Reaper & Habanero Size After 4 Months (Too Short?)

[thelapua]

Hi All, 
 
I am growing 4 Carolina Reapers and 5 Habaneros. I started them from seeds. I am growing them in a tent in my garage. I have a 600W equivalent LED fixture set to a height of 2 feet. The attached photo is of one of the Habaneros (Reapers are basically the same size). After 4 months, it seems pretty short given its age. To me it looks more dense than other plants I have seen on this forum. I never gave it fertilizer until two weeks ago where I have been giving it half strength liquid tomato fertilizer. Is there something that I am doing wrong? I have a friend who's Reaper is 8 months old and over 2 feet tall. I would appreciate any feedback or advice. 
 
Thank you. 
 
 

 

[AndyW]

I had a habanero plant in a small pot in a window sill for months that looked like that. Once I pruned it and put it outside, it spread out. Is it at all root bound?

 

[DrOwl]

Hi. Them reapers take forever. I started mine indoors the beginning of March and put them outside around June. I live in Minnesota btw. I'm just now harvesting some. But they stayed short for quite some time, then just blew up a little after a month of being outside. They are probably about 2 and a half feet now. Maybe a little bigger. As far as keeping them in a grow tent, Idk much about that. This was my first experience with reapers and scorpions also. Good luck man!

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

 

[thelapua]

I had a habanero plant in a small pot in a window sill for months that looked like that. Once I pruned it and put it outside, it spread out. Is it at all root bound?

 
Nope, I took one out of the pots, and there is plenty of room for the roots to grow out more. 
 
As for the LEDs, since they work well with other plants, I don't see why they wouldn't it work on the peppers? I am only using the vegetative switch, so its it is dimmer than when the flowering and vegetative switch is on. Should I be using both? Anyone have experience with these fixtures? 
 
At least they aren't dead 

 

[Edmick]

There is a lot of dense inner growth in that picture. I know some people would disagree, but I would cut out some of that that inner bushy growth and see what it does. I've had plants like that but once I kinda thin them out a little they start branching out.

 

[Bicycle808]

I think you could have used more fertilizer... Maybe now that you:ve started feeding, they'll move a bit faster?

I don't know much, but one thing I do know is, chiles don't seem to do as well indoors & under lights a they do outside, under the sun. I had so many stunted plants in the spring that I thought were doomed, but that blew the F up once I got'm outside. Obviously, weather doesn't permit that year round, but you might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you compare your indoor plants to results others get outdoors.

 

[thelapua]

I think you could have used more fertilizer... Maybe now that you:ve started feeding, they'll move a bit faster?

I don't know much, but one thing I do know is, chiles don't seem to do as well indoors & under lights a they do outside, under the sun. I had so many stunted plants in the spring that I thought were doomed, but that blew the F up once I got'm outside. Obviously, weather doesn't permit that year round, but you might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you compare your indoor plants to results others get outdoors.

 
Yes, they have gone 4 months without being fertilized. I hope this helps. 
 
And yeah, i feared it would be said that they grow better outside. I like the idea of growing them inside, such as year round pods, no pests or diseases. I realize that outside is the preferred scenario, but I would like find a way to get results indoors under LED lights. I don't want to feel like an idiot for trying LED. 

 

[Edmick]

There are plenty of people that have great success growing indoors under LEDs. I've seen many posts on here as a matter of fact of some great looking plants with great yields that are grown under LEDs. what part of socal are you from?

 

[thelapua]

There are plenty of people that have great success growing indoors under LEDs. I've seen many posts on here as a matter of fact of some great looking plants with great yields that are grown under LEDs. what part of socal are you from?

 
I am from Orange County. I have seen some nice LED indoor peppers that have looked nice, but I can't see what they have done differently. 
 
Right now, I am using a NPK 3-1-2 fertilizer at half strength. Should I find a fertilizer with a higher N%? and should I increase to full strength once a week? I bottom water 100ml non-chlorinated water every other day or so. The plant is in a 2.9 quart pot. I can't see where I am going wrong. 

 

[cooked]

 
I am from Orange County. I have seen some nice LED indoor peppers that have looked nice, but I can't see what they have done differently. 
 
Right now, I am using a NPK 3-1-2 fertilizer at half strength. Should I find a fertilizer with a higher N%? and should I increase to full strength once a week? I bottom water 100ml non-chlorinated water every other day or so. The plant is in a 2.9 quart pot. I can't see where I am going wrong. 

