How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to height,
I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants were
far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds tended to drop
off on their own. And when the heat went away, the nights were too cool for
them and the fruit never really reached its best. I got some nice, but
small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July. June
here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are about 9
inches tall at the moment.

In article ,
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to height,
I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants were
far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds tended to drop
off on their own. And when the heat went away, the nights were too cool for
them and the fruit never really reached its best. I got some nice, but
small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July. June
here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are about 9
inches tall at the moment.

Too much "N" will burn the roots.

Little or no difference in yield was seen in a study that compared the
effects of slow-release fertilizer (manure) applied before planting to
fish emulsion applied several times throughout the season.
-------
Don't fertilize blindly--if your plants look healthy enough, let them
be, lest they ignore fruiting for vegetative growth. Bell peppers
typically produce 7 to 10 peppers a plant, hot peppers more. When to
harvest is an interesting question. On the one hand, leaving peppers on
the vine till they're completely ripe somewhat reduces the total
productivity of the plant; on the other hand, immature peppers are
notably less sweet. To us, the choice is clear: let them ripen on the
vine. We're not commercial growers: if we want more peppers than our
plants produce with the fruits left to fully ripen, we'll grow more
plants next season. Peppers are usually picked when they've stopped
increasing in size, are firm to the touch, /and have reached their
expected color/. Don't pull peppers, because the plant's branches are
rather brittle and you can break them that way: harvest by cutting the
peppers off.
---------
feed after flowering (?)
Don't look right, but that's what I have in my notes.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to
height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants
were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds
tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away, the
nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really reached its
best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July.
June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are
about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to
height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants
were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds
tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away, the
nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really reached its
best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July.
June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are
about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?

David

I was thinking the same thing as David was. The "heavy nitrogen until"
strategy may be fine - or . . .

No less a fine gardener than Jim Crockett even said that peppers are a
conundrum. Follow the rules, and one season they are glorious. Follow
the rules next year, and they'll be a disappointment. That has been my
experience, too. Though, as always, "your mileage may vary". FWIW, the
smaller (mostly "hotter") peppers seem to be much easier to grow, IME.

Tony

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to
height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants
were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds
tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away, the
nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really reached its
best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July.
June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are
about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?


Frost? What's that?

I live in SoCal area, kind of high desert(ish). We have no frost. I would
say that the growing season for peppers (greater than 55F nights) is
probably about tax day through mid-October. Summer heat is a problem for
plants like tomatoes and peppers as 3 digit days are common from July
through August and sometimes into September. Typical summer day is 95-98F.

This year I will install an awning.

"Tony" wrote in message
...
David Hare-Scott wrote:
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to
height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants
were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds
tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away, the
nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really reached its
best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July.
June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are
about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?

David

I was thinking the same thing as David was. The "heavy nitrogen until"
strategy may be fine - or . . .

No less a fine gardener than Jim Crockett even said that peppers are a
conundrum. Follow the rules, and one season they are glorious. Follow
the rules next year, and they'll be a disappointment. That has been my
experience, too. Though, as always, "your mileage may vary". FWIW, the
smaller (mostly "hotter") peppers seem to be much easier to grow, IME.


I am doing Bell (yellow and red), Anaheim and Hatch. I may do some
habaneros just for fun and giveaways. I ammended the soil with a lot of
epsom salt. These are in big 22 inch pots with 2.5 cubic feet of soil per
pot. I added about a scant cup of epsom salt per pot and mixed it in. I'm
going to try fish emulsion.

Oh I am using Scott's general purpose fertilizer. It is a 24-8-16 I
believe.

Anything else I should do?

Paul

On Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:59:52 -0700, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:

How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches tall.
During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has grown to height,
I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my plants were
far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The buds tended to drop
off on their own. And when the heat went away, the nights were too cool for
them and the fruit never really reached its best. I got some nice, but
small fruit and not much of that.

I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before July. June
here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My peppers are about 9
inches tall at the moment.



I use 1 tablespoon epsom salts dissolved in 2 gallon water. Water
every plant weekly with this solution. I got bigger plants and larger
thick-walled fruit with this method. Peppers like all the sun you can
give them, and not too much fertilizer.

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches
tall. During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has
grown to height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my
plants were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The
buds tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away,
the nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really
reached its best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of
that. I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before
July. June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My
peppers are about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?


Frost? What's that?

I live in SoCal area, kind of high desert(ish). We have no frost. I
would say that the growing season for peppers (greater than 55F
nights) is probably about tax day through mid-October.

I don't know when you pay your taxes but I gather you are saying it is a
long season. The variations in climate continue to amaze me, I am in a
region that as near as I can tell would be classed as zone 9b (which says
your mid-winter temperatures are colder than mine) but I get the possibility
of frost from May to September. Some years I can get 6-10 hard frosts in a
winter, sometimes just a few light ones.

Summer heat
is a problem for plants like tomatoes and peppers as 3 digit days are
common from July through August and sometimes into September. Typical
summer day is 95-98F.
This year I will install an awning.

I also have a rather hot summer, typical days are 32C (87F) and several days
of 38-42C (100-106F) are likely. I have no problem with peppers but the
humidity is often high here in summer.

