Peppers dropping flowers and immature fruit

[Paul M. Cook]

I can't do much about the heat here in SoCal. Even the shade is 92F today and literature says peppers drop over 90F. So my bell peppers have started to drop their buds and small fruit. I have several larger peppers holding their own. The plant is not stressed, it gets water every day and needs it, the nights have been rather warm and the days in the low 90s. I gave them all a drink of magnesium this morning - 2 tablespoons for a gallon of water. What else can I do? The one that drops the most buds is in a 5 gallon white bucket. Could the roots be getting too hot? I was thinking about wrapping some foil around the bucket.

[Billy]

Using Epsom Salts is for magnesium deficiency, which isn't likely in potting soil (or most parts of the country).

Your plants are heat stressed.

Optimum temperatures fall between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F. for bell-type peppers.

Fruit Set Priorities Large fruits>>small fruits>flowers>small buds (retained) (dropped)

Survival strategy is to complete the life cycle with at Survival least a few offspring (seeds), and not to waste energy on extra flowers and buds

You will lose fruit, but you will have a crop. Welcome to the wonderful world of agriculture;O)

I think your best course is to cut back on your watering (to avoid rot rot), unless the top soil is dry, and, depending on how much you want to increase your crop, use an electric fan on them during the hottest time of the day.

[David Hare-Scott]

Make sure the top of the bucket is well mulched and that it is not on concrete or brick that will get hot from the sun. If the air temp is so high there isn't much you can do about that.

David

[Paul M. Cook]

OK, can do. I put the bucket on the grass and I have a huge bag of mulch. Will it help to wrap the container in foil as I think the bucket is getting overheated. I have peppers in terra cotta colored plastic containers and they seem happier.

[Billy]

Tin foil would reflect some of the heat, but it would also transfer it around you pot.

What's going on is that most of the plant's energy is being used to pump water to the leaves for evaporative cooling via the stomata. Anything you can do to cool the plants will be beneficial. Is there anywhere where the plants could catch some wind? Afternoon shade during the hottest 3 hours of the day, until the heat wave is over is another thought. Shading just the pots will cool the roots. Do you have some old rags or towels that you could wrap around the pots? Hose these down and you'll get shading and evaporative cooling for the pots (and roots). Hell, throw in a couple of ice cubes into each pot during the hottest part of the day.

[Billy]

Where are you again Paul? LA is running low to mid-80s.

[Paul M. Cook]

I'll see if I can find a shadier spot during the afternoon. But what heat wave? This is cool for July. We get triple digits in these parts.

Paul

[Paul M. Cook]

LA is cooler than the valleys which reach high 90s and low 100s in the summer. I am 40 miles due east of LA.

Paul

[Billy]

Why not then just grow peas, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Optimum temperatures fall between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F. for bell-type peppers. Most peppers will drop their blooms when daytime temperatures get much above 90 degrees F. in combination with night temperatures above 75 degrees F.

Prepare to be tested Paul.

[Paul M. Cook]

Looks like I'll need to cool those guys down. But the climate down here is the same as in the San Joaquin Valley/Fresno area and they grow peppers as an industry up there.

Paul

[Billy]

Paul, Paul, Paul, the planting of bell peppers in the Central Valley starts in February, when it is considerably cooler. Welcome to the learning curve, and good luck.