indoor All flowers dropping (indoors grow)

F

factspot

Hi everyone!
 
First of all, here's my setup:
- 4x2 grow tent
- 300W VIPARSPECTRA LED, 18 inches above the top of my plants
- Fan blowing air above the plants
- Two habanero plants
 
As for growing conditions:
- Fertilized with 4-6-8 chicken manure a month ago, and before that I fertilized with 24-8-16 miracle gro all purpose (switched when I started getting flowers).
- Temperature always between 70F (night) and 87-88F (when it gets hot during the day).
- Relative humidity always between 30 and 70 (usually between 40 and 60).
- Watered normally, every time the top of the soil gets dry I give them a good deep soak.
- Lights are on from 7AM to 10PM.
 
But all my flowers are dropping! I started getting flowers about a month ago, and every single one so far has dropped (along with the stem, no fruit growing after). I tried manually pollinating a few times, but to no avail. I made sur air was blowing on the plants from time to time to induce some natural pollination, but it didn't help it seems.
 
I read a lot on the subject and I don't see what's the problem here. Am I missing something?
 
Thanks
 
 
 
I would try getting your daytime temps down below 80f first, and go from there. If your leaf surface temps get too high the plants can be rather unhappy. If you have an infrared non contact thermometer you can check if your LST is climbing above 90f.
 
@The_NorthEast_ChileMan - I was not sure if I should resurrect my old thread or start a new one since the concern was not the same. Next time I will recycle my old thread :)
 
As for the watering, what would be the best? Should I wait until I see some leaves drooping? Or should I give them less water more often (I read I should avoid this)?
 
@Hafners I'm sorry the temperatures I provided were not quite accurate, I screwed up my °C -> °F conversion! It's more "between 65F (at night) and 81-82F (when it gets hot during the day). I don't have an infrared thermometer unfortunately to check my LST, however that got me thinking. My LED lights have two infrared LEDs. Is it possible this is providing too much heat to my leaves / flowers? This heat would most likely not be picked by my thermometer since it's not directly under my light...
 
Thanks for your help!
 
I'd love to see pics of the plants... and NOT under the LED lights if you can. LED's are too red and blue so the PIC's look..... just bad.
 
Anyway, I'm not an expert by any expanse of imagination... but I have had two grows where I had problems with flower drop.  While I haven't been able to exact the cause, I suspect it was either way too much ferts (SO, way too happy in the nutes dept)(in my case hydroponic), or the humidity was too high.  I grow in tents with hydro nutes, but the plants don't care about soil vs hydro.... they want and eat what they need.
 
If I were a pepper plant, and I was dropping my flowers... I would have to ask myself "why am I dropping my flowers" ? I would no doubt then answer myself " Because I'm not ready to flower ! ".  Then I would ask..."why am I not ready to flower?"... the only answer that I could give myself is that "Why would I want flower when it's all I have to do is grow ?  I meant really.... the condition for GROWING are fantastic !!!  Why in the hell would I flower now ??? "
 
Maybe you could stop with the tender love you give your plants. Cut WAY back on the nutes and water... let that plant think that its life is in doubt.  I'm confident that the plant will produce flowers and fruit when it feels like life is.... terminal.
 
Again..... I don't know for sure. I'm just saying.
 
Good luck and Happy Growing !
 
Jeff
 
 
 
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.
 
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