toomanytommytoes, annie8, SP & 4shoes mystery chilli growing

[The Pepper Man]

I see a few people mentioning that their peppers aren't growing much and are a bit slow this year. I have noticed the same thing with some of my hot peppers. Actually a lot of my hot peppers. They've just barely grown at all over the past 2-3 weeks. I just cannot explain it. I have plenty of 6 week old seedlings that look like they're only 1 week old still. Practically no growth whatsoever the past month or so.

But what is really strange, is that my Sweet Peppers are all flying out the blocks this year. Nice, rapid growth on the sweet peppers and no signs of slowing down, unlike some of the hot pepper seedlings. I don't think I have a single sweet pepper which is a slouch this season, about 95% of them are doing great. Whereas at least 60% of my hot peppers are stalling and not growing much at all. Again, I can't explain it. Very odd indeed.

It's possibly down to temperature requirements, but that shouldn't be as much of an issue as the one I am facing. Even my Padron's are struggling this year and they were my best performers last year and don't need a lot of heat to get going. In fact out of everything, my 2 slowest seedlings are both Padron's.

Since I started growing peppers, this is the most baffling dilemma I have been faced with. It just seems very odd.

[Small pumpkin]

I see a few people mentioning that their peppers aren't growing much and are a bit slow this year. I have noticed the same thing with some of my hot peppers. Actually a lot of my hot peppers. They've just barely grown at all over the past 2-3 weeks. I just cannot explain it. I have plenty of 6 week old seedlings that look like they're only 1 week old still. Practically no growth whatsoever the past month or so.

But what is really strange, is that my Sweet Peppers are all flying out the blocks this year. Nice, rapid growth on the sweet peppers and no signs of slowing down, unlike some of the hot pepper seedlings. I don't think I have a single sweet pepper which is a slouch this season, about 95% of them are doing great. Whereas at least 60% of my hot peppers are stalling and not growing much at all. Again, I can't explain it. Very odd indeed.

It's possibly down to temperature requirements, but that shouldn't be as much of an issue as the one I am facing. Even my Padron's are struggling this year and they were my best performers last year and don't need a lot of heat to get going. In fact out of everything, my 2 slowest seedlings are both Padron's.

Since I started growing peppers, this is the most baffling dilemma I have been faced with. It just seems very odd.

Interesting. That's put a spanner in the works on my theory. I was putting it down to something to do with this mystery selection of seeds we're all attempting to grow. Because it's only some of these (67 ) I'm growing that are refusing to grow. All my proper chillies (I know the varieties and they're getting pampered to a higher standard ) are doing fine. Also my sweet peppers are a little slower this year. Opposite to yours. But I'm putting that down to starting them a little later than I normally do.

[annie8]

I don’t have much experience of growing chillis - just grown small numbers before - so not sure if what I’m seeing is ‘normal’. All mine are inside on the windowsill at the moment. The plan is to get them into the greenhouse mid May once my tomatoes are outside and the gh is a bit clearer. Will be interested to see if they grow a bit faster outside. In the meantime will refresh the compost and move the bigger ones up a pot. Will also start a weak feed.

[toomanytommytoes]

My Lipstick peppers got composted last month. Same as last year: they germinated very well but stopped growing and went yellow when they got 2 sets of true leaves. Treated exactly the same as my other seedlings, which are thriving, and not over watered. The seed was from 2015 though...so perhaps some of this mystery seed is similarly old and has lost its vigour.

[The Pepper Man]

Interesting. That's put a spanner in the works on my theory. I was putting it down to something to do with this mystery selection of seeds we're all attempting to grow. Because it's only some of these (67 ) I'm growing that are refusing to grow. All my proper chillies (I know the varieties and they're getting pampered to a higher standard ) are doing fine. Also my sweet peppers are a little slower this year. Opposite to yours. But I'm putting that down to starting them a little later than I normally do.

