Are you frustrated by your pepper plants growing slow? Many gardeners are concerned about the slow growth of their pepper plants.
I wanted to get to the bottom of why pepper plants grow slow. I will share my research in this post and give you specific reasons pepper plants grow slowly.
Pepper plants stunted by cool weather stay small. Without enough sunlight and moisture peppers will stay small. If your pepper plants are undersized, you may have made a poor choice in buying seedlings.
If you are not happy with the overall growth of your pepper plants or just want to find ways to make your pepper plants grow faster – this article is for you!
Why are my pepper plants so small?
Pepper plants can stay small for several reasons. First, your pepper plants could be stunted by cool weather. Cool nights are one of the biggest threats to peppers.
It’s critical to keep your peppers warm. Be patient, and wait to plant outside until the weather is consistently warm enough. Don’t move your pepper plants outside until the temperature is consistently between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, even during the night. Warm weather warms up the soil, allowing your peppers to grow.
Peppers require full sun, no less than eight hours a day. Do not overwater your peppers because soggy roots are one of the most common reasons for slow-growing, unhealthy and stunted pepper plants.
Climate and pepper plant growth
Pepper plants mature at varying rates. These plants require a growing season of 120 days. They do best in 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
If you transplant your seedlings too early in the season, you may see stunted pepper plants. The soil below ideal temperatures will cause transplant shock, resulting in slower than normal development of your pepper plants. Early transplanting could delay the pepper maturation by up to 20-days.
Higher than ideal temperatures can also limit the growth of peppers. Above 80 degrees Fahrenheit can injure the blossoms, resulting in underdeveloped, small peppers.
Why are my pepper plants not getting bigger?
One of the most basic signs of a problem with pepper plants is lack of growth. Pepper plants in the summer should be putting on a good amount of growth every week. The only exception is for cool weather crops in low temperatures. They will pretty much stop growing at around the 30-degree Fahrenheit mark, and that’s completely normal.
How do you fix a stunted pepper plant?
You can fix a stunted pepper plant by making sure you give it enough but not too much water. It’s also important to ensure that your plant gets plenty of sun.
You can also fix a stunted pepper plant by fertilizing regularly but not overfertilizing. Also, keep the soil loose because your peppers can’t thrive in compacted soil.
Make sure you pull weeds regularly and check for pests.
What are the water requirements for growing peppers?
If you want to avoid growing small pepper plants, you need to provide them with enough moisture. When peppers are flowering and setting fruit, they require one inch of water per week.
It’s critical to water peppers without drenching the leaves. When you get the leaves wet, it could result in fungal diseases. The proper way to water an established pepper plant is to soak the roots. You can use a drip hose or a soaker. You need to use enough water to soak at least four feet down.
Quickly-draining sandy soil required more frequent irrigation. Give your pepper plants more moisture if hot winds blow them to compensate for the dry conditions.
Don’t water your peppers unless the soil is already dry on the top two-three inches. When you overwater pepper plants, you don’t allow the roots to get the oxygen they need. Soggy soil introduces additional stress on plants, and it can be just as damaging as not enough moisture. Both too little and too much water can result in a slow-growing plant.
How do you make pepper plants grow taller?
Pepper plants grow taller for different reasons. If you provide optimal conditions for your peppers, they will reach their fullest possible height.
Pepper plants have their basic requirements such as plenty of sunshine, a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil, optimal temperature, and nutrition and pH level of the soil.
Understand the needs of your pepper plant and maintain the ideal growing environment to ensure optimum growth. Peppers need full sun. You can grow pepper plants in poor soil, without adequate water, or undesirable locations, but they won’t reach their full height.
Which nutrients help pepper plants grow?
Like all other plants, Pepper plants require different amounts of nutrients to grow. Unfortunately, those pepper plants that stay small don’t get the nutrients required for growth.
Pepper plants need the following nutrients to grow:
- Potassium for green leafy growth
- Nitrogen gives your pepper plants the ability to stay disease-free
- Phosphorus for encouraging flowering and root development
Pepper plants stay small without secondary nutrients
Besides nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, peppers require micronutrients and trace minerals to continue to grow.
The soil should include the following secondary nutrients to ensure proper plant development:
- Magnesium Sulfate or Epsom salt
- Calcium and Magnesium
- Micronutrients and minerals found in compost
- Compost tea
Even healthy pepper plants show noticeable improvement with the regular use of fertilizer. The right amount of nutrients helps your pepper plants grow bigger and healthier. But, overfertilizing has dangers, such as reduced tolerance to insect damage and drought. So don’t overfeed your peppers.
How do I get pepper seeds to grow faster?
Pepper seeds grow faster in warm temperatures
Peppers need warmth and moisture for successful germination. If you want pepper seeds to grow fast, keep them at a warm temperature. An 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit temperature will result in the fastest germination. You could use a seedling heat mat under the trays to keep seeds at the ideal temperature.
Once sprouted, give your pepper plants a gentle breeze every few days. You can use your hands or a small fan to stimulate the plants. The air movement helps to cut down on dampening off keep and doesn’t allow your pepper plants to get as leggy.
Pepper plants grow faster in full sun
If you want to start pepper seeds indoors, ensure your plants get a sufficient amount of bright light after they sprout. It’s important to keep the light source near the seedlings. Also, make sure the light is on the pepper plants for at least 12-16 hours every day.
When the outside temperature is warm enough, plant the pepper plants outdoors. Pepper plants require full sun with at least 6-8 hours of sunlight each day.
Pepper plants grow faster in warm weather
If you want your pepper plants to grow fast, don’t plant them outdoors until outside temperatures reach a constant 60-70° Fahrenheit or higher, even during the night.
Lower than ideal temperatures can stunt pepper plants. The result is they either grow slower than normal or stop growing. What’s worse is frost, because it can and will kill your pepper plant. But, if you live in a cooler climate, you can still plant and grow cool weather tolerating pepper plants.
Overwatering will slow the growth of pepper plants
Unfortunately, even experienced gardeners can over water pepper plants. It’s a mistake that will result in slow-growing pepper plants.
Peppers struggle in soggy feet. And these plants will quickly wilt and turn yellow if their roots are drowning in wet soil. Soggy soil doesn’t allow plants to take on enough oxygen, which leads to the death of the plant. You can keep the soil moist, but let it dry out before watering again.
