Newbie to hot peppers and full of Q's...

DarkTrak

DarkTrak

Hey all, just recently started growing hot peppers. I have an odd setup but it seems to be working well except for some strange issues. My Jalapenos grown from seeds have sprouted up to about 6" high, have already flowered and produced one pepper per plant, and just seem to have stopped growing and all the leaves have turned a yellowish color and pointed straight up. any ideas?

My bhut Jolokia plant grown from a seed, has done well until recently. it is approx 14" tall and about 8-10 halfway mature pods are hanging. The leaves have shriveled and become brittlealong the edges(some completely shriveled up) and gone from slightly drooping, to curving upwards. (think I may have fixed this with some epsom salt spray and less watering as I see some new growth forming)

And finally my marble pepper plant is doing the same thing but it's a short chubby, dense little 5" bush with like 6 lame peppers on it. Spritzed with epsom salts and they seem to be waking up a little.

My main question is: How often do I need to water these plants?? I thin I may be over watering them but Im not sure. the dirt in the containers is plenty deep, and well drained but I usually soak the dirt every 2-3 days. Usually waiting intil the dirt on top is dry and fluffy. I have read that ypu only need to water like once a week in arid conditions??
 
When a plant has pods at a young age it dedicates most of its energy into reproduction instead of growth.
Alot of people pinch early buds untill the plant grows to a more mature size and is capable of sustaining more pods and continued growth.
You should water your plants when the soil gets dry or when your plants begin to wilt. Pepper plants dont like to have have wet roots all the time.
You can also tell by lifting the pots (if in containers) the pot will be alot lighter when the soil is dry rather than wet or moist.
 
I am new too, but you may be over watering. 2-3 days is probably too often, but you are in Hawaii and the climate there is different than most parts of the world. I've read that if you dig a small hole in your soil about 2" deep and the soil is dry, then water. Post some pictures so the more experienced chileheads can chime in and give suggestions.
 
Thanks guys. Ill post pics as soon as I get to the house and upload them to photobucket. Is this forum like all the other ones where you can just paste the IMG code into the reply section?
 
DarkTrak said:
Thanks guys. Ill post pics as soon as I get to the house and upload them to photobucket. Is this forum like all the other ones where you can just paste the IMG code into the reply section?
Click to expand...

Thats right.
 
Oh yeah...one more Q before I head home from work and snap some pics...are these plants self supporting or do they need help being help up like tomato plants??
 
Thanks! thats what I was thinking just didn't know for sure. These Bhut's are killing me! everytime I walk out to the garden and look at this plant, I want to just snap one off and try one! Gotta be patient...:(
 
I use stakes for the peppers in the ground 4 or 5 feet long plastic with a steel core. I use bamboo stakes in the 5 gallon pots.

Welcome to the forum! Do you know of any Hawaiian hot peppers besides the Hawaiian chili and the waialua pepper listed at the U of H college of agriculture and human resources ? There seem to be lots of farmers markets on Oahu and the big island. Just looking for any local or little known peppers.

Thanks Mike
 
There aren't any that I know of...except that YouTube guy with the Bhuts on North Shore...might inquire there.
 
Here are some of my bhut and marble...they need help.

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I try to just wet the soil but some does get on the plant. Are marble peppers supposed to be so short and bushy? Also, i just tried one of the few jalapeños that fruited and it was quite possibly the hottest jalapeño I have ever eaten...like get the hiccups almost immediately hot...could this have been a cross pollenation from my bhut plant??
 
DarkTrak said:
could this have been a cross pollenation from my bhut plant??
Click to expand...

Only if your plant grew from a seed from a Jalapeno that grew next to a Bhut, and then you would most likely see that what you have wasn't a jalapeno at all but a cross.
 
They were both grown from seeds that I bought. planted at the same time and grown 3 feet apart. Are you saying that it would have to be a generation later?
 
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