Yeah, I am sure there are a number of variables at play that has affected growth - whether that is the seed stock itself being old or below par, or the soil used being a bit dodgy, or a lack of heat has caused them to lose vigour.

I actually selected 3 different variants of Padron, which I purchased in the Padron region of La Coruna in Spain last autumn. Every single one of the 3 Padron types are doing rubbish so far. They're so slow I am almost contemplating throwing them away. I am beginning to think it could be an issue with the seeds, like maybe they were from old seedstock that has lost its vigour, maybe?

The Carolina Reapers on the other hand were rubbish for me last year and very slow to get going, but I have quite a few that have grown really quickly and really well this year. The same with the chocolate reapers. They're doing great, which is the complete opposite of last season.

Just like last year, the super hot Douglah's are performing exceptionally. Very vigorous and quick growing, even in our cooler climate. These were my best performing 'super hot' last year and I expect the same again this year. Unless one of the reapers outperforms it this season.

Got a bunch of other hot peppers that are doing well, so its not all doom and gloom. They just haven't been as consistent, growth-wise, as the sweet peppers this year.

[The Pepper Man]

My Lipstick peppers got composted last month. Same as last year: they germinated very well but stopped growing and went yellow when they got 2 sets of true leaves. Treated exactly the same as my other seedlings, which are thriving, and not over watered. The seed was from 2015 though...so perhaps some of this mystery seed is similarly old and has lost its vigour.

I have had similar problems with my Lipstick peppers this year. After germinating a batch of them, I initially potted up 10. Of which 4 of them did not even come up out of the soil, 2 were deformed mutants and 1 other was tiny and did not grow properly before shrivelling up, so I culled it.

I am now left with just 3 Lipstick peppers. All are growing fine though, thankfully. But they have been nowhere near as vigorous as the Kaibi Round sweet pepper, that they are growing next to.

[toomanytommytoes]

My Padrons are probably the biggest out all of my seedlings, seed bought from Premier Seeds Direct on eBay. Got quite a few spares since they germinated so well; I'd send you some but they're over 1ft tall

[The Pepper Man]

My Padrons are probably the biggest out all of my seedlings, seed bought from Premier Seeds Direct on eBay. Got quite a few spares since they germinated so well; I'd send you some but they're over 1ft tall

I'm slightly envious. Last year the Padron's were my biggest and also my earliest peppers to harvest, around mid June time. That won't be the case this year though as they are just not performing. It must be the seed stock that I am using...

[Small pumpkin]

Potted up 7 mystery chillies into a big big pot.

[annie8]

Think the suggestion of refreshing the compost and giving them a weak feed is having an impact. Starting to look less yellow although some are still tiny. This one with the big leaves is looking a bit ridiculous. I did a search on chilli plants with large leaves and it was suggesting maybe a naga? What do you think?

[Small pumpkin]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]86610[/ATTACH]Think the suggestion of refreshing the compost and giving them a weak feed is having an impact. Starting to look less yellow although some are still tiny. This one with the big leaves is looking a bit ridiculous. I did a search on chilli plants with large leaves and it was suggesting maybe a naga? What do you think?

That does look odd. I like it. Don't think it's a Naga. Naga are a bit more rounded.
Here's my Naga from last year.

[Small pumpkin]

I've gone and done something stupid!
I've planted 3 of my mystery chillies outside in one of the raised beds!
2 of them have cloches on and the other is planted between them so hopefully it'll get a bit of protection. They weren't the most spectacular looking plants to start with, so will see what happens .

[Mitzi]

In my experience scotch bonnets have big leaves but that plant doesn’t look like one of those, so I can’t help.

[annie8]

Oh well. Will just have to wait until we get flowers and fruit I guess.

[Small pumpkin]

Potted a couple up in inverted pop bottles. Thanks for the idea Mitzi.
I've got another 6 or 8 to do. I like it. I've also makes another 6 or so for the planting outside experiment.
And some others to go into bigger pots. Some of them are finally starting to grow.