Habanero growth

[Conrad_Turbo]

My first post here and my first season growing plants...literally. Started with growing Mint in a planter pot next to a window for Mojitos in January and got hooked!

I am picked up a few pepper plants, tomato plants and cooking herb plants from some local green houses and began growing. I am particularly wondering about my habanero's. You can see them on the right (there is 12 habanero plants total) as of June 1st.

On June 6th I transplanted 6 of them into a hydroponic setup (ebb&flow).

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

I have been using Advanced Nutrients with "Rooted Cuttings & New Plants" for the first three weeks,

June 17th

Had a lot of flower pods beginning to form, and a few of them began to drop. I figured the plant was a bit too small to begin bearing peppers so I stepped it up to "Vegetative Growth" for the past week.

July 5th

The farthest hab is 18.5" tall and the smallest is 10.5". The smaller ones were hit with aphids 2 weeks ago so I'm assuming that may have had something to do with it's slightly slower growth.

I wish I could give them more sunlight, but the place they are in is the best place in the house for the hydro setup.

The questions I have are:
1. How are they doing (in terms of growth rate)?
2. When should I switch over to "Pre-flower" or "Flowering" nutes? I know the habs have a slow growth rate, but I'm not sure when they are ready to bear peppers.
3. Should I pinch off the top to encourage a bushier plant? How do you pinch off the plant? I've never done that before.
4. What is the typical height/width of a habanero plant?

Any info would be fantastic!

 

[lavish]

Very nice setup, monster-growth, hydroponics seems like the way to go. Im starting with dripfeed hydro next time around, im a little nervous it will be complicated with the EC/pH controlling

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

Very nice setup, monster-growth, hydroponics seems like the way to go. Im starting with dripfeed hydro next time around, im a little nervous it will be complicated with the EC/pH controlling

Ya I am very surprised with the growth as opposed to the six that I planted in the garden!

Anyone have any insight to my questions?

 

[PepperLover]

nice

 

[POTAWIE]

1. They are looking good but a little leggy. Are they getting only window light?
2. I'd use a well balanced all around fertilizer and skip the budding nutes. Peppers continue to grow and flower at the same time and don't go into a budding stage like the plants which these nutes are generally made for.
3. Pinching is up to you, it'll make a shorter bushier plant but I find the earlier you pinch the better
4. Plants will keep growing as long as you keep feeding them nutrients and light. I've had chinenses over 8ft tall, but I generally like shorter, bushier plants

 

[LGHT]

This is my first year growing so please take my responses lightly. I only have a few habs, but my chocolate looks nothing like that.

It was grown from seed 2 months ago under MH light then recently put in the dirt a week ago. It's short and bushy.

1. How are they doing (in terms of growth rate)?

Seems to be growing up due to the limited amount of light available.

2. When should I switch over to "Pre-flower" or "Flowering" nutes? I know the habs have a slow growth rate, but I'm not sure when they are ready to bear peppers.

I have read when they are growing outside or via natural light they will start to bud on their own. If you want to continue to focus on vegetative growth pinch the buds until your ready then start giving them nutes that will help the fruit.

3. Should I pinch off the top to encourage a bushier plant? How do you pinch off the plant? I've never done that before.

I have several plants that started to show buds after 4-6 weeks and although they where probably big enough I read that you will have less fruit sooner if you allow them to grow or you can pinch and have more fruit later. I just grab the bud and "pinch" them between my fingers or use a small knife.

4. What is the typical height/width of a habanero plant?

Mine is about 2 months old and is only 12" or so high, but is also about 12" wide. Here is a pic of my chocolate hab.

 

[willard3]

Use great care with nutrients. Like Potawie, I don't change NPK ratio ....I've done it and it hinders growth and fruiting. Chiles are not very adapted to field-cropping where change in NPK works well.

As a principle, underfertilize chiles. You will learn with time, but initial inclinations to increase fertilizer are wrong.

 

[Blister]

I'm curious as to the change in nutrients as I've been giving my seedlings a shot of 10-52-10 to really stimulate the root growth at first. I've transplanted a few seedlings and have noticed that they are really developing a strong system. I was then planning on switching over to a 15-15-30 Tomato fert based on advice from the owner of the local nursery here in town.

I guess my question would be is if you guys are talking about chilies in soil (containers, gardens etc.) or are you taking about hydro setups? Or just chilies in general?

 

[Pepperfreak]

I know nothing about growing hydro, but your setup and plants look great.

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

Potawie, they do seem to be leggy...and yes they are only getting window light. It's the best window in the house to put plants, except it's a West facing window and there is a 50' tree about 15' in front of the window. There is a lot of sunlight that enters the window and about an hour of direct sunlight between 4-5pm. Not the best, but maybe pinching the top may force bushyness and reduce the leggyness of the plant due to the less than ideal amount of light?

I will tone down the nutes, I am noticing after a week and a half that some of the leaves on the bottom of the habanero plants are dropping. I will tone down the nutes to just a bit more than "Rooted Cuttings & New Plants". Thanks for the heads up too willard3.

I sure don't want an 8' tall plant in the house, short and bushy is fine with me too. So you'd just recommend that I clip the top (about an inch down?) and that will promote the bushyness?

LGHT, I'm just wondering how thick does the stem need to be before it can bear peppers? Or the average height/diameter the plant may be before producing a good qty of peppers? I don't want it to produce small tiny peppers when I could have forced the veg. growth a bit more to encourage larger pepper production. Know wht I mean?

You chocolate hab looks awesome!