Pepper plants not growing any further

[ItsEssexRob]

Can I ask, where do the buds start forming? I have noticed on my scotch bonnet plant small 'buds; coming in between each leaf and the stem. Do they need to be outside for pollination to occur via insects?

[Newton]

Your buds are forming......be patient! I think chillis and peppers have a range of maturity times in ideal conditions ranging from around 100 days. This year it may take longer.

I had great success with sb last year in the greenhouse in both the soil and morrisons buckets. Cayenne and padron pepper too.

This year I have sweet California , choc habanero and bhut jolokia all going ok so far!

Good luck

[ItsEssexRob]

Since I am growing the SB indoors will I need to 'hand pollinate'? Is this a simple process?

Thanks

[rustylady]

Peppers and chillies are like tomatoes - they tend to fertilise themselves. To help them along tap the plants in the mornings when the flowers are fully open.

[Leeds_lad]

Since I am growing the SB indoors will I need to 'hand pollinate'? Is this a simple process?

Thanks

Yeah it's easy as pie =). Just tap the flowers each day or give them a light mist with a mister.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine are two inches tall and showing not the slightest inclination to grow.

Mine neither ~ they've done precisely nothing since March. I've just potted them up into fresh compost to see if that makes any difference. I think I'm having my first ever chilli-less year
(the tomatoes are going great though)

[Leeds_lad]

My sweet peppers are going sloooow as well. Barely a foot high and no sign on flowering. Getting a bit worried

[Pa Snips]

Can I ask, where do the buds start forming? I have noticed on my scotch bonnet plant small 'buds; coming in between each leaf and the stem. Do they need to be outside for pollination to occur via insects?

Here's a little run-down for you. This is a Cayenne chilli, not a sweet pepper, but the same applies for both.

When your plant gets to a reasonable size...



Buds should appear on side-shoots from the stem...



After a few days the bud should produce a flower...



At this point you need to 'stir up' the pollen inside the flower. I do this by flicking the stem, just behind the flower's stalk. If pollination is successful the petals will fall off in a ring and the bud will look much like it did before, but will now have a stigma sticking out of it...



Shortly after, the pod will begin to poke out...



I hope that helps.

PS...sorry for the poor quality 'photos, bad lighting I'm afraid.

[ItsEssexRob]

Good photos thanks :-). Ill try and take some of mine tomorrow. My scotch bonnet is about 18-20 inches tall but only has one stalk not bushing out like yours. Are Cayenes different? My sweet Peppers are only about 6-8 inches tall though .

[Pa Snips]

I don't know, Rob, my chillies and sweet peppers have all forked on the main stem. If I remember, which is doubtful I'll post up some 'photos of my sweet peppers tomorrow.

[Maccabee]

So not just me then. Most of my peppers/chillies haven't shifted in weeks. And the later sowings are ahead of the earlier ones, although that may have something to do with stronger compost. I don't like the idea of being without chillies

[hamamelis]

I'm having the same trouble with mine- my cayenne are about 8" high, though they're looking quite nice and bushy and otherwise healthy, and have put on a bit of growth lately, so they might do *something*.

My choc habaneros on the other hand have a grand total of 6 leaves each, and to say they were 2" tall would be an exaggeration to make them feel better about themselves. All planted within a week of each other in february...

It's my first try growing them, so it's quite reassuring to hear this is probably just a bad year.

[GreenTricky]

I have a variety in the windowsill and they are all stuck at 6-8 inches and seem to of been for ages, although a couple have a few buds on. Not sure if they need biggger pots, are in 3" pots, or some feed, or its just not warm enough, they just dont like growing it seems

[BUFFS]

it seems a bad year for sweet peppers round here,all the other types started okay but no sweet peppers,and when i asked 4 friends they were in the same position,all the other types have grown okay, but not the much wanted sweet peppers,for the first time in 30+ years i had to go and buy some young plants from a shop,now i have them potted up and growing on in the g/house,i wonder if its the long cold spell that stopped them germinating as it did go on for weeks on end...

[Leeds_lad]

it seems a bad year for sweet peppers round here,all the other types started okay but no sweet peppers,and when i asked 4 friends they were in the same position,all the other types have grown okay, but not the much wanted sweet peppers,for the first time in 30+ years i had to go and buy some young plants from a shop,now i have them potted up and growing on in the g/house,i wonder if its the long cold spell that stopped them germinating as it did go on for weeks on end...

It's not just germinating, even as full established plants they are doing so bad. My sweet peppers, in a green house, are barely growing at all. Getting worried, i'd expect them to have buds by at least now!