I thought I would share my two plants I have growing this year and ask for any advice to get some peppers going. One is a Carolina Reaper and the other a Trinidad Scorpion. I started them from seed around early May and so far they are the biggest plants I have grown.The leaves are bigger than my hands and I have never had a plant grow leaves more than an few inches wide. Previously I grew some ghost peppers and they never got taller than a foot or so. Only one of those ever produced and peppers.
As has been asked sooo many times before, I am having an issue with the flowers, or the bulb, in this case falling off. I used to use regular garden soil when growing. What I changed this year was to make a soil mixture of sand, sphagnum, miracle grow organic soil, and a few scoops of black cow. I recently started to spray with Epsom salt and added some tomato stick fertilizers about a month ago. I read that those were a good option to help when the plant started to grow flowers. I wanted to get the fish emulsion but the only available size was a gallon. I'll spray the leaves about twice a week and have watered fairly constant. From the pictures you can see the single bulb that might flower. The rest begin to show and never reach a full millimeter before they brown and drop. Also, in previous years I left the pepper out in the sun. Late last year I brought in the plant I was growing and it doubled in size so this year they have stayed in the florida room. These grew 3x bigger than before, yet I still cannot get any peppers.
Another issue is some of the leaves have tiny holes in them. I assume from a type of insect but I have yet to find any after inspecting. No new holes have showed up in a few weeks though, so I don't know. I realize some of the leaves look droopy. It isn't due to lack of water. I have noticed some of the large leaves never hold themselves up once they get that big. I think some might be ready to fall off as they are the oldest. Last to note I have not pinched nor pruned any of the plants. I was out of town when they were just a few inches over the rim of the pot and they doubled in size while I was gone.
Leaf with holes:
Single bulb and average size of the rest before falling off:
As has been asked sooo many times before, I am having an issue with the flowers, or the bulb, in this case falling off. I used to use regular garden soil when growing. What I changed this year was to make a soil mixture of sand, sphagnum, miracle grow organic soil, and a few scoops of black cow. I recently started to spray with Epsom salt and added some tomato stick fertilizers about a month ago. I read that those were a good option to help when the plant started to grow flowers. I wanted to get the fish emulsion but the only available size was a gallon. I'll spray the leaves about twice a week and have watered fairly constant. From the pictures you can see the single bulb that might flower. The rest begin to show and never reach a full millimeter before they brown and drop. Also, in previous years I left the pepper out in the sun. Late last year I brought in the plant I was growing and it doubled in size so this year they have stayed in the florida room. These grew 3x bigger than before, yet I still cannot get any peppers.
Another issue is some of the leaves have tiny holes in them. I assume from a type of insect but I have yet to find any after inspecting. No new holes have showed up in a few weeks though, so I don't know. I realize some of the leaves look droopy. It isn't due to lack of water. I have noticed some of the large leaves never hold themselves up once they get that big. I think some might be ready to fall off as they are the oldest. Last to note I have not pinched nor pruned any of the plants. I was out of town when they were just a few inches over the rim of the pot and they doubled in size while I was gone.
Leaf with holes:
Single bulb and average size of the rest before falling off:
. The temp in the house never dropped below 63 so there is something else I need to figure out. 