Peppers not growing.

[Kirk]

Planted out 2 red and 2 yellow peppers about 4 or 5 weeks back.
Nice healthy ones.
They have grown not a bit.

The tomatos near them have gone from 4" to about 18" and really filled out, but the peppers are literally the same as the day when they went in, no bigger and no loss of leaves.

[Jungle Jane]

Can you see little flower buds appearing? Pepper plants are slower growing & shorter plants than tomatoes,so they won't shoot up in growth,it could be that they're growing but compared to the tomatoes growth,it makes it look like it's not growing? Only one of my plants has peppers on it & it's only 14 inches or so tall,some of my plants are just leaf & some plants have tiny flower buds near the top of the plant. I fed all mine with tomato feed today,potassium helps the plants to flower & fruit.

[Kirk]

Nothing on them, buds flowers anything, and the height is measured against a steel rule, not comparitive. They have simply sat there looking healthy but not actually done anything.

Suppose it is a bit too late to move them, but equally nothing to lose by moving them either.

[Nicos]

I don't know much about peppers/ chilis, but I wonder if the night time temperatures are holding them in check?
Are they handy enough to fleece up at night and remove the next morning?

Just a thought?

Having said that, my outdoor ones aren't doing much either!
Might try out my suggestion on ours!

[Nicos]

Just found this...

Plants will tolerate a minimum night temperature of 12�C (54�F) but better results are achieved above 15�C (59�F), and avoid temperatures above 30�C (86�F) as this can reduce yields

From..
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=664

Looks like that may be the cause after all?

[chefgage]

Peppers and chillies that grow outdoors always seem to grow very slow in my opinion. My chilli plants seem to have grown so far and then just sat for ages not doing anything. Eventually flower buss have formed. I dont what the weather has been like near you but round here we have had some really nice warm days followed by a couple of colder ones so i dont think the plants can make up there minds.

[Valleyman]

Quick question...

Did you plant them deeper than they were in the original pot? Similar to what you can do with toms? Whenever I've done that with peppers they usually stall, whilst the stem gradually rots under the ground.

[kathyd]

Well I'm having the same problem with mine. Had to write off the first batch I grew so re-sowed, plants grew OK and now in the polytunnel, but staying the same size. Ditto with 2 I bought in from a real nursery grown by people who actually know what they're doing . Our nights have been really hot for the past week or two, so don't think it's that. But also my toms, although doing quite well, aren't as big as usual for this time of year. Plus I have loads of other things in pots which seem to have got to a certain size and then stalled. If in doubt, blame the weather. It's always either too hot / cold / wet / dry / windy...

[Kirk]

Just seems that they have decided to do nothing, for whatever reason.

Been fairly warm here and they are in a reasonable location, not open to winds and they get the sun (when it comes out) they even get watered by me.

Bought them from the local market, there is a nursery/grower there every week. A chilli I bought from the same place a couple of weeks later has shot up, started about 3" now a good 18-20".

Leeks I bought at the same place 2 weeks back have already noticibly grown and become thicker. Leeks were sort of getting sold off at a tray of 20 for �2 - going to have a lot of leeks.

Suspect I am going to have to abandon them in effect. Not overly bothered as they are bell and I would have preferred the longer variety, just couldn't find any.

Suppose I really wanted to know if it were normal for them to do nothing then spring into action, don't think they do that.

[Jungle Jane]

It's not a spring into action plant like a tomato or bean,more of a whispers shh I'm growing kind of plant. I just checked my outside sweet peppers that I thought were leaf only,a tiny flower bud has appeared at the top of the tiny plants (they're green to start with like a green ball). I would leave your plants for a bit longer to give them time,the weather has only just started warming up. All our plants are behind a bit.

[BUFFS]

its the same with my peppers, virtually no growth for 7/8 weeks, but the temperatures have been really low. the weather people just seem to guess at what temps we get, last week they forecast higher temps at night for us than we were getting in the daytime, I think they did better when they were script writing for Morecombe and Wise but they are still showing a sense of humour in their bulletin forecasts, the temps are so low I have lost all my peaches, they never got past broad bean size and just shrivelled up, even the toms are about 5/6 weeks behind in growth and that is also in a greenhouse, we say it can only get better but we have been saying that since 2006 so we do need a sense of humour to grow food round here, that is "as daft as a brush" is how OH puts it....

[Scarlet]

Personally I think you get little return from growing peppers outdoors. Cold nights slows growth right down. I only grow peppers and chillies under glass now for the same reason.

[Scoot]

Well my Sweet Bell peppers are still only about 4 inches tall. I've just cut the tops out to encourage them to bush out which I believe get you more peppers, is that right?

Also, at 4 inches tall, are they doomed never to produce any peppers this year? Should they be bigger?

[Spunky]

Hang in there kirk mine have stalled aswell, my chillies and peppers that have been over wintered are doing nothing aswell no flowers zilcho, we've got a few months left though let's see what happens!

[jonny the plant pot]

As you all know this is my first year are they supposed to look like this at this time.
Please the first 5 in the picture are chillies.