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Too small for fruit?

menotume

menotume

I am a first time HP grower, and bought eight starter plants from a local garden center. Three of them were starting to fruit when I bought them, and it seems to me that it's too early for that. Our growing season just started a few weeks ago here in SE Pennsylvania. Two plants (jalapenos) are about 6" high, both have one 2" fruit. One plant (Jamaican Hot), a mere 5" tall has a 3" pepper on it already!

My question is: Should they be bearing fruit already, will this slow down the growth of the plants when there's a good 4 1/2 months of growing season left? If so, what can I do to get them into a growth stage again?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, and it's great to be here!
 
Pinch the fruit and any flowers off so they can use their energy to grow bigger, but eat the fruit even green to get a nice early taste.
 
Thank you!

I should have mentioned that one of the small jalapenos is missing already :D
A bit bitter, but good none the less.
 
Update: Went out today to snip off fruit and flowers and found that many of the flowers had already fallen off/receeded. The plants look healthy, I think they are enjoying their new 3gal pots and want to grow.

Thanks everyone for your help.
 
Justaguy said:
Pinch the fruit and any flowers off so they can use their energy to grow bigger, but eat the fruit even green to get a nice early taste.
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So, along those lines, would you say that you do that often? Do you have a general idea in mind for what size the plant ought to be (for that species), and you pinch all the flowers and pods off until you believe it has grown big enough, then you let it take off?

(I have a couple pics of my plants I want to upload as examples, but I'm not sure how to attach them. The only options I see are to add pics from web addresses.)

Thanks!
 
photobucket works for pics
I would just pinch til they hit a for and a half or so IMO. I only ever had one flower too soon.
 
UPDATE: I stopped by the same garden center today and came across a 'hot portugal hybrid' that I could not pass up at 99 cents.

The plant looks like a bonsai lol. It is bushy, well over 40 leaves, yet is only 5 1/2" tall. AND it has one 6" pepper on it! The pepper is longer than the plant is high! There are no other fruits or flowers on it. I can't get my flashcard to work on Win XP64 (grrr), or I would post a pic.

So, any guesses as to why this plant is like this? Lack of fertilizer? Rootbound? (is in 3.5 x 3.5" plastic container).

I'm not complaining or concerned about this plant at a measly 99 cents, just curious.
 
menotume said:
what can I do to get them into a growth stage again?
Click to expand...
Here's a handy trick - feed 'em a fast-acting (i.e. - not time-release) fert that is high in Nitrogen!

This is normally a no-no for peppers, the reason being that it encourages them to expend all of their energy in vegetative growth, rather than in producing pods.

But in this case, that is exactly what you want! ;)

Once it gets bigger, you can then switch back to a fert more suitable for peppers.

menotume said:
UPDATE: I stopped by the same garden center today and came across a 'hot portugal hybrid' that I could not pass up at 99 cents.

The plant looks like a bonsai lol. It is bushy, well over 40 leaves, yet is only 5 1/2" tall. AND it has one 6" pepper on it! The pepper is longer than the plant is high! There are no other fruits or flowers on it. I can't get my flashcard to work on Win XP64 (grrr), or I would post a pic.

So, any guesses as to why this plant is like this? Lack of fertilizer? Rootbound? (is in 3.5 x 3.5" plastic container).

I'm not complaining or concerned about this plant at a measly 99 cents, just curious.
Click to expand...
Definitely the pot size. I've grown had several peppers from seed like that - good way to keep 'em small until needed.:cool: Just put him in a bigger pot, and watch him take off! :)
 
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