to the garden soil and they have started to grow again. I am too concerned that this long period of stunted developement may hurt summer plant size. I am hoping not as my experience with the same issue last summer is that the ones that did survive, did grow nicely once they go into the garden.
Note to self for next year - do not use MG and replant to larger pots on initial repotting. I am going to read THP in detail for the best recommended mix to try.
Alright, well, im glad i finally joined this site instead of just reading! Crappy to hear how crappy that crap is! lol I have now, 40 lbs of peat, 40 lbs of potting mix, and 40 lbs of chicken manure and also a mix of bat guano, worm castings and other good stuff,,, soooo, can i run with that now? I guess i was just intimidated about soil and just grabbed a bag that looked good. =( embarrassing. I also grabbed 5, 5 gal buckets so i can plant some up in buckets, and the rest will go into the ground! Thanks guys! My little 3 inch, almost 3 month old runts will thank you too!