seeds Jalapeno seedlings growth appears stunted

[akash86]

Hi, Im new to growing plants, and I am attempting to grow some jalapenos. I planted some seeds a few weeks ago and they sprouted pretty fast. Its been about 5 weeks since they germinated, however the growth seems to have slowed down, or has it? I am posting a few pictures of the seedlings and I would appreciate if someone can tell me if they are normal size for 5 weeks. I saw a few videos online and it seems other peoples hot pepper plants are much bigger at 5 weeks old.
I separated and transplanted the seedlings into different cups about 2 weeks ago.
Also the cotyledon leaves on 2 of the seedlings have turned brownish black, I dont know what has caused that.
The weather where I stay is currently overcast with rains almost everyday and its going to remain this way for atleast another 45-60 days, hence im growing my peppers indoors.
Are my jalapeno seedlings growing slower than they should be, if yes what can I do to change that???
 

 

[TakashiLM]

What about the temperature and light? Is this a good, full of nutrients soil? There are a lot of things to consider when growing plants in general but they look pretty okay to me. Well, I'd say they are a little bit small for 5 weeks but no worries, give it some time do develop some roots then it starts to grow upwards again.

 

[akash86]

I am using a ready potting mix which is supposed to be good. Temperatures are warm at about 30 degrees Celsius. I place them by the window when its sunny, and otherwise when its raining I keep them indoors and use 2 FLUORESCENT TUBES T5, 8W, 220 VAC, 6500 K (DAYLIGHT), 30CM for supplemental lighting.Pic below  

 

[TakashiLM]

It seems it's all good. So give it some time for the roots, bud. It will get growing faster soon enough.

 

[CAPCOM]

Yes they do appear to be waiting for something. Generally my jalapenos are that size at 2 weeks from sowing. I would stop bringing them inside when it rains for starters. Once the plants go outside, that's where they should stay unless an imminent threat of death exists. Plants grow better in whatever sunlight is available far better than indoors. Other than there size and how long it took to get their, they seem fine.

 

[akash86]

@Capcom if i left them out in the rain theyll drown in no time, we have rains for days at a stretch, with this size they wouldnt be be able to take that.

 

[peppamang]

I think the problem is how thick the soil is. it's monsoon season in India isn't it? Too much rain and very thick soil like that will definitely stunt the growth. Next time, mix in something light that will help the soil drain like perlite. Most growers on here have up to 1/3 of their mix made up of perlite. It helps keep the roots on the dry side and aerate the soil. 5 weeks is a long time for them to be that small, and I couldn't imagine what else it could be. 
 
Do you have drain holes in the bottom of the containers? 

 

[CAPCOM]

By outside I don't necessarily mean right out in the open. Under some form of rain break such as an awning or large tree etc. And in reference to drowning, that is all about proper drainage. If drainage is adequate the plants cannot drown. This is why it is important to assure they are grown is well draining media. As an example, a plant grown in sand or small pebbles would be hard pressed to drown.

 

[akash86]

I think the problem is how thick the soil is. it's monsoon season in India isn't it? Too much rain and very thick soil like that will definitely stunt the growth. Next time, mix in something light that will help the soil drain like perlite. Most growers on here have up to 1/3 of their mix made up of perlite. It helps keep the roots on the dry side and aerate the soil. 5 weeks is a long time for them to be that small, and I couldn't imagine what else it could be. 
 
Do you have drain holes in the bottom of the containers? 

 
Yes, its monsoon here for the next 2 months atleast. The potting mix I am using is extremely light, I bought a ready potting mix online that had great reviews, its light and I am sure thats the soil / mix is not the problem. And yes the containers have drain holes at the bottom.  I am getting a feeling that their stunted growth may be due to the seedlings not getting enough sun light due to overcast weather. I realized a bit too late that this was the wrong season to be growing jalapenos. I should have grown them either in the summer, before monsoon, or waited for this 2 months of monsoon to be over, as they would receive plenty of sunlight then. I am still hoping they will make it to full size. Lets see.

 

[akash86]

This post is 1 month after the original post. I am posting a picture of 1 of the jalapeno plant that has shown the most progress out of all 7/8 of them.
 
So this is almost 8-9 weeks old. Does it look fine? Any suggestions or inputs?
 
