Chilli and pepper problems

[lesleygl]

I have grown from seed chilli and peppers - They are both outdoor varieties. When I put them in the ground about a month ago they were about three inches tall now they are about three and a half inches tall and not doing much at all. Any tips at all please, I tried last year as well but not alot happened then either?

Help please?

[smallblueplanet]

I wouldn't have planted them out when they were so small (and the soil was still quite cold). I'd have grown them on in pots a bit first - maybe a 9/10cm pot for a 3" chilli - until their roots were coming out the pot holes. I've noticed that sometimes some plants don't seem to grow, they're almost bonsai'd, some of our peppers have shot up whilst others are still almost as small as when they were planted out.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't put my chillies outside until they're a foot tall (in June, from a Feb sowing)

[pjh75]

I didn't know you could get outdoor peppers... mine live in the greenhouse for the duration.

[Two_Sheds]

I put my Cayenne outside every summer, they love it

[smallblueplanet]

I didn't know you could get outdoor peppers... mine live in the greenhouse for the duration.

Until 2-sheds mentioned outdoor growing ours were also in the greenhouse only. So I decided to try planting out various types into the raised beds - most chillies & peppers seem to grow ok outdoors (given reasonable weather) quite well, some grow very well. Try it, it's the only way to find out which will or won't like it outside.

[bramble]

Manda, is there any tried and tested varieties that you would recommend for outdoors aside from Two Sheds Cayanne variety.
I tried them outdoors for a few years but didn't have any great success with them. They now stay in the greenhouse but if I could put them outside I could use the extra space for other things.

[Alison]

I've grown Nigel's Outdoor chillies outside the past couple of years and they ripened up here in the wet of last August however I'm also growing some in the polytunnel as well this year and those plants are definitely more advanced even though the outside ones are doing well.

[smallblueplanet]

...any tried and tested varieties that you would recommend for outdoors...

I just tried all and any from my huge number of peppers - surprising which does & doesn't do well...give the spare plants that you grow a go outside.

[selfraising]

I put all mine outside, mainly because I only have mini greenhouses. They all seem to do quite well. They don't all ripen to red but then I just pick them off and put them on a sunny windowsill and they soon colour up.
lesleygl when did you sow them?

[Florence Fennel]

I'm keeping my Cayenne in the blowaway this year. I planted some quite big plants out last year and they didn't do well at all, while the ones in the blowaway were great.

[Two_Sheds]

I always have lots of Cayenne plants, so most of those go outside. Corona del Toro (sp?) and Joe's Long do OK too. (pics in my link somewhere)

This year I am trying a couple of different varieties (Lemon Drop, Holy Mole) which are being mollycoddled in the greenhouse because I have the room.

Next year I will be doing loads more and the biggest toughest ones will go out on the lotty.

[lesleygl]

i all and selfraising

I planted in April, then kept in the greenhouse until about amonth ago. I have given them plenty of feed and water and the weather has been very hot so not sure what the problem is

[smallblueplanet]

i all and selfraising

I planted in April, then kept in the greenhouse until about amonth ago. I have given them plenty of feed and water and the weather has been very hot so not sure what the problem is

They were planted out too small and didn't like the growing conditions, else they'd have kept growing.

[teakdesk]

I planted in April, then kept in the greenhouse until about amonth ago. I have given them plenty of feed and water and the weather has been very hot so not sure what the problem is

Don't panic!!


They will be growing a suitable root system that will sustain top growth later. A good plant up top needs a good foundation down below!!

Don't panic - peppers and chillis are slow growing plants and need to grow over a long season so are started early in the year and given protection at the end of the season.

Feed is probably the wrong thing to do at the moment and do not over-water; they should be on the drier side of normal. If you do feed then ensure you feed with fertilizer suitable for root growth; later on you can feed with a little nitrogen to stimulate green growth and finally feed for flowers.

But, to be honest, chillis do not really need much feed so I wouldn't waste my money.