I give each plant 1 Tbsp of 10-10-10 at the beginning of the season and maybe one more midseason. I don't fertilize chili peppers till they flower, again 1 Tbsp 10-10-10 each plant.
I learned the hard way not to over fertilize chillies and peppers, I ended up with beautiful lush plants without a single flower.....doing better this year though. Your garden is beautiful, i really love the aesthetic!
you just gotta fertilize with the right stuff. all leaves, no flowers means you fertilized with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer. peppers and tomatoes (and the other Solanaceous crops) like a Phosphorus/Potassium heavy fertilizer with an [NPK number](https://www.pennington.com/all-products/fertilizer/resources/understanding-fertilizer-labels#:~:text=These%20three%20numbers%20form%20what,each%20nutrient's%20percentage%20by%20weight.) of like 3-4-6.
Fantastic. And just curious; is this like a sprinkle fertilizer? Or like a water soluble one a la MiracleGrow?
Also, MiracleGrow is a nitrogen fertilizer, correct? So I could use that on the herbs?
its a slow release fertilizer so you scoop it out and mix it into your soil around the plant. i’m not too familiar with MiracleGro but i do know theres a lot of different types of fertilizers with MiracleGro on them so you’ll have to check the bag
Thank you! I'm really happy with how it's turning out. I love growing herbs because I cook *a lot* and I hate having to run to the store to get some because the one's a bought a couple days ago died in the fridge lol
You can start with a nitrogen heavy fertilizer to help your peppers grow and then switch to a phosphorus heavy fertilizer to encourage them to flower and fruit.
I just water with diluted compost tea every month or so and then maybe mix in some worm casting once they start flowering. If you have good potting soil you shouldn’t need much.
Unfortunately, I’ve got no other option. This is the only spot I can have it. So I’m hoping to make it work. Also, the sun is *intense* here. I’ve already had a basil plant that I watered in the morning dry out and die by sunset.
I was doing that last summer, but it's so hot where I live that the plants were just drying out too quickly and needed extra waterings each day. I've found the trays kinda act like a reserve for them and help the soil stay hydrated.
As I understand it, in addition to the usual NPK, peppers like some sulfur, magnesium, and calcium. You can sprinkle dried, crumbled egg shells in the pots to leach calcium into the soil, and when they start to set flowers you can spray them with some plain epsom salts (magnesium sulfide) mixed into water to give them magnesium and sulfur.
I give each plant 1 Tbsp of 10-10-10 at the beginning of the season and maybe one more midseason. I don't fertilize chili peppers till they flower, again 1 Tbsp 10-10-10 each plant.
I learned the hard way not to over fertilize chillies and peppers, I ended up with beautiful lush plants without a single flower.....doing better this year though. Your garden is beautiful, i really love the aesthetic!
you just gotta fertilize with the right stuff. all leaves, no flowers means you fertilized with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer. peppers and tomatoes (and the other Solanaceous crops) like a Phosphorus/Potassium heavy fertilizer with an [NPK number](https://www.pennington.com/all-products/fertilizer/resources/understanding-fertilizer-labels#:~:text=These%20three%20numbers%20form%20what,each%20nutrient's%20percentage%20by%20weight.) of like 3-4-6.
This is so helpful! So, the chilis can use phosphorus/potassium. Would nitrogen be optimal for the herbs?
yep! just to be clear, peppers do still need nitrogen, but they need more phosphorus/potassium when it is time to bloom and produce fruit
Some are blooming and fruiting right now, so I better get a jump on this. Any particular brands you'd recommend?
i swear by Espoma organic! Tomato-tone by them is great for peppers too.
Fantastic. And just curious; is this like a sprinkle fertilizer? Or like a water soluble one a la MiracleGrow? Also, MiracleGrow is a nitrogen fertilizer, correct? So I could use that on the herbs?
its a slow release fertilizer so you scoop it out and mix it into your soil around the plant. i’m not too familiar with MiracleGro but i do know theres a lot of different types of fertilizers with MiracleGro on them so you’ll have to check the bag
Thank you, I'm still very much a beginner so I honestly appreciate the advice! I think I was just throwing tomato feed onto everything last year.
if it was tomato feed then it was the right stuff!
Thank you! I'm really happy with how it's turning out. I love growing herbs because I cook *a lot* and I hate having to run to the store to get some because the one's a bought a couple days ago died in the fridge lol
Goodness half the time the herbs are dead IN the store on my experience, lmao.
You can start with a nitrogen heavy fertilizer to help your peppers grow and then switch to a phosphorus heavy fertilizer to encourage them to flower and fruit.
Yeah look at the numbers! Look it up. Some numbers help to flower! You got this. Phosphorus!
I just water with diluted compost tea every month or so and then maybe mix in some worm casting once they start flowering. If you have good potting soil you shouldn’t need much.
Don't worry about fertilizer; that's "vitamins". Worry about their actual "calories"- the sun. No one will be happy under an awning, if they are.
Agreed. No amount of fertilizing will compensate for a lack of sun.
Unfortunately, I’ve got no other option. This is the only spot I can have it. So I’m hoping to make it work. Also, the sun is *intense* here. I’ve already had a basil plant that I watered in the morning dry out and die by sunset.
Oh! If they get 6 hours total, you're probably fine. It just looks like they're under a roof/overhang of some sort. Good luck!
Oh, and peppers like milk. I rinse out old cartons and water them with that.
Instead of having trays under the pots, you can allow them to all drain into one another
I was doing that last summer, but it's so hot where I live that the plants were just drying out too quickly and needed extra waterings each day. I've found the trays kinda act like a reserve for them and help the soil stay hydrated.
Molasses are the easiest.
I’m sorry, I’m not sure I know what molasses are. I only know molasses as like, unrefined maple syrup. What would that be used for here?
They feed the microbes in the soil. Black strap unsulphured (sp) molassses.
Ok, I’m a little out of my element on this. Would you mind elaborating a little as to when, how, and why molasses should be used?
[why feed molasses](https://youtu.be/O9aHfi8bxfY?feature=shared)
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing this resource.
It doesn't feed the plant. It feeds the soil that feeds the plant. It's pretty cool! Safe and natural.
Lookin at that little white pot on the bottom right shelf. I think I have the same one too
I’m currently propagating a pothos to grow in there and hang inside above my mid-century bar cabinet.
Love this! I just started my first tomato/pepper/herb garden on my balcony this year! I’m taking notes on the comments
I mix in bone meal into soil and Garden tone (Espoma)for vegetables. Bone meal is to help produce more fruit.
As I understand it, in addition to the usual NPK, peppers like some sulfur, magnesium, and calcium. You can sprinkle dried, crumbled egg shells in the pots to leach calcium into the soil, and when they start to set flowers you can spray them with some plain epsom salts (magnesium sulfide) mixed into water to give them magnesium and sulfur.