Newbie looking for more answers

[BuckeyeRed]

My Caribbean Red outgrew the grow chamber it was in. It was flowering so much and had a couple dozen peppers popping out so I didn't want to cut it back. After disassembling half the grow chamber to keep from damaging the plant, I moved it to a south facing window. The foliage immediately relaxed/opened up and the habanero seemed to actually like the window better. The peppers turned red one by one and almost sent me to the hospital after sampling one! Needless to say I was very happy with my first hot pepper growing effort. Now for the questions.

After a few days the flowers began falling off by the dozens. It still appears very healthy as the branches and leaves continue to multiply daily but flower and pepper production has come to a stand still. Should pepper production be continuous? Is this the natural growth cycle or did the move cause it? I want to eventually move it outside in a couple months(I'm in central Ohio) and I thought going with natural light through the window would help in the transition. Will it flower again during the summer?

I guess I need to apologize for so many first timer questions. I've never grown vegetable plants indoors, let alone a hot pepper, and I am having a hard time telling what is being caused by the environment and what is natural for this plant variety.

Thanks in advance for any advice...

 

[Pam]

First off, congrats on doing a wonderful job with your peppers!



What's the temperature difference between the growth chamber and the window? My guess would be the air close to the window is cooler and is making the flowers drop. Cool nighttime temperatures are one of the major causes of flower drop.

 

[BuckeyeRed]

Thanks Pam. I didn't even think about the temp. The grow chamber stayed at about 80 with the lights on. We keep the house at 68 at night. I guess its missing the heat of the CFL's.

 

[wordwiz]

Buckeye,

68 is not all that cool - during the summer in Cincy we have a lot of evenings with temps in the low-mid 60s and usually a few in the upper 50s.

It may be the plant is adjusting to the amount of light. I get over 100,000 lumens in my window on a partly sunny day, at least five times what my bulbs put out. A real bright day and the meter may read 120,000 or more.

Mike

 

[Pam]

Oh my beloved wordwiz, how I do love to quibble with you!

If the plant is sitting close to a window, wouldn't the temperature probably be below 68F? That and the fact that it was an abrupt change is enough to knock off a few blossoms.

 

[millworkman]

Could be both. Try cutting it back a little and putting it back in the chamber till you get some more fruits then back to the window.

 

[BuckeyeRed]

I know it sure seems to like the natural light. I have to rotate it almost every day and its still growing like crazy after 10 days in the window - but not many flowers. The foliage is dark green and very shiny so I think its getting what it needs. I'll have to put my thermometer in the window and watch the temps.

 

[AlabamaJack]

to me the answer about dropping flowers is simple....the plants environment changed, therefore the flowers dropped and will continue to drop until the plant gets acclimatized to its new location and environment...now, this is my opinion and I am sure others will have theirs...

 

[willard3]

Plant temperatures at a window radiate to the outside when the sun goes down; the air temp may be room temp, but the surface temp of the chile will be much lower.

Either bring it further into the room or pull the shades.

Flower drop probable causes:

1. Day temp too high >95F
2. Night temp too low