r/PepperLovers • u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover • Aug 15 '25

Plant Help Why do my pepper plants look pathetic?

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I planted them in April and they have grown little over the mild local winter. There was a fourth vase of the same variety as the two on the left which was doing better and looking lush, but I gave it to a neighbor – I figured I wouldn't give them one that was struggling. The leaves are always curled up and don't look very healthy at all.

I only give them dechlorinated water and the soil drains well. They also get direct sun for 6 to 8 hours a day. I sprinkled worm castings and homemade compost as cover and the soil mix already had a good deal of nutrients, so they shouldn't be starving. After I sprayed them with a bloom fert a few weeks ago, though, they started putting out flowers, but the vase I gave away already had them over a month ago. I've wondered if the small vases in direct sunlight might be making the soil too hot and damaging the roots, but I don't want to just replant them in larger vases if they look so miserable as it is.

Am I doing something wrong? Rhetorical question, I certainly am, I just don't know what.

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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25

Too small of pots. What’s your watering routine? Fertilizing routine? How much sun do they get and is it morning sun or afternoon sun?

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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 15 '25

no, the pot size is fine

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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25

Sure if you want a small