Re-potting?

[kas]

This is my plant, identity unknown. Right now its producing buds on every little branch. The pot its planted in is only about 3" x 2.5" should I re-pot it into a bigger one? Also I have some jalapeno seedlings, how big should they be when I pot them?
Cheers,
Karen

 

[Pam]

This is my plant, identity unknown. Right now its producing buds on every little branch. The pot its planted in is only about 3" x 2.5" should I re-pot it into a bigger one? Also I have some jalapeno seedlings, how big should they be when I pot them?
Cheers,
Karen

I would re-pot unless you want the plant to stay small. Limiting root growth lets the plant put more energy into leaf and fruit production, but it can also limit the size of the plant. Re-potting may slow the rush to produce fruit, but, long term you'll get a larger and probably healthier plant.

Haven't you ever seen pepper or tomato plants late in the season at garden centers that are tall and spindly, but still trying to produce one or two large fruits? I always feel the urge to rescue the poor little things, even though I know they won't do well after that point.

 

[kas]

I would re-pot unless you want the plant to stay small. Limiting root growth lets the plant put more energy into leaf and fruit production, but it can also limit the size of the plant. Re-potting may slow the rush to produce fruit, but, long term you'll get a larger and probably healthier plant.


Haven't you ever seen pepper or tomato plants late in the season at garden centers that are tall and spindly, but still trying to produce one or two large fruits? I always feel the urge to rescue the poor little things, even though I know they won't do well after that point.

Yeah I know how you feel, at the moment I have one plant which grew from the same pod as the one in the photo, its not doing so well. The leaves are curled and look stressed, its not tall but it looks spindly with only a sparadic leaf here or there I keep it here because I just cant give up on it.

Okay well the re potting makes sense when you think about it, but should I repot into a slightly bigger pot or much bigger pot?

 

[imaguitargod]

I say go much bigger, that way it have some space to streatch it's legs. And on the plus side of potting large, you won't have to repot again for a while.

As for your seedlings, they are looking a bit leggy. Set up a fan to blow some light wind on them or shake the tray a bit about twice a day to strenghten up their stems. Those little guys should be ready for transplant in a week.

 

[the666bbq]

what I learned mostly from growing other plants like tomatoes, is that plants do need bigger pots from time to time, and that time can be estimated 'on the eye' when plants seem to stall in growing. When I plants stops growing at the rate is was growing before and you didn't have big environmental changes (from indoor to outdoor, or good weather suddenly changes to a period of bad weather) than the plants probably would be happier in a bigger pot.

I learned on this forum that 'stressing' pepper plants from time to time is good to get them bigger and stronger. Is repotting consider one of the potential stressors or is it moderately damaging roots on transplating (tomatoes seem to love transplanting), letting them relatively dry-out (watch out for drying out too much)...?

 

[kas]

I say go much bigger, that way it have some space to streatch it's legs. And on the plus side of potting large, you won't have to repot again for a while.

As for your seedlings, they are looking a bit leggy. Set up a fan to blow some light wind on them or shake the tray a bit about twice a day to strenghten up their stems. Those little guys should be ready for transplant in a week.

Ok will do,
Cheers

 

[kas]

what I learned mostly from growing other plants like tomatoes, is that plants do need bigger pots from time to time, and that time can be estimated 'on the eye' when plants seem to stall in growing. When I plants stops growing at the rate is was growing before and you didn't have big environmental changes (from indoor to outdoor, or good weather suddenly changes to a period of bad weather) than the plants probably would be happier in a bigger pot.

I learned on this forum that 'stressing' pepper plants from time to time is good to get them bigger and stronger. Is repotting consider one of the potential stressors or is it moderately damaging roots on transplating (tomatoes seem to love transplanting), letting them relatively dry-out (watch out for drying out too much)...?

So much that I dont know about this pepper planting business!

 

[Pam]

I learned on this forum that 'stressing' pepper plants from time to time is good to get them bigger and stronger.

Well, I think that stressing the plant makes the peppers hotter, not make the plant bigger and stronger.