The weather is messed up but you'd be surprised at the recovery power of those peppers. It rained most of the spring and half the summer in MN last year. When the sun came out for a while they perked up and produced well. This year is looking about the same as yours but I think they will be fine when the warmth comes. All I can say is don't give up yet.

In am also in southern CT and the peppers definitely show the effects of too much water. As vic01 says, I have not given up. I have seen good recoveries in late summer.
John A

This is my first year growing hot peppers and I'm so disapponted!! My plants are all of 3 inches tall, and some insect or something nipped out the growing tips on 2 of my 4 pathetic plants! They seem to have little buds growing at other points so I'm hoping those make up for the main tip that was nipped off, but since I've never grown them before, I'm not sure. Add this LOUSY cold, rainy weather and I think my poor little guys are doomed!

I'll keep growing them, however, just in case things do improve and even if not, I'll try again next year!

Lisa

Also- if you are growing peppers (or any plant) in containers- remove the bottom tray so it can drain properly. I woudln't worry- these plants LOVE rain and LOVE heat- sun and heat are coming...I am in NYC...soaked today

I just dumped two inches of water out of some of my seedling trays this afternoon. They're wet, which means they have some nutrients to use. Hopefully, they'll grow!

Sorry to hear what yall are going through in the NE. To put things in perspective we haven't had rain in western WA for 30 days! They are already talking burn ban and it's not even officially summer yet.

I have a sweatshirt and jeans on. Its April weather out there and Peppers hate being outside in April here.

This could turn out to be the wettest/coldest season on record.

Climate is not the same anymore. 6am - 6pm constant rain. Radar shows it starting again at 8pm to tomm. morning!

NO 80's or SUN IN SIGHT!!

HANG IN THERE PEPPERS

I lived in the south up until 2 years ago. (First year growing in MI) I thought it was just the location causing the crappy weather, but the more people I talk to about gardening the more I realize this year is too cold and too wet. All my plants were beautiful until I took them outside. Now they are just limping along. I have more flowers on the habaneros in 20oz cups inside than I do in the 3gal pots outside. Somtimes I think I would be better off to leave them in the cups till it gets decent out.

Yeap... we're always thinking of better ways than mother nature recently. Thats why I'm considering a small greenhouse now purposely for these times..

I can control the temps and the amount of water which I would open the top and use the rain water but cover them when too wet.

The only thing really killing us is the sun !! Is it still up there?

Hang in there! This thread has made me feel even better about the season and the hardiness of pepper plants.

We had an unseasonably warm Spring without any appreciable rain in either April or May. The wind made hardening off rather difficult because 25 mph easterly breeze in the morning would turn into a 35 mph westerly wind before I got home from work. I gave in to temptation and planted out third week of May (three weeks early) and all of the plants suffered because I couldn't seem to catch up with the lack of water in the soil. When I finally ran a soaker hose and mulched the entire garden to retain soil moisture better, the temps tanked to the low 50's at night and high 60's during the day and it has rained over 5 inches in the last two weeks. Did I mention the plants were suffering? Now, the daytime temps are in the 80's and nighttime temps are in the 60's and the plants are loving it. If I could just get rid of the last three nights worth of severe storms, hail, straight-line winds above 60 mph, and the tornadoes , I might have some pepper plants that grew upwards rather than across the ground. And I thought the plants were suffering because my first year green thumb was turning black.

My old man who has gardened over 60 years had to stop by to see how bad the storm damage was here this morning. He called me to tell me I ought to be proud of how well my peppers were doing. I have 5 mature trees down in the pasture with plenty more large limbs to saw up this weekend, the house roof needs to be re-shingled in places, some barn siding needs to be tacked down, fence needs fixed, but every pepper plant is growing strong. Go figure! Some day I may have the guts to post pictures of the beautiful plants I put outside and what they became before they recovered.

So, again, hang in there. If I can do it, so can you. And it really is the pepper plants that do all the hard work.

This is my first season growing peppers (or anything). It's been kind of demoralizing. I grew 72 peppers from seeds indoors and was ready to transplant on May 1 (in Virginia). It was too cold until May 22. During those 3 weeks, the plants got way too leggy, but the temps were in the 40's at night so we waited and waited. We finally transplanted the best 18 to our garden, and it rained and rained and rained and rained. Pretty much non-stop every single day. By June 10, 14 were dead or damaged beyond repair - to add insult to injury, the dampness brought out an onslaught of slugs who ravenously ate our plants. We went to a local nursery and bought replacement plants. They've done OK, but are small and young. Now, it's raining again nonstop. The only saving grace of all this is that we put 9 plants in containers on our deck, and most of those are actually doing pretty good. There's even a handful of small peppers (around a half dozen in total) I definitely had higher expectations for this than has panned out. But there's always next year! Ah well, thunderstorms tonight, gotta go throw down some slug pellets.

The interest in the odd amount of rain lately has gone national it seems...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090619/ap_on_sc/us_sci_rain_rain_rain_6

We're getting a ton of it further south-east, too, but we don't have to worry about the cooling temperatures the rains bring (especially at night) during our springtime.

