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Hi, I'm at a loss. I have a potted pepper plant on my deck. I water it every day, and it looks very healthy. It has several flowers on it, and keeps producing more, but when they ought to begin producing the baby peppers, they just drop off! Is it a heat thing, a fertilizer thing, or an over-watering thing?
Thanks,
Julia
Use 20-30% of recommended fertilizer depending upoin the size of your container. It is possible that the instructions on the fertilizer that are written by the manufacturer, call for a larger amount than needed so you will buy more.
High day temperatures of 95F or low day temps 55F will cause the flowers to fall off so it could also be temperature related.
Not enough magnesium in the soil can also cause the flowers to fall off. This could be caused by significant temperature swings. Try adding 1 tsp. of Epsom salt to a quart of water.
Poor pollination could also cause the flowers to fall off. Try planting flowers nearby that attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds.
If the soil around pepper plants is disturbed while the plant if flowering, the blooms will fall off. They will rebloom and produce if it's not too late in the season, they do in our zone 8, in southeast Arky. Good Luck.
The plant is the sweet banana or pimienta, according to the little sticker.
It sounds like it could be several of these things. When we first got the plant I would find it wilted every morning from the chilly temps, but it would look just fine when it warmed up. But lately the temps have been even (barely cooling down at night at all :>(. It could be fertilizer too, I have been relying on the natural stuff-worm poo tea. Maybe I should put some Miracle Grow in there, just to be safe. If I add the Epsom salt and thats not the problem, will it do any damage? AND, I pulled out a grass root that had somehow got in there-maybe I disturbed the roots just enough.
Thanks for all the hints, sorry for the long dely in responding
Julia
Leave it alone, don't disturb the plant when it is blooming, that is, do not disturb by weeding or racking the soil, water, add a little SuperThrive, EP, fert, good luck!
