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Pepper Nutrition

7potquezada

7potquezada

Hey guys, Hope you're all having an awesome grow season. Spring is turning out pretty lovely here in California.
Only thing is, though I sowed my seed in early January, I fear that my peppers might not fruit in time (happened to me last year).
My nutes are all organic, but I'm starting to have some doubts that they will get these slow buggers going in time to take advantage of the hot weather which ends late August, early September. I live in Salinas Valley, CA aka the "Salad Bowl". The weathers perfect for lettuce and strawberries, but trust me I've grown up here and the weather is usually 55-69. The warm season is pretty short and never too extreme or consistent. I had to set up a greenhouse to get the heat for my plants.
 
But anyways, should I compromise and go synthetic, or stick to my compost tea and mineral supplements (organic)? 
Just for the sake of speeding up growth since most organic nutrients are slow release (unless its bloodmeal).
 
don't mean to over complicate things but just thought I'd give some context.
Your opinions are always appreciated and valued to me (a noob lol)
 
Take care guys,
 
-Quezada
 
Take a couple plants and grow them under synthetic this year to see if there really is that much of a difference to be worth changing your game plan.
 
I would see how it goes this year and if your plants aren't yielding and you want to stay organic just start your seeds earlier and get them in the largest pots and under the best lighting conditions you can. 
 
.
 
Quezada,
 
What are "mineral supplements"?

willard3 said:
All organic chemicals are the same, no mater their physical form.
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I am pretty sure there is a difference between organic gardening and organic chemistry.
 
They are different in the way they affect soil life. Plants have evolved for co-operation.
 
Sm1nts2escape said:
Tea is no joke. It's a fast absorbing nutrient. I burned some leaves on my tomatoes last year by accident with that stuff.
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Yeah, I made some tea that I spiked with some organic slow-release stuff, and it turned out black.  Opaque Black.  So I decided to dilute it more than my usual brew.  I spilled some on my thumb and my skin turned paper white where it got on me.  Thinking maybe the rock phosphate . . .
Plants loved the diluted stuff, though!
 
mx5inpa said:
.
 
Quezada,
 
What are "mineral supplements"?

 
 
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SEA-90 trace minerals. Ocean minerals pretty much. And Boogie Brew compost tea. I use humic acid granules occasionally from kelp4less.com just to increase the availability.
 
If you're just usng blood meal, tea and trace minerals where are your main sources of k and p?
 
mx5inpa said:
If you're just usng blood meal, tea and trace minerals where are your main sources of k and p?
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I'm not using blood meal, ( i just brought it up in case anyone mentioned that blood meal was fast release organic)
 
My main source of NPK is the tea. It's analysis is 1- 2.6 -2.5
 
Go to Kelp4less and look for their nutrient packs, they have one called the grown pack that is 10-4-10 that should get you going. I don't think it is fully organic but using a mixture I could be wrong! But if anything you could make your own organic ferts by buying different ferts of theirs and mixing them to the correct ratios to suit your needs?

But compost tea is probably your best bet in terms of organic, mixed with the humic acid your plants are getting the most nutrients they can.
 
LawrenceJ2007 said:
Go to Kelp4less and look for their nutrient packs, they have one called the grown pack that is 10-4-10 that should get you going. I don't think it is fully organic but using a mixture I could be wrong! But if anything you could make your own organic ferts by buying different ferts of theirs and mixing them to the correct ratios to suit your needs?

But compost tea is probably your best bet in terms of organic, mixed with the humic acid your plants are getting the most nutrients they can.
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Yeah, I've been considering the kelp4less grow pack. My only concern is their 4 different bloom packs (bloom, early, mid, late bloom packs) it seems as though it'd be heavy on the wallet to purchase all three and then theres the chance of compromising if i only use or two. Lol....aaah the choices... I looked at the Dynagro foliage pro (9-3-6), like how mx5 mentioned. great reviews.
 
Both k4less and this dyna have killer reviews.
 
7potquezada said:
Yes, but how would you go about getting them to grow speedily and with a well rounded diet?
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Have you potted them all in their final pots?
Yes organic is slower as nature works at its own speed but I think the limiting factor is your weather and not whether you use organic or inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers take a little longer to show results but once they get going the plants grow fast enough. I would utilize good organic humus with as much worm castings as possible, kelp meal, alfalfa meal and some Espoma Tomato Tone. That would give you eeverything those plants will ever need.
Sm1nts2escape said:
Tea is no joke. It's a fast absorbing nutrient. I burned some leaves on my tomatoes last year by accident with that stuff.
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What was in your "tea" anyhow? AACT will not burn as there is nothing in it that can burn unless you are adding nitrogen of some type to it.
 
Your climate is the biggest issue here. There are plenty of of balanced fertilizers out there that can give you bigger plants faster, but the plants won't set pods unless they like the temp. The only thing I can think of is grow in containers and move them in and out of the greenhouse as needed to make sure they are getting enough heat.
 
Proud Marine Dad said:
Have you potted them all in their final pots?
Yes organic is slower as nature works at its own speed but I think the limiting factor is your weather and not whether you use organic or inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers take a little longer to show results but once they get going the plants grow fast enough. I would utilize good organic humus with as much worm castings as possible, kelp meal, alfalfa meal and some Espoma Tomato Tone. That would give you eeverything those plants will ever need.

What was in your "tea" anyhow? AACT will not burn as there is nothing in it that can burn unless you are adding nitrogen of some type to it.
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No, they're still in 3.5" peat cups.
 
And true I've purchased a huge sack of worm castings.
The compost tea is called boogie brew. Its a preset blend. The batch I purchased has (Premium biodynamic humus, Worm Castings, Rock Phosphate, Langbeneite, Kelp,Soy & Alfalfa Meals, North Atlantic Kelp Extract, Nutritional Yeast, Organic Trace Sea Minerals & Volcanic Rock Powder, Humic Acid, (70% purity), from Leonardite Shale, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals.)
Mallory said:
Your climate is the biggest issue here. There are plenty of of balanced fertilizers out there that can give you bigger plants faster, but the plants won't set pods unless they like the temp. The only thing I can think of is grow in containers and move them in and out of the greenhouse as needed to make sure they are getting enough heat.
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My 7pot Jonahs podded up last season it was just too late when they did. The weather already started going south, frosts and rain. 
 
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