bell pepper help

[firemm3]

im sure this is out there but i just dont gave the time to hunt for it. my dad who has gardened all his life, part of it to survive, cant get his bell peppers to make. all they will do is form small golf ball size fuits and then fall off. he only has trouble with bell peppers, he can grow just about anything else down the middle of the interstate if he wanted to . any ideas, tips would be appreciated.

 

[herbsherbsflowers]

I'm not sure what is going on there. But Ithought I would bump you back to the top so maybe someone else would see it. Dothey look mildewed or brown or rotted?

 

[farmerlor]

Generally, if the fruit is falling off while it's still small or not ripening to full size it's because the peppers are getting too much water. They don't like to have their little feeties wet. Some people prune their peppers to only allow a few fruit to ripen thus insuring a better sized fruit but I've never done that so I can't really advise for that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A possible reason for the fruit to fall off early is that there is something inside the fruit chewing on it. Possible culprits are corn ear worms, European corn borers, pepper maggots, and pepper weevils. You might see a hole where they bore into the fruit or you could cut one open and see if you see anything inside.

 

[firemm3]

to my knowledge they arent moldy, mildewed or wet, there may be bugs in them but wouldnt they be in other veges as well? its got us puzzled. his hot peppers make way up into fall and everything else he touches just grows like mad, dont you just hate those green thumb folks

 

[ldburton]

My aunt said my mother could make a 2x4 bloom, but I have to work a lot harder than she did.

 

[curly_kate]

Has it been cool and damp where you are? I think the weather might have something to do with it.

 

[firemm3]

oh no its definately warm here, were in central alabama, its way hot and humid.

 

[obsessed]

How about not enough fertilizer? I read that most pepper and eggplants need to be fertilized til almost burn.

 

[Liberty7]

I've had trouble with peppers in past years so I tried something new this year -- EPSON SALTS. I mixed some of the epson salts in with the soil in the hole before I planted the pepper plant. My plants are just now starting to produce, and the plants themselves are gorgeous. Another thing is to mix a teaspoon of epson salts with a gallon of water and mist the plant once a day for a week or so.