 

I'm having the same issue as you, with very compact and bushy plants. Also growing in a tent under LEDs, but am fertilizing regularly with high N. This is one of my reapers which is 4 months old, which is forming many buds but I don't see how they can grow in such a compact space. That is a 3 gallon smart pot.
 

 
I've read that when the light is strong, they don't need to stretch for it and will stay compact and bushy. Lowering light levels and/or raising the lights may allow it to stretch out? But i'm probably wrong and someone with more experience can chime in. I've tried raising the lights to the top of the tent and noticed a bit of a difference, but not much

 

[Edmick]

Thin that puppy out and I guarantee its gonna start branching out. Your fert might be a little weak especially at half strength. At 4 months theres no nutrient value left in that soil. I'm a huge fan of worm castings and kelp extract though.

 

[thelapua]

I'm having the same issue as you, with very compact and bushy plants. Also growing in a tent under LEDs, but am fertilizing regularly with high N. This is one of my reapers which is 4 months old, which is forming many buds but I don't see how they can grow in such a compact space. That is a 3 gallon smart pot.
 
I've read that when the light is strong, they don't need to stretch for it and will stay compact and bushy. Lowering light levels and/or raising the lights may allow it to stretch out? But i'm probably wrong and someone with more experience can chime in. I've tried raising the lights to the top of the tent and noticed a bit of a difference, but not much

 
What wattage LED fixture are you using? What height is it from the top of your plants? 

 

[thelapua]

Thin that puppy out and I guarantee its gonna start branching out. Your fert might be a little weak especially at half strength. At 4 months theres no nutrient value left in that soil. I'm a huge fan of worm castings and kelp extract though.

 
Since 3-1-2 is a weak fertilizer, could I do full strength twice a week? At this point I was planning on doing full strength once a week. 

 

[cooked]

 
What wattage LED fixture are you using? What height is it from the top of your plants? 

 

Im using 2x Mars 300 (300W advertised , 132W True), in a 3.3x 3.3 foot area. They are both as high as I can get them so a bit over 5 feet from the bottom.

 

[Bicycle808]

 
Yes, they have gone 4 months without being fertilized. I hope this helps. 
 
And yeah, i feared it would be said that they grow better outside. I like the idea of growing them inside, such as year round pods, no pests or diseases. I realize that outside is the preferred scenario, but I would like find a way to get results indoors under LED lights. I don't want to feel like an idiot for trying LED. 

 
Like Edmick and others have said, you can definitely grow and get results indoors under LEDs.  I´ve seen some incredible stuff from Peter S here on THP, and i´ve been following some of Khang Starr´s videos about indoor grows on YouTube.  I´m inspired to give it a try, and will probably begin as soon as my regular season is over....
 
I guess, I´m just keeping my expectations for the indoor results lower.  I mean, looking at Peter and Khang´s stuff, their outdoor stuff seems to be poppin´ out far more pods than their indoor stuff... 

 

[thelapua]

 
Im using 2x Mars 300 (300W advertised , 132W True), in a 3.3x 3.3 foot area. They are both as high as I can get them so a bit over 5 feet from the bottom.

 
Okay cool. Mine is 600W equiv. Ill raise it high and try to stretch it out. 

 

[thelapua]

 
Like Edmick and others have said, you can definitely grow and get results indoors under LEDs.  I´ve seen some incredible stuff from Peter S here on THP, and i´ve been following some of Khang Starr´s videos about indoor grows on YouTube.  I´m inspired to give it a try, and will probably begin as soon as my regular season is over....
 
I guess, I´m just keeping my expectations for the indoor results lower.  I mean, looking at Peter and Khang´s stuff, their outdoor stuff seems to be poppin´ out far more pods than their indoor stuff... 

 
Right, for me I'm not looking half a million peppers. I wouldn't be able to eat all of them. I just want enough to make some hot sauces and dried flakes or fresh pods for when I cook. 

 

[Edmick]

 
Since 3-1-2 is a weak fertilizer, could I do full strength twice a week? At this point I was planning on doing full strength once a week. 

I dunno if I would jump the gun and go full strength twice a week just yet. I would either go full strength once a week or HALF twice a week.

 

[thelapua]

I dunno if I would jump the gun and go full strength twice a week just yet. I would either go full strength once a week or HALF twice a week.

 
Yeah I agree, I was planning on doing half strength twice a week, then upping it after a month or too. Don't want to fry them. I raised the LED lights as far as I could. Unfortunately, the cables that connect to the fixture only allow it to be 3 feet above the top of the plants. Hope this is enough to make a difference.