Slow Growing Pepper Plant - Ask Extension
Why is my pepper plant growing so slowly? I started a Serrano Pepper plant from a seed and grew it indoors with grow lights until it grew to be about ...
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Slow Growing Pepper Plant #798322
Asked June 28, 2022, 2:52 PM EDT
Why is my pepper plant growing so slowly? I started a Serrano Pepper plant from a seed and grew it indoors with grow lights until it grew to be about 6 inches tall. I started the seed in March. Once the weather stabilized in mid-May, I transferred it to a 5-gallon container. It grew about 2-3 more inches since but seems to have stopped and there are no blossoms on it. It's still a bright green color and the stem is strong. I'm using Miracle Gro All Purpose Gardening Soil and water it 3x a week until the soil is moist but not soaked. It's in my background that gets over 8 hours of sunlight a day.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
This pepper variety can be a slow grower, but you're taking the right steps. The even-green color and sturdy growth are encouraging signs. Make sure you're only watering when the top few inches depth of the soil (given the five-gallon pot capacity) feels fairly dry to the touch, so it's not accidentally being over-watered by judging moisture only at the soil surface.
If you haven't already, we suggest you fertilize either with a granular (dry pellet type) fertilizer, which will gradually dissolve some nutrients each time you water, or with a liquid fertilizer. How long the granular application will last depends on the formulation, so check the package (usually it's several weeks or months); the liquid-formulated types tend to need re-application about once every two weeks.
If you do see flower buds developing while the plant is still stunted, pinch them off so the plant can redirect its energy to establishing more roots and foliage, which will be better-equipped to support fruit development later.
Miri
If you haven't already, we suggest you fertilize either with a granular (dry pellet type) fertilizer, which will gradually dissolve some nutrients each time you water, or with a liquid fertilizer. How long the granular application will last depends on the formulation, so check the package (usually it's several weeks or months); the liquid-formulated types tend to need re-application about once every two weeks.
If you do see flower buds developing while the plant is still stunted, pinch them off so the plant can redirect its energy to establishing more roots and foliage, which will be better-equipped to support fruit development later.
Miri
