No Crop Of Peppers
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29820)
Momence, Illinois
April 22, 2016 8:45am CST
It's almost time to plant my veggie garden. Every year we plant tomatoes, peas, onions, and green peppers. A most puzzling thing happened last year with my peppers.
They didn't produce the pepper. We have been growing green peppers for over 25 years now and last summer was the first year our plants didn't produce not even one pepper. Very strange. A few weeks ago I was in the store and green peppers were selling for $3.99 a pound. Say what!!! Never in my life had I seen green peppers selling for that much, I mean they are not made of gold.
I looked everywhere online wondering if there was a green pepper crop failure and found nothing. I sure hope our pepper plants produce this summer.
My shot is of my peppers from a couple of years ago. We mostly pick them when they are green but I wanted a few red ones so we left them on the plant to go red.
22 people like this
28 responses
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
We do move them around from year to year, but they are so darn hardy, I am puzzled by what occurred last year that they did not produce. I am hoping for much better this season.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
22 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 You probably get a bigger crop this year!
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
@scheng1 I hope so, I want stuffed peppers. And I would rather used my peppers than buy them in a store.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
22 Apr 16
It is possible you had bad plants (or seeds) - peppers can withstand a lot of abuse.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
I know they can, they are very hardly. I just don't know what happened it's the first time in over 25 years we didn't get any. We buy plants already established from a local garden center and have never had problems.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
22 Apr 16
we like green bell peppers, too (that's how we call them here) and we always buy them. thanks for sharing the picture. now i know how the plant looks like.
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@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
22 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 i think what people grow here are the fiery small red pepper (siling labuyo)
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
@hereandthere Yea I grew some hot peppers once, they were too darn hot lol. I much prefer the green peppers.
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@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
you are so welcome, have you ever tried to grow them, they are pretty easy to grow.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 16
i always thought the green and red peppers were from different plants. I'm sure all the colors aren't from one type of plant are they? Although I've not heard or read anything about green peppers recently, we didn't have any to sell for a while either. I don't know where we get them from, but you'd think it would be somewhere warmer than where you or I are from.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 I wonder whether the purple peppers are just extra ripe ones of one of the other colors too as there aren't that many of them most years. Also, I wasn't sure whether the plants may have been close together if they were two separate plants that is.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
No the orange and yellow are different plants I believe but the red are actually really ripened green ones. You can see from my pic that there are green on this plant as well.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@MarshaMusselman I don't know about the purples ones, not sure if I have ever seen a purple pepper.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340210)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 Hope they do better for you this year. How nice to have such rich soil.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@JudyEv I hope we do too. I brought a couple of plants to a friend in North Caroline once, she thought the soil was bought in a store. I told her nope that's the soil from my yard. She didn't believe me lol. So she had to come home with me to see for herself. We drove around for hours looking at the farmland and she just couldn't believe it. In North Carolina their soil is more sand than dirt,.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
We move them around from year to year. Illinois is know for their incredibly rich soil. The soil in my garden is coal black as it is in most of Illinois. Or I guess I should say the northern part of Illinois. I have absolutely no explanation as to why no pepper last year. We have grown them forever and never once did we have a fail.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
24 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 well, maybe the soil is not able to absorb the water because of some roots of the trees that get into the roots of your plants?
we had a vegetable tree here and its roots 'killed' some of my mother's plants and roses; they tangle themselves with the flowering plants' roots.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@ridingbet We have dug deep in the garden there doesn't seem to be any roots there. I don't know maybe we had a frost I wasn't aware of and it killed the buds
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
No that wasn't it. My husband is diligent about watering the garden. I just can't figure out what went wrong. We were pretty shocked by this as we have grown them for the past 25 years and never had a failure.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
22 Apr 16
If I had a bigger space for our garden I would grow peppers too. Love the red ones more than the green. You can chop them and freeze them for use at a later time. So, I would plant many so I could get a good harvest. The only place I can get peppers reasonably priced is at Aldi. Sometimes they have such a good sale. I'll grab a couple of packages and chop them up and freeze them. I use them in sauces and in omelettes too.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
We use them in just about everything I cook. I have never froze them before, but I have one of those vacuum sealers so I may have to do what you do. Buy a bunch of them from Aldi and freeze them. Awesome thanks so much for the suggestion.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
22 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 one of my clients uses this method and told me of it. I was skeptical at first, but was happy to be able to use it successfully.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
@ElusiveButterfly And so they come out of the freezer like they went in, crispy?
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
22 Apr 16
Maybe the price went up cause the production isn't that good last time.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
22 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 Maybe it's not being reported.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
@cherriefic Maybe not, I find it all confusing. My husband and I have discussed this many times over the winter. It's never happened to us before
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
That is exactly what I thought, but I can't find any information online that says this indeed did occur.
