i could use some guidance

[tjg911]

i'm not sure how to proceed and would appreciate some info from those that have done this.

background - if you read this thread you will see all the data about these plants from day 1 in the 1st post http://www.thehotpep...970#entry525970 but i will summarize things below.

1. i started some fatali seeds on 9/25/11 to check for germination.
2. i transplanted some into a 6 pack on 10/17/11 to monitor how they would grow, i never started peppers from seed before and really had no idea what to expect and had no intention of keeping them for too long.
3. well i just couldn't bring myself to tossing them so on 11/14 transplanted the 4 largest into 4" X 4" X 4 1/2" (deep) pots with promix. i kept them in a south window if it was sunny or put them under a 4' shop light, 2 cool T8 tubes if it was cloudy.
4. i have never added anything to the pots except water (ie they have never been fertilized) and i am doing that just 2 times a week. each plant was getting 1/3 of a cup of water 2x a week. one started to wilt so i increased the water from 1/3 to 2/3 of a cup 2x a week for each plant.

it is warm in here as i heat with a wood stove, typically it is 70-74 and sometimes upper 70's so they are not cold. up to a week ago all was well but i felt that the sun was so weak that it may be better to keep them under the shop light even on sunny days. the shop light is 2" above the top of the plants. i decided that because i noticed that the leaves were lighter green than they had been a couple of weeks ago. i see some yellowing in the leaves, not obvious but if you look the leaves are getting a little yellowish green. now from experience with other vegetables this would indicate that they are way too root bound and need to be transplanted into a larger container or they need some fertilizing. i assume the lightening of the green and the yellowish tint is a lack of nitrogen not a problem with being root bound.

i question whether should fertilize them or are they root bound and need to be put into larger pots? i use nature's harvest fish and seaweed emulsion which is 2-3-1. the plants are 4" tall and the upper leaf spread on all 4 plants is 5" wide. i'm concerned that fertilizing them will cause them to grow larger and require transplanting into a larger pot. i can't plant these outside until memorial day, so i'm looking at 5 full months to go! i know people bring in established plants at the end of the season and sometimes multiple years but these are plants i started in late september. i hope i don't have to transplant them into larger containers cuz i am restricted to how high i can raise the shop light tho it is possible to drop them down to a lower level if they need to be in a larger pot and get a lot taller.

sorry no camera no pictures but i do need some advice from people that have done this before.

thanks.

 

[11010490]

You're not giving them 24 hour light are you? After about 2-3 months of 24 hour light, they will start to die.
Easy to see if they're root bound, just pop them out of the pot and check. If you're worried about them getting too tall, just top them, then they'll just get bushier. If you want them to grow slower water them less and keep them coolish.
That being said, you can get a pretty damn big plant in a small pot.

 

[AlabamaJack]

my opinion on fertilizing is different than others, but, I start fertilizing when the plants pop their hooks...1/2 strength...why...the cotyledons (first leaves on the plant) is where the energy for initial growth is stored...after those nutrients are used, the plant has to feed itself on the medium you are growing in...the seed starting mix I use has absolutely zero nutritional value in it...therefore, I give them something to eat...

I use Botanicare products and if you read the instructions on the label, it tells you what you need at what stage of growth the plants are...although I grow in soil in containers, I consider the way I grow to be like hydroponics...whenever the plants get water, they get food too...

you have found the issues with starting seeds so early...to keep them growing, you have to feed them and give them light...plenty of light for good growth...but, one of the down sides to planting so early is how big the plants will get before you plantout date comes...I start my seeds usually New Years Eve or New Years Day for a plantout date of mid March...I plant chinense first then the annuums because the annuums grow so much faster...another downside to starting so early is pest control...I don't know where they come from, but if you are not vigilant in inspecting your plants, you WILL have aphids, spider mites, etc...it seems they just appear out of no where...especially if they are around other "house plants"...

finished rambling here...

 

[tjg911]

You're not giving them 24 hour light are you? no i forgot to mention the max is 16 hours per day of light whether all shop light or sun and shop light.
Easy to see if they're root bound, just pop them out of the pot and check. If you're worried about them getting too tall, just top them, then they'll just get bushier. If you want them to grow slower water them less and keep them coolish.
That being said, you can get a pretty damn big plant in a small pot. i don't see any roots coming out of the bottom of the pots so i don't think they are root bound. good to know topping them would not harm them. i know plants in spring would be ok with that but i view these differently, maybe incorrectly.

my opinion on fertilizing is different than others, but, I start fertilizing when the plants pop their hooks...1/2 strength...why...the cotyledons (first leaves on the plant) is where the energy for initial growth is stored...after those nutrients are used, the plant has to feed itself on the medium you are growing in...the seed starting mix I use has absolutely zero nutritional value in ityep and promix has zip! i'm surprised they have done so well for so long w/o any fert! ...therefore, I give them something to eat...

you have found the issues with starting seeds so early...to keep them growing, you have to feed them and give them light...plenty of light for good growth...but, one of the down sides to planting so early is how big the plants will get before you plantout date comes..yeah i really had no intentions of keeping them. i hate tossing plants so i wanted to see how they grew, again i never grew peppers i always bought them. now they look so good i HATE to toss them!.I start my seeds usually New Years Eve or New Years Day for a plantout date of mid Marchso that's 74 days, i have read how hard it to germinate peppers seeds sometimes 4-5 weeks and how they grow so slowly so i thought late january was a good time to start seeds but maybe march 1?...I plant chinense first then the annuums because the annuums grow so much faster...another downside to starting so early is pest control...I don't know where they come from, but if you are not vigilant in inspecting your plants, you WILL have aphids, spider mites, nothing, i check them every day i have house plants but i never see any bugs on them eitheretc...it seems they just appear out of no where...especially if they are around other "house plants"...

finished rambling here...

so 1 vote to fertilize and 1 that did not comment. how about some more people?

 

[AlabamaJack]

don't believe everything you read about germination...for most chinense and annuums, they get no longer than 2 weeks then I toss them...I don't have the patience or room to fuss with cantankerous seeds...now, some of the wild varieties take forever to germinate from what I hear and I am about to find out about them to come this January...

the absolute most important thing in germination is constant temperature of ~84-86F and moisture...if at any time after the germination process starts, your growing medium dries out, your new embryos are toast...