Arizona Growers please help...

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Someone on facebook asked me to diagnose flower drop.  I explained that it is often due to temperature and in particularly the difference between daytime temperature and night time temperature.  Here in KY, I often get flower drop during the transition from inside to outside this time of the year.  I kind of like it cause I feel the plants need to be putting their energy into growing this time of the year.  In fact, I often pinch them off to get a larger plant.  Heck, last historic frost hasnt even come and gone yet.  This is early.

Thing is, this is not Arizona and I have no clue what the season is like there.  If someone who grows in AZ could give me a clue, I will forward it on to him. 

Have already suggested he join THP but I dont see him here yet.  So I am going to make this post and then send him this link.   Hoping he will find better advice than I can give for his state.  Maybe he will join.  Seems like nice person.
 
It will hit 105f here today, 103f currently, with single digit humidity.  All of mine that are in full sun are dropping all flowers.  The partial to full shade plants are setting pods faster than I can pick.
 
Our direct sun is really hard on them currently and it will get worse until we get some humidity along with 115 temps.
 
I'm no expert, and have only been growing peppers for a half dozen years.  But, I quickly learned that here in Tucson, flower drop is inevitable once the temps start approaching 100.  We've had a fairly mild spring this year, with some really weird weather and below average night temps which has contributed some flower drop.  I usually plant out my seedlings in Feb but this year had to wait until mid March. My peppers are slow to get cranking out the flowers and would normally have peppers by this point.  The only thing producing are my Poblano and Bird Aji and Neyede.   
 
Once we hit late May to early June, the plants need some sort of shade.  My greenhouse gets the top covered with 50% shade cloth, which stays on until late August.  The Summer monsoons will cool things down and flowers will start setting again for the fall harvest.  If all goes well, he should have a great crop in October.
 
Hope this helps!
 
 - KeVin
 
What they said...
 
After a reasonably tame spring, summer has abruptly arrived here in Tucson.  Temps soared 10~15 degrees in just a few days. My overwintered baccatum are still holding their flowers, but the more precocious 2016 plants are indeed dropping a few.   
 
Have your friend move the plants under a tree or 30~40% shade cloth.  Grow-bags also help by evaporatively cooling the roots.
 
And tell him not to worry, even if all the flowers fall off.  Just keep feeding the plant and letting it grow.  By September it will flower like mad, set a ton of pods, and deliver ripe peppers all the way to Halloween or even Thanksgiving.
 
If he wants pods over the summer, have him head to the Big Box and get a 'Dragon Cayenne' from Bonnie.  These things love the heat and set a ton of fruit.  Many baccatum, and most of the New Mexico style annuum are also heat tolerant to a degree.
 
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