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first buds

gmen16

gmen16

This is my first post here but ive been reading everday for about 2 weeks now. This is my first year growing peppers and im already obsessed. Anyways...

im seeing my first buds and am curious as to what fertilizer I should switch to or anything I should change when my first fruits set. I am growing cayennes and red bells. (Habaneros and jalapenos as well but theyre still just babies)

I am using vigoro organic soil and peat moss mixed about 50/50. Just threw black mulch on top, not sure if the color matters?

Ive added lime and sprayed with epsom salt about 2-3 weeks ago. Ive also been adding fish fertilizer with an npk of 6-4-3 I think, every 7-8 days or so.
Im sure these questions have been answered before but curious to see differing opinions! Thanks fanatics!

I should also add im growing in 5 gallon containers!
 
      Plants look great,now stop running outside every 15 minutes to see if the pods got bigger or you have more.LOL That was me last year,I finally calmed down. ;)   By the way from your area it is great that your putting on the pods now.Good luck this season.
 
Anything nitrogen rich.  That much peat moss is going to pull the nitrogen out of the soil.  Not that there's anything wrong with peat moss per se, but you asked...
 
Is it that the peat moss makes the soil too acidic for the plant to uptake the nitrogen? Or does the peat moss actually do something where there is less nitrogen in the soil?
 
willard3 said:
If you use too much nitrogen, your next post will be about flower drop. Don't change anything.
Click to expand...
I 2nd that.
 
Welcome to the addiction. Sounds like you're doing it right. Adding some good compost or aged manure to your mix wouldn't hurt. I like to foliar feed with  MG for tomatoes alternating weeks with an Epsom salt spraying. 1x a month I also scratch some bonemeal in (water it in)
 
Good Luck!
 
peppernewby said:
Is it that the peat moss makes the soil too acidic for the plant to uptake the nitrogen? Or does the peat moss actually do something where there is less nitrogen in the soil?
Click to expand...
 
No, nitrogen is still available in slightly acidic soil.  That would instead increase mineral availability up to a point.  The peat moss does not reduce nitrogen but it binds it up as bacteria break down the peat moss into humus to release back into the soil later, so there is a reduced amount of nitrogen available to the plant for absorption.  The safest answer is always to have a soil analysis done but I have no problems using peat moss rich soil and watering with typical municipal, slightly alkaline tap water in addition to rain.
 
It is true that if you use "too much" nitrogen it can be a problem, but it was posted as though we would assume you would use "too much".  Don't ever use "too much" of anything  ;)  but the fact of the matter is that a fertilizer with a little extra nitrogen is exactly what you need to balance out the peat moss or any other brown-fibrous-rich soil mix.  You can do without it, but your plants will be healthier by restoring the nitrogen level to where it would have been without the peat moss.
 
I am doing this (10/10/10 + 30 nitrogen mix), and using peat moss (and compost and manure and blah blah blah), and do not have flower drop problems.  The key is moderation, frequently giving the plants a little at a time, not a big dose on rare occasions.
 
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