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Fruiting triggers?

Interesting question. Puberty maybe? LOL. But really, if I had to guess:

1. Size of plant (roots, number of stems, number of leaves)
2. Fertilizing (high phosphorous/potassium)

Or just maybe the plant thinks it's time, because I've seen some plants grow buds before they even look big enough that they should, and others that are quite big and strong yet they produce buds around when the small ones do...
 
It is not the light cycle like with some other plants. You can leave a pepper on a 24 hour light cycle and it will still start to flower. While there are some other plants that will not flower until they get a night time cycle.

I think tomatoes are the same way, but I am not 100% on these.
 
Yeah most plants will start pre flowering even without a night cycle. So I could leave the lights on tomatoes and peppers 24/7 and they would fruit. I understand that, but could they be forced to fruit at a younger age? Also, if kept in light 24/7 how could they use up enough oxygen to be fruitful?
 
You need to remember that a plant's main purpose is to reproduce. When something in its environment changes it can cause premature fruiting and/or premature pod ripening. Rootbound, lack of light, drought, etc can cause plants to do funny things. Try it in the fall to get pods to ripen quick, put em in the dark for a couple days and most will ripen up. Other things play factors too, just sharing info.
 
I have a jalapeno, tabasco and habanero plant that are about 8-10" tall and all have buds that are getting ready to flower. I've been picking off the buds but it seems like the more I pick the more it produces so I think I will just let them go.
 
I have a severe lack of space so I would love for my plants to start flowering early... yet they're not colaborating. Just green growth and no buds.
I'm gonna cut back on the water and give them a fertilizer for flowering plants ( I'm gonna try hidro nutes on soil :shocked:).
Lets see what the next week brings.
 
Personally I have the opposite problem. I have too many flowers and am still in pinch off mode
You can't really trigger flowering very well but if you really want early pods you can sacrifice production and keep plants in a small container and once the plant gets rootbound it will start putting out pods although they won't likely grow to their full potential.
 
Bruce159 said:
Bleash, what is your light schedule? Also, using hydro nutes on soil is fine. Just make sure you check your ph.

Hey Bruce,
I don't have a light schedule as my plants are outside.
Actually thats kinda the problem here...
From what I've heard chilli's tend to produce green growth with around 16 hours of daytime and flower with 12 hours of daytime.
I was trying to "force" them to flower despite the lightning conditions.

Acording to Potawie if the pot size can trigger flower production then thats great news to me because all my plants are in they're definitive locations :)
 
chilehead70301 said:
I have a jalapeno, tabasco and habanero plant that are about 8-10" tall and all have buds that are getting ready to flower. I've been picking off the buds but it seems like the more I pick the more it produces so I think I will just let them go.

That's not big enough yet to make pods. Are they outside or inside? I would keep pinching & let them get to at least 18" if they're outside. It's hard for any plant to reach it's full potential inside. I'm still pinching all my new plants and some of my overwinters that are low on foliage.
 
POTAWIE said:
+1 Generally the more hours of light the better for growth and fruiting, as long as they get a few hours of dark to rest

Potawie,
Does that mean that the 12 hours of light to fruit is a mith?
 
You also require a minimum nighttime (and daytime) temperature in order for pollen to occur in flowers and pollinization to take place. Otherwise it's all flower flower flower and no pods. I keep forgetting what the minimum temp is, but I think it has to be in the low 20's (celsius) for some of the more tropical varieties. I did notice the annuums tend to be less fussy about it, while with some of the chinenses it has to be clinical precision temperature wise.
 
bigt said:
That's not big enough yet to make pods. Are they outside or inside? I would keep pinching & let them get to at least 18" if they're outside. It's hard for any plant to reach it's full potential inside. I'm still pinching all my new plants and some of my overwinters that are low on foliage.

They are outside and have been for the last month. They only get afternoon sun during the week and morning sun on the weekends. This is because the sun sets in the front of my house and rises in the back. Not home during the week to allow them to get the morning sun.
 
I agree the 12 hr thing is wrong. That's for other plants .... African Violets and many other plants. I also think 24/7 is way wrong !! If it works for you fine. But I feel everything needs a period of rest. Nobody but the Tax Man likes to work 24/7 without some rest .

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
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