@LadyDuck (471421)
• Switzerland
23 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 
I see, I pick them up green in late autumn and let them the time to get red inside the house.
I see, I pick them up green in late autumn and let them the time to get red inside the house.1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
@LadyDuck It works either way, if they sit in your house long enough they will go red, as well you can leave them on the plant same results.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
If I pick them they don't have time to go red as we eat them as fast as I can pick them. I am hoping this was just a fluke and we get plenty again this year.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
23 Apr 16
i'd that trouble last year, but the culprit 'twas grasshoppers. i like growin' the peppers, they freeze really well - keepin' their crunch'n flavor. i wish ya the best'f luck with 'em this year. perhaps a bit'f epsom salt'd help'em 'long?
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
23 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 epsom salt's good fer maters, peppers 'n a purty much any plants that enjoy a higher level'f magnesium.
i've my fingers crossed all the biological controls we put out the past 2 years makes't so i can say that this summer.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx I will be hoping along with you that you can grow something this year.
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@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I may have to try epsom salt, at this point we dont have any peppers planted yet, it's to early up here for that yet. My problem wasn't grasshoppers and we have talked about that on a different thread. We just don't get a lot of grasshoppers here.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
24 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 I hope you do, too, for your sake. Let me know!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I'm confused but hoping that this year we will get our beloved peppers. I was so disappointed last year.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
23 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 Or another stage to the red pepper. They all do look alike. So it could very well be.
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@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@just4him No not another stage once the green pepper goes red, that's it, it stays red, so different plants for the orange and yellow.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
Pretty cool aye? It do think that the orange and yellow peppers are different plants, but don't quote me on that.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I hope to have success this year. No we planted them at the same time we have been for 25 years. So that wasn't the problem.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
@miniam I can live without most veggies but I love my green peppers and especially homegrown tomatoes they are just the best.
1 person likes this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
23 Apr 16
@fishtiger58
l dont have a veggie lot here so i never plant
1 person likes this
@leslyn_joy (343)
• Davao, Philippines
23 Apr 16
i love bell pepper :) i always put it in evry soup ...
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I put peppers in many things I cook. I love them just sliced up and dipped in ranch dressing. I love them in my salads as well. Crispy goodness.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 16
@leslyn_joy Well I would have low cholesterol if I stayed away from fried foods, alas I don't lol.
@leslyn_joy (343)
• Davao, Philippines
24 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 high five ... :) were same ... hmmmm for sure weve got low cholesterol level then hehe
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92792)
• United States
25 Apr 16
Would it make a difference if you alternated where you planted the peppers with where you planted something else? I know nothing about gardening, I just heard someone talk about needing to change where they planted something because the soil had grown "used" to it...whatever that means.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
27 Apr 16
yes we sure have and what you heard is correct, you have to move things around from year to year as certain plants take away from the soil and it's replenished by planting different veggies.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I do wish I could figure out why no pepper last year. It makes no sense to me as we have always had success growing peppers. This is the first time we didn't get any. I am hoping we get some this year.
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I think orange and yellow peppers are different plants, but not the green and red ones. We love peppers I put them in almost everything I cook.
1 person likes this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)
• West Haven, Connecticut
22 Apr 16
I grow tomatoes, watermelons, and green peas. Maybe the peppers arent getting enough nutrients in the soil to grow
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@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)
• West Haven, Connecticut
22 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 Yeah I like green peppers alot as well, I use them for my steak and chicken fajitas
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
I don't know but we shall see this season how they do. I am hoping it was just a one time thing. I love my green peppers and want them to produce.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 16
@BACONSTRIPSXXX I use them for that as well as stuffed peppers, and I love sausage and green peppers sandwich. Yummy. I want my own waaaaaaaaa lol.
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
Yes mine are very different, the seeds inside the pepper are actually white.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
22 Apr 16
Here on the islands we had some issues with a few species of birds who were eating the flowers before the vegetables set on the plants. We lost a lot of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes this way. When the flowers bloomed the birds came down and ate them. I sat watching one day and saw the birds doing this one. We tried hanging CDs on the line and other things to keep them away. Nothing worked. The territory here had an issue with these birds. They came around and set traps for them. They captured them alive and took them off. Still not sure what they did with them. One this happened our crops were back in full bloom.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 16
I have had birds nip off some bloomed tulips in my flower gardens before but never the pepper blooms that I'm aware of. I sure hope that didn't happen. I will have to net my veggies until the blooms are gone if that is the case. Hmmmmm I wonder if that's what happened. Although it was only the peppers we didn't produce. We still got our tomatoes and other veggies.
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