If you problem really is the summer heat interfereing with flowering I don't
see forcing the growing will do much at all. And I cannot see how cutting
the early buds does anything useful, surely you want those fruit that are
already set to grow on through the heat of summer even if no more set for a
while?

I would try heavier mulch on the roots, steady watering (if you have the
water to spare), the sun shade in the hottest part of day and trying
different cultivars to find those that suit your climate best.

David

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches
tall. During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has
grown to height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my
plants were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The
buds tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away,
the nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really
reached its best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of
that. I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before
July. June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My
peppers are about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?


Frost? What's that?

I live in SoCal area, kind of high desert(ish). We have no frost. I
would say that the growing season for peppers (greater than 55F
nights) is probably about tax day through mid-October.

I don't know when you pay your taxes
April, 15
but I gather you are saying it is a
long season. The variations in climate continue to amaze me, I am in a
region that as near as I can tell would be classed as zone 9b (which says
your mid-winter temperatures are colder than mine) but I get the possibility
of frost from May to September. Some years I can get 6-10 hard frosts in a
winter, sometimes just a few light ones.
He gets none. I believe he is in Lancaster, north and a lille east of
LA. I'm in a 9b zone which can go down to 28F during the winter IIRC,
and mid 80Fs during July, August Sept. We have half dozen frosts a year,
give or take. I'm on the north side of a hill and occasionally, ice will
hang around a few days to a week. So your 9b is nothing like where he is.

Summer heat
is a problem for plants like tomatoes and peppers as 3 digit days are
common from July through August and sometimes into September. Typical
summer day is 95-98F.
This year I will install an awning.

I also have a rather hot summer, typical days are 32C (87F) and several days
of 38-42C (100-106F) are likely. I have no problem with peppers but the
humidity is often high here in summer.
Any state west of the Rockies has little summer humidity.
Paul's problem is heat. He started in May last year IIRC, whereas he
should have his peppers in the ground in Feb. or March. He is in desert
and by July he will be running high 90Fs to low 100Fs and his peppers
should be harvested already.

If you problem really is the summer heat interfereing with flowering I don't
see forcing the growing will do much at all. And I cannot see how cutting
the early buds does anything useful, surely you want those fruit that are
already set to grow on through the heat of summer even if no more set for a
while?

Makes no sense to me, but this is how some people learn.

I would try heavier mulch on the roots, steady watering (if you have the
water to spare), the sun shade in the hottest part of day and trying
different cultivars to find those that suit your climate best.

David

And he could call the
UC Cooperative Extension
Antelope Valley/Lancaster Office
335 East Avenue K-10, Suite 101
Lancaster, CA 93535
phone: (661) 974-8824
fax: (661) 723-3751

for people who know the local conditions.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
How is this for a strategy:

I will feed heavy nitrogen until the plants are about 20 inches
tall. During this time I snip emerging buds. After the plant has
grown to height, I reduce the nitrogen and allow it to set fruit.

I am trying to avoid the mistakes I made last year. Namely my
plants were far too small when the summer heat hit (zone 8b). The
buds tended to drop off on their own. And when the heat went away,
the nights were too cool for them and the fruit never really
reached its best. I got some nice, but small fruit and not much of
that. I want to get as much growth on these and have set fruit before
July. June here is usually pretty reasonable for peppers. My
peppers are about 9 inches tall at the moment.

How long is your growing season from last frost to first frost?


Frost? What's that?

I live in SoCal area, kind of high desert(ish). We have no frost. I
would say that the growing season for peppers (greater than 55F
nights) is probably about tax day through mid-October.

I don't know when you pay your taxes
April, 15
but I gather you are saying it is a
long season. The variations in climate continue to amaze me, I am in a
region that as near as I can tell would be classed as zone 9b (which says
your mid-winter temperatures are colder than mine) but I get the
possibility
of frost from May to September. Some years I can get 6-10 hard frosts in
a
winter, sometimes just a few light ones.

He gets none. I believe he is in Lancaster, north and a lille east of
LA. I'm in a 9b zone which can go down to 28F during the winter IIRC,
and mid 80Fs during July, August Sept. We have half dozen frosts a year,
give or take. I'm on the north side of a hill and occasionally, ice will
hang around a few days to a week. So your 9b is nothing like where he is.

I live 70 miles east of Lancaster in the San Gorgonio foothills. The high
desert gets plenty of frost in the winter but it never makes it this far
down the hill.

Summer heat
is a problem for plants like tomatoes and peppers as 3 digit days are
common from July through August and sometimes into September. Typical
summer day is 95-98F.
This year I will install an awning.

I also have a rather hot summer, typical days are 32C (87F) and several
days
of 38-42C (100-106F) are likely. I have no problem with peppers but the
humidity is often high here in summer.
Any state west of the Rockies has little summer humidity.
Paul's problem is heat. He started in May last year IIRC, whereas he
should have his peppers in the ground in Feb. or March. He is in desert
and by July he will be running high 90Fs to low 100Fs and his peppers
should be harvested already.

I wanted to get them in by March but it was just too cold at night. I got
them in by mid April. We were having cold evenings down into the low 40s.
I am hoping to get some good peppers in by July, then let the plants rough
it until September then get another crop before the colder weather sets in.