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Cayenne pepper color and plant size

11 years ago

Ok, I have 6 plants, all have 4, 7 inch green peppers on them. 4 of the plants are about 14 inches tall and have grown nicely, even with the first budded peppers on them. However, two other plants are 8 inches tall with 7 inch peppers on them. My question is: Are the two peppers on them slowing the vegetative growth of the plant? I want all my peppers to be red, so my other question is: When the peppers appear to be fully grown, which they look like it, how long before they turn red from that point forward. This is like watching paint dry, geez.......

Daryll

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Comments (3)

habjolokia z 6b/7
11 years ago
Some will say let it be, others will say pull them. I have a Jalapeno about the same size and it had 4 or 5 peppers starting and I plucked them off to encourage growth. Having said that I don't think I would do the same to a Bhut since they take so long to grow and seem to pause during growth then take off again.
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
11 years ago
Yep, the Cayennes seem to get to full size quick and then just sit there. It takes a while to start seeing the red. The general consensus is that letting pods develop on immature plants will hinder its growth somewhat as the plant has to put a lot of energy into growing the pods. I am not sure where you live and how long your growing season is, but you can pick them now if you like. They do not have to be ripe before picking them. They likely won't have as much heat however. I think once you do pick them, you will see a lul for a day or two and then they will kick back into gear and you will start to see some new growth.
Bruce
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Yes they are called the long slim variety. I have 6 plants. mine were anywhere from 7-10 inches, but I never got a footer. It seems the biggest ones are at the bottom of the plant, even the first peppers from a foot high plant. I would pick them when young, those big peppers seemed tough when I pickled them. I still haven't figured out what I am going to do with the BIG harvest. I may roast them like I did with my jalapenos. I don't have a dehydrator, but I want these all red. It just takes so long, but I have two ripening now, after what seems like months. Daryll
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Hi Capoman, I'm trying not to blame the peppers! :-) I'm a pepper (and gardening) newbie, so my first instinct would be to blame myself . . . but my other peppers are doing great. I'm in East TN (Zone 7a), and all of my peppers (9 plants) are growing in a 4x8 foot raised garden bed in a mix of topsoil and compost. I have fertilized with a slow-release synthetic, as well as alfalfa meal and fish emulsion. The cayenne lives between a jalapeno plant that has done well (I haven't had the patience to wait for them to ripen, though), a Big Bertha bell that has been slow but given me some nice peppers, and a habanero that is producing ripe fruit like mad. I will say, if it matters, that I sustained some frost damage a couple of weeks after planting, and growth was stunted in all 9 plants. But they all responded and took off in June, and have looked very healthy ever since. None of the others have shown any signs of disease or stress. Thanks for any input.
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LOL...:) Of course your plant will produce chilis. Many pepper plants are self pollinating and alot of times only need to be brushed up against or have a little breeze to do the job. Lack of sunlight will slow things down, you will probbly never have a monster of a plant but you should not have problems otherwise. Be careful not to overwater, it is better to let a chili plant get overly dry than to overwater. I wait until I see some droop in the leaves before watering. Keeping a light on it cannot hurt and definitly let it get as much direct light as you can. good luck..:) kendra
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tsheets
11 years ago
They do take a while to ripen. You *will* get very impatient.

The small plants will probably not grow much until the peppers are picked. Larger plants can do both at the same time, but, even then, vegetative growth will be slower while setting / ripening fruit.

Personally, I probably would have picked the peppers or blooms when they first set on such a small plant. But, since the peppers are already full size, I think I'd wait it out.

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