Bell Peppers

[Celeste]

Dad's growing Bell Peppers, thought I could ask you for some advice on his behalf. He would like to have a nice bushy plant that produces a few peppers to harvest every week all summer long. Got that one or two years and then not. He thinks maybe its a fertilizer issue, wants some advice on what he should do. His plot that the peppers are in has been heavily mulched for years, He says it holds onto the water very well. I'm thinking maybe too well.

feel free to give me more advice than I need, or ask questions and I'll feild them to him.

 

[cjbrewer5]

If it is holding too much water then I would recommend ammending the soil to drain better by adding sand. Also I use a triple 13 fert every 4 weeks throughout the growing season which helps to promote better growth and fruit. Hope this helps!

Charles

 

[siling_labuyo]

i'm having a hard time too on growing bellpeppers. if ever i get the the plants to set fruit, i only get mini mini bells even if i grow Yolo wonder, sometimes the fruit doesn't even look like a bell at all.. i feed it with weekly with vegetable ferts available locally. hots peppers are doing far better than bells, any advice guys?

 

[kz2zx]

My bells - one Yolo, one Bonnie Red Belle that followed my wife home from Lowe's - are doing OK, but make smallish fruit. The Bonnie's was 3-1/2" in diameter, but shorter than some. The Yolos are about 2-1/2" in diameter and a tad shorter.

Soil is some modified Kellogg's crap from Lowe's, I fertilize with oyster shell, bonemeal, Alaska fish sprayable, and Epsom salts. C. Annum hots do great in this mix, the bells OK (my Pimento Elites are huge producers in this soil, as are sweet cherries).

The bells taste GREAT, so I'm not complaining at all. Made some Mongolian (hah! it's Hong Kong all the way) Pepper Steak the other day that had the wife and kids licking the plates.

(that's sirloin tips soaked in Rice Wine for 20-30 min, then coated with Baking Powder until white and sticky. Sauteed in hot oil, turned once, drippings left in pan. Diced garlic, sliced peppers and spring/green onions in the pan - also from the garden - until limp, then the meat back on top with all juices. Cook it down for a few minutes, then 2 tbs of Oyster sauce (you can skip this if you hate MSG), 1 tbs of Soy sauce, I use Pearl River Bridge Light, and a dusting of flour. Turn after flour has a chance to expand, to coat everything evenly, then serve on white rice. A quick 15-minute dinner for a summer night family meal).

 

[Exavier]

I've had fun growing bells in Thailand so have just planted 25 seeds hoping to start again. But had the same mini bells and no good sized ones but all mine looked like bell peppers.