When you get them outside take the trays off the bottoms of the cups too. Those trays are holding water so the pots don't drain freely. The soil in the bottom is probably too wet because of it. Get some one gallon nursery pots. Most local nurseries will have them and they're cheap. Carefully repot them without disturbing the existing root balls in good potting soil. Trim off any die back on the canes and any dead leaves. Take them outside and put them in full sun, in a well protected place. You're in a cold zone and it's early yet so you may have to do the in and out routine for a bit because of frosts. Put them up on something so the drainage holes are free to work properly. Keep them evenly watered but not drowning and do not fertilize them. Then be patient. As long as the canes remain green and do not shrivel they'll be OK. It may take some weeks for them to start to grow on top but in the meantime the roots will be growing below to support them.

Text conversation is often lacking in info, despite current trends ;-) so pardon if I'm stating the obvious... When you say 'self-watering' pot, do you mean it simply has a saucer (I can't tell from the photo)? If so, it won't 'self-water' unless there is a wick to draw the water up into the soil. Most folks around here don't believe in saucers, all too often the water doesn't drain out of the pot well enough and if it doesn't dry out between waterings, its, well, icky. As for your schedule, you don't say, so again pardon, but do you every check the soil first, or just water on a schedule? You can check the soil with a well placed digit or even lift the pot up. Usually, if the pot is too soggy, the leaves will yellow and wilt, the stems will also wilt. If stems start turning black, it's time to change the soil as it has spoiled - too much water will fill up the air pockets, creating a great environment for anaerobic bacteria that, frankly, stink. Roots need air. If the leaves are brown/crispy and falling off and/or the stems start to shrivel, it is not getting enough water. I agree with the above, that four hours direct sun in a reflective patio is probably plenty right now, it has been unusually hot for us. Roseseek has also schooled me on what should be obvious, but really wasn't to me. Plastic and ceramic pots will retain heat from direct sun. Black pots are the worst. Put them on cement and you might as well put your pot on the stove in some weather!!! Basically, those conditions cook the roots. Your pot won't absorb as much heat as black - try holding the pot when the sun has been on it in the heat of the day to check your conditions. Also, if the plant is not root bound, the roots will have a small area of insulation to protect them, if it's root bound, the roots will suffer the heat of the pot. All plant basics, but some times what's common sense to the plant isn't to us ;-) Thanks for dropping in, hope you stick around and start to enjoy roses as much as we do!

The same thing happened to me. I was wanting to take a picture of a red rose flush I saw and the camera fuzzed it out so it was just a blurr. Oh well. Yours is stunning. It's a bright red too that really shows up from a distance. I was walking past my Chrysler Imperial and it had a big beautiful bud just opening up and looking like a show table rose. I thought now that's the brightest red I've ever seen it, it seems so unusual for CI. Then I remembered I had my darker sunglasses on. I took them off and CI was the same red he has always been. I remember when I was a kid, I went to a birthday party and the theme was yellow submarine and Beatles. The mom handed out Elton John style colored glasses and we all went around the yard looking at the green (white, yellow) roses and daisies. We also had mardi gras beads and that plastic bubble stuff that comes in a tube and made rainbow bubbles that lasted. She had all kinds of color pinwheels and mobiles and windchimes. I still remember them going around. Your garden is so much fun with the bright colors and joyful mixing of plants in abundance. Thanks for putting the pictures up.

I think all that you are saying is true but something more may be happening too. Marianne, I really see what you have pointed out, that when there is a full flush of peppers growing the plant finds ways of not adding more peppers one way or another. But if you remove some of those peppers the plant quickly sets some more fruit. These flowers maybe dropping at least for that reason, but observing for a few more days, it seems that the plants are hurting in some way. This maybe common knowledge amongst you who know your pepper plants....I am making another post about what I see. woohooman, its really not that hot now, 80s for the last 6-7 days and the plants are mulched and well watered. So its over watering or something else. Or too much nitrogen or too little calcium? Disease? I would like to solve this problem. Thank you. K.