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Certain amount of blossom drop normal?

FadeToBlack

FadeToBlack

I know this topic has probably been brought up way to many times but I never found a definate answer to this question in the forums. Is it normal for a plant to drop more blossoms than fruit it sets? I have read about all the causes of blossom drop ranging from high and low temps to too much nitrogen. My plants are setting some fruit but are dropping alot more flowers. I just want to know if this is something normal for a plant in its first bloom or is there something i should be correcting. I am feeding them once every two weeks with a tomato fert diluted according to direction and give each plant about 10oz of this solution. Temps are in the upper 80's - lower 90's daytime, and they are watered about every 3-4 days. The PH of the water is 5 and the Ph of the potting mix ranges from 5-6.
 
FadeToBlack said:
So should I cut out the Nitrogen and use Phosphates and Potash during blooming?
Click to expand...

That's what I did, but by then it was already too late, if I correctly understand that high heat for a day or two will affect flowers for a couple weeks thereafter.

Now that things are cooling off here my flowers are no longer dropping, tho nothing else nute wise has changed. Maybe get them into shade and only in sun early and late in the day when its not too intense. I brought my best plants inside to the air conditioning for a couple weeks, too.
 
Now that I think about it, I have one plant in the ground that is getting alot more shade than the other plants and it seems to be setting alot more fruit. I think I will try moving the others on to the shaded porch. Also switch to 15-30-15 bloom booster instead of the tomato fert.
 
My plants would drop 10 flowers for every one that turned into a pod until it cooled off for about a week, then they set almost every flower. I have only fertilized once over the past 8 weeks also, as I wanted to be sure they were not getting too much nitrogen.
 
Yeah, I haven't fertilized for a couple months, too. I agree with most in here that say 'less is more' in that regard.
 
FadeToBlack said:
I will also lay off the ferts for a while as long as the plants continue to look healthy.
Thanks all for your advice!
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The only thing I have given mine is some calcium and magnesium over the past 2 months besides 1 weak dose of 15-30-15. I have been giving mag about every 2 weeks and calcium every 3 weeks. I only supplememnt this on my C. Chinese varieties as it didn't seem to have an effect on anything else I grow.
 
Well the blossoms are still dropping, more so on some plants than others. I have one thats just about the same size as my most productive one ( about 8-10 pods set ) that hasn't set a pod yet. Most of the others have set a few. The blossoms are dropping at the stage after they open and when they start to close to form a fruit. The ones that are falling off I can tell before it happens because the stem of the blossom starts to turn yellow. Daytime temps in the shade still range 86F - 90F.
I'm thinking about bringing a few into the house in air conditioning which is 72F. If anyone has any other suggestions please feel free because its getting very frustrating.

IMG_1325.jpg

This is what they look like before they fall off
 
I know there is controversy about this, but I have noticed that all other things being equal, the plants more suited to the pot size have less problems with flower drop.

As you know, my temps are pretty close to yours, and I have several plants in bigger pots that are dropping flowers like crazy while the smaller pots along side are keeping theirs.

I'm thinking that they may still be putting energy into roots since there is ample room to do so, while the smaller pots are also taking the easiest route, which is this case is the upper part of the plant.

Just guessing, mind you, but seems to be what is happening in my case.
 
Thats a good point Sansoo. That could very well be a part of the problem but what confuses me about that is the 2 plants that are the same size and one has set pods and the other hasn't. They have been treated exactly the same as far as nutes, water, sun, container transplant etc. The only thing im using now is slow release 6-9-0 bone meal once a month. Im just beyond confused at this point. I'd also note that the one I have planted in the ground seems to drop the least blossoms but still drops most of what it produces.
 
You could have found this with the search function and, lord knows I've posted it before.

Flower drop probable causes:

1. Day temp too high >95F
2. Night temp too low
 
I'm thinking now that the troble with the flower drop here on my Chilies is I poted to large. Maybe they stay wet for too long after watering ?
 
I read a short article yesterday stating that the roots should occupy 75% of the pot.

I never heard that before, but would certainly make it more difficult to overwater.
 
When I went from 3 gallon pots to 7 gallon pots the roots were trying to get out of the holes on the bottoms of the pots. Also there was a very big root ball around all sides, like the roots had been going in circles looking for space. I had assumed at that point maybe they were close to becomming root bound. Perhaps I should have left them in the 3 gallon pots longer, I have no idea.
 
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