Problems with Raising Peppers

Bugs

• If you're caring for your pepper plant properly, but it still looks unhealthy, examine the plant closely. If you see a mass of little green bugs crawling around on your pepper's leaves and new growth, you've got aphids. Aphids live off plant juices and this weakens the plant. Give the affected areas a blast of water from the hose that is strong enough to knock the insects off, but not so strong it damages your plant. Support the plant with one hand as you do this to lessen the chance of stem breakage.

Too Much Heat

• Although we think of peppers as a hot weather crop, the plants don't do well in sustained temperatures of 90 degrees or more. With this level of heat, the plants become stressed, which leads them to limit growth and drop their blooms. Without the flowers, you won't have peppers. If the temperature climbs, shade your pepper to lower the intensity of the heat, or if it is in a container, move it to a cooler spot.

Nutritional Problems

• Pepper plants require the right amount and type of food to produce fruit. Giving your pepper plant food that is high in nitrogen will cause it to produce lovely foliage but few flowers or fruit. Instead, use a fertilizer that has twice as much phosphorus and potassium as nitrogen. The label should read something like 4-8-8 or 5-10-10. Feed the peppers when you plant them, when they bloom and when you notice fruit starting to develop.

Blossom-End Rot

• Blossom-end rot is a common problems in tomatoes, but can also occur in peppers. The fruit appears to grow well, but then develops a brown patch across the bottom. The main cause of this problem is a lack of calcium. To prevent blossom-end rot, add crushed egg shells to the hole when you plant your pepper. Over the growing season, add more egg shells when you have them. Keeping the pepper evenly watered will also help reduce this problem.