A couple of pepper-growing questions...

Roo

Roo

I have a small crop of peppers, including my two jalapeño plants and one poblano plant. The jalapeños came from Home Depot and the poblano came from a plant/herb sale - so I thought for sure it would be good.
 
This is the first year I've tried poblano, so maybe it's just a slow developer and I'm not aware, but I planted everything in late April and have yet to see a pepper. It flowers plenty, but they all dry up and fall off without forming peppers. Do I need to be doing something special to get peppers from this guy? 
 
As for the jalapeños... I might just be impatient (okay, I'm definitely impatient) but I usually pick them green and don't bother waiting for them to ripen. However, this year I'm determined to harvest seeds for next year, so I'm leaving at least one of every pepper on the plant until it gets ripe. Some are coming along nicely, but I have yet to get a ripe jalapeño - how long does it take for jalapeños to turn red? Same question for cherry hot peppers - the plant came from the plant/herb sale and has 10+ peppers on it, but they're all green and show no signs of turning. 
 
Thanks :)
 
if its dropping blossoms something is wrong. common causes are too hot, lack of pollination, nitrogen abundance/phosophorous deficiency.
 
they take a while to turn red, like a month or more.
 
juanitos said:
if its dropping blossoms something is wrong. common causes are too hot, lack of pollination, nitrogen abundance/phosophorous deficiency.
 
they take a while to turn red, like a month or more.
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Is there a good way to tell what's wrong, or should I find solutions for all the potential problems and try them one at a time? I doubt heat is the problem...We have 90+ days but tend to hover in the 80s with heavy humidity. Could be lack of pollination... I have no idea what nitrogen abundance/phosphorous deficiency mean (well, apart from the obvious - too much nitrogen/too little phosphorous). 
 
I suppose I'll just have to be patient with the jalapeños! Patience...Ugh! :lol 
 
Roo said:
I have a small crop of peppers, including my two jalapeño plants and one poblano plant. The jalapeños came from Home Depot and the poblano came from a plant/herb sale - so I thought for sure it would be good.
 
This is the first year I've tried poblano, so maybe it's just a slow developer and I'm not aware, but I planted everything in late April and have yet to see a pepper. It flowers plenty, but they all dry up and fall off without forming peppers. Do I need to be doing something special to get peppers from this guy? 
 
As for the jalapeños... I might just be impatient (okay, I'm definitely impatient) but I usually pick them green and don't bother waiting for them to ripen. However, this year I'm determined to harvest seeds for next year, so I'm leaving at least one of every pepper on the plant until it gets ripe. Some are coming along nicely, but I have yet to get a ripe jalapeño - how long does it take for jalapeños to turn red? Same question for cherry hot peppers - the plant came from the plant/herb sale and has 10+ peppers on it, but they're all green and show no signs of turning. 
 
Thanks :)
Click to expand...
 
 
I had a similar problem with my habanero plant dropping the blossoms.
 
The plant was super healthy, green growth, flowers budding all over, but they would shrivel up when the time for the pod to happen came.... I got worried but it just took another 3-4 weeks and finally the pods started sticking and now I've got 6 active pods and it's going nice and strong. If you get your flowers, use your finger lightly to rub the inside and gather pollen, then rub another flower and do that in a chain to help spread the pollen.
 
Other then that, really just give it time.
 
As for the green pods, give em time.. I've got some that have been green for months and finally they just turned in the last few days... picked a few and ate em  :fireball:
 
yeah just rub the healthy flowers with your finger to help them pollinate, see if that helps.
 
have you used any fertilizers?
 
oh and another cause i forgot about was pests
 
I'm sure I have some pests hanging around (I've plucked quite a few tomato horn worms off of various plants...peppers and tomatoes) but the plant looks to be in pretty good shape (now that the deer has stopped munching on the leaves). I tried the pollination thing today - hopefully it'll work! If not, I guess I'll look into the other causes.
 
As a side note, the leaves of my two marconi peppers (they're great or giant or grand or something?) were completely stripped by the deer and I'd given up on them - they're leafy again, and one even has a flower! I'm so pleased. 
 
Roo said:
I'm sure I have some pests hanging around (I've plucked quite a few tomato horn worms off of various plants...peppers and tomatoes) but the plant looks to be in pretty good shape (now that the deer has stopped munching on the leaves). I tried the pollination thing today - hopefully it'll work! If not, I guess I'll look into the other causes.
 
As a side note, the leaves of my two marconi peppers (they're great or giant or grand or something?) were completely stripped by the deer and I'd given up on them - they're leafy again, and one even has a flower! I'm so pleased. 
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Peppers are so robust, it's crazy! Strip it down to the stem and within a few weeks, there will be new leaves and buds starting. It's almost a weed....
 
jalapenos should be producing but the poblano is a long season pepper from my experience...
 
roo...I wouldn't save seeds from your jalapenos you bought at the store...I would start some "Billy Biker Jalapenos" (seeds available at Lowe or Home Depot and are a Burpee exclusive)
 
best jalapeno I have tasted and I always grow a few each year...
 
JMHO
 
I got a late start on my Jalapenos this year, they sprouted around April 10th indoors and were moved outside a month later.  The first couple became completely red ripe 3 days ago.  They probably took about 3 weeks from full size pods to fully ripe, or 109 days after sprouting except that I pulled the first few blooms off to get the plant to grow a bit more which probably added a week or two.
 
Flower drop probable causes:

1. Day temp too high >95F
2. Night temp too low <65F or too high >85F
3. Too much nitrogen fertilizer
4. Too much water
5. Low light levels (reduces fertility).
6. Very low humidity (reduces fertility)
7. Poor air circulation (air circulation contributes to pollination).
8. Lack of pollinating insects.
9. Size of pot
10. Too much mineral in feedwater.
11. Too much grower attention/anxiety.
 
lol @ Willard....
 
this should be required reading for new members...even before they are "allowed" to join....
 
this information has been used by numerous people over the years to answer the "flower drop" issue...
 
one of the best answers ever...
 
I can rule out 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11. I'll look into 3, 8, and 10!

AlabamaJack said:
roo...I wouldn't save seeds from your jalapenos you bought at the store...I would start some "Billy Biker Jalapenos" (seeds available at Lowe or Home Depot and are a Burpee exclusive)
 
best jalapeno I have tasted and I always grow a few each year...
 
JMHO
Click to expand...
You've convinced me - I'll look for those seeds next year instead of saving these! Plus it means I get to eat the peppers when I want and not wait for them to ripen (though I'm determined to let at least one get red..) :D
 
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