 

 

[BlackFatalii]

Well it is growing and making progress at least. But it is still very small and underdeveloped for its age. Especially for an annuum type; Jalapenos usually grow pretty fast. Are you sure that it is getting enough light? How high above the seedlings do you place the light? Is the soil rich in nutrients and have good drainage? The soil looks a bit heavy to me; I don't see any perlite in it at all. But you you say it is very light, so if you are absolutely sure the drainage is good then I guess that is not the problem. But clearly there is some deficiency here. Here is a photo of some of my seedlings at about 8 weeks old, from my 2015 grow, just as an example. These were grown in a regular bagged potting soil, and had been living indoors under lights up to the point the photo was taken. I was using multiple 26W 6400K CFLs for seedlings then. This year I tried 54W 6400K T5s which also worked pretty well. Your 8W T5s strike me as a bit weak for the job, and could be part of the problem. But that is just my guess.
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

[akash86]

Well it is growing and making progress at least. But it is still very small and underdeveloped for its age. Especially for an annuum type; Jalapenos usually grow pretty fast. Are you sure that it is getting enough light? How high above the seedlings do you place the light? Is the soil rich in nutrients and have good drainage? The soil looks a bit heavy to me; I don't see any perlite in it at all. But you you say it is very light, so if you are absolutely sure the drainage is good then I guess that is not the problem. But clearly there is some deficiency here. Here is a photo of some of my seedlings at about 8 weeks old, from last season's grow, just as an example. These were grown in a regular bagged potting soil, and had been living indoors under lights up to the point the photo was taken. I was using multiple 26W 6400K CFLs for seedlings then. This year I tried 54W 6400K T5s which also worked pretty well. Your 8W T5s strike me as a bit weak for the job, and could be part of the problem. But that is just my guess.
 
 

 
 
 
 

Light maybe the issue. Would adding cocopeat instead of perlite help make the soil lighter? Also the image you uploaded hasnt come through, so if you can reupload it . Thanks!

 

[BlackFatalii]

I couldn't say about the coco as I have never used it. Hopefully someone who has used it before will chime in. Here is the pic again, hopefully you can see it now. I was one of those affected by the Photobucket extortion situation, and this is my first attempt at posting a photo from Imgur. Let me know if you still can't see it.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[akash86]

Well mine are seriously under developed compared to the photo you uploaded. But I will keep giving my plants a chance. Anyone have an idea if cocopeat would help lighten the soil mix?
 
 

I couldn't say about the coco as I have never used it. Hopefully someone who has used it before will chime in. Here is the pic again, hopefully you can see it now. I was one of those affected by the Photobucket extortion situation, and this is my first attempt at posting a photo from Imgur. Let me know if you still can't see it.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

[dragonsfire]

Didnt have luck with growing them, they grew ok but no to little heat, strange, El Jefe was allot better and nice heat. grew them at the same time.

 

[akash86]

Okay, weeks since my earlier post where the jalapeno plant was showing some sign of growth (albeit slowly). Two weeks since that last update the plant now looks like this as of NOW:
 

 
 
So its showing signs of growth since the last couple of weeks. 
 
 
Below is the image  of two weeks ago:
 

 

[akash86]

Now at 12 weeks old, my jalapeno plant is this big. Should I be transplanting it to a bigger pot now, or should I let it continue in this container for a few more weeks? How do I know when is the right time to move it to a bigger pot?
 

 

[lek]

Now at 12 weeks old, my jalapeno plant is this big. Should I be transplanting it to a bigger pot now, or should I let it continue in this container for a few more weeks? How do I know when is the right time to move it to a bigger pot?

 
nope. it's too small.
i will give you some examples.   this is when pepper plant is ready for transplant.
 
1st pic (pepper plants in 3oz cup)
2nd pic ( farmer market jalapenoes in 5oz cup )
 
 

 

 

[akash86]

Should I pinch off any buds since I read that would help the plant focus the energy on growing bigger rather than producing fruit. I see 2 small buds appearing, wise to pinch them off?

 

[TakashiLM]

Should I pinch off any buds since I read that would help the plant focus the energy on growing bigger rather than producing fruit. I see 2 small buds appearing, wise to pinch them off?

 
It's up to you, if you want it to grow, you should remove the buds, if you want it to fruit, leave them there.