G'luck...and you never know...it could turn out to be a mild October.

I think this is the coolest since I have been gardening. Usually wait intil night time temps are in the 80's to put my peppers out. They have been in the 40's. Finally, two days ago, put them out and planted beans yeterday. Here is my forecast and this is an improvemnt--lows in the 50's.

Here is a link that might be useful: weather

True...we can have a mild October which would make up for the 1st month. I actually like that idea.

No sun again this morning. Wow. Maybe Ice Age tomorrow?

well now I am afraid we will lose all of our tomatoes and peppers because we are having record heat this weekend, it is going to get up to 98 degrees Saturday, Sunday and Monday......I hope that does not put an end to our first year of container gardening:(

Dusty

Here is a link that might be useful: my pool container garden

We had a mini hurricane yesterday with branches all over the place and 50 mile an hour winds, 2000 lightning strikes an hour.......:(

Dusty

This seems to be one of the worst summers in years... Already mid summer and it feels like spring. If it's not cloudy and rain, it's too windy.. Nights are still very cold.

Have to put my hope to the next weeks to get some sun.

I seriously do have to emigrate to Spain or Italy or Mexico...

Well, we deffinitely got the month straight of rain (and the few storms of recent days) here in Middle TN. It has been deahtly humid heat lately though. Sucks for me since I sweat so easily, but the plants seem to be loving it. =) All my pepper plants appear to be growing more than usual the last few days when it's been around 95-100 degrees & humid.

Im glad I found this thread, I just thought I wasn't having a good year with my peppers, but now I know its the weather not me. Here in Northeast Ohio we had 4.5 inches of rain and 70 mph winds the other day in the matter of 2 hours. Now today it's 69 for a high and raining.... But good News for us in the Midwest!!! after tomorrow the next 8 days are supposed to be in the low to mid 80's and sunny! Boy I hope their right...

to squalo

"already mid-summer...blahblahblah"

isnt the first day of summer offically june 21st?

technically it isnt even summer yet....the rain will stop...everyone needs to quit jumping the gun

everything will be fine...no need to panic

yup this weather stinks im in london ontario and we had better weather in march rain and cold for about 2 months. its my first year gardening with peppers and i started really late, mine all sprouted may 23 and 24 but am feeding peroxide and good light still inside, there for the most part doing very well not even 1 month and they are mostly about 2.5 inches high but bushy ones. ill do better next year now that i know what im doing.i probably wont get fruit but you never know.

Wow...peppers can grow in Ontario? lol

hey veggie gardner we have high humidity here and some of the most fertile soil right here in southwestern ontario. according to pot growers its second to none although it aint great being cool this year.my little guys are on fire under the lights.

Agreed with doc2003; don't worry teezer. I had about the same thing last year in Ottawa, ON and did get fruit. This year I did even worse- I got last year's seeds sprouting on a plate and dug in their baby leaves; guess this slowed down their growth; they are also only 2 in. tall, already in backyard soil for 2 weeks. They aren't adding a pair of leaves a day like they were last year, but I hope the process speeds up.

You know the weather is bad when the weatherman uses the term "gross" in his forecast! Come on sun. There is some hope however. By Thursday the pattern will change. Maybe.

UPDATE:

22 days in June... 14 with rain. 17 cloudy. There litterally hasn't been more than 36 hrs of sunlight here.

It's cloudy again today and chance of showers next 5 days!!

We're Done. At least my peppers are. I need a greenhouse for September/October.. Our nights in September hit 45 sometimes.

I think I would have to pot them up, bring them back inside, and put them under a couple of shop lights. Set them back outside if/when it clears and warms up. Then if it looks like frost before they mature, you can always bring them back inside to finish, and even overwinter.

(a 4' shop light and 2 bulbs can be had for under $20 if you shop around)

This year is looking very bad for my Peppers. I put them in the garden 24 days ago. They look terrible. My Tomatoes also look horrible. Lettuce dosen't seem to mind the weather as it is growing well.

In addition to the rain, bugs have been killing them.

Take a look:

http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss278/dragon49_bucket/101_0207.jpg

I feel for you. When I lived in RI, I had a lousy 2004 season. It was cold all spring and even in June it was rainy and raw. Maybe you had the same weather?? Anyhow as Red Sox fans have been accustomed to saying "Where is always next year." As already mentioned, peppers are perennials so pot up a plant or two and get a head start for next year. There is the consolation of a fall garden. You can start some carrots lettuce and broccoli in July sometime if you are so inclined. In 2004 my consolation was seeing my Sox win the World Series!! So there you go ... make some lemonade.

I live in Worcester, Mass and have not experienced any problems with my pepper plants. They are potted in containers and were planted in early May. What puzzle me is that they grew like "crazy" and continue to do so even with this nasty weather. One of my 'Hole Mole' plants is covered with blooms and already has two peppers that are close to 7 inches long. Why these are growing so well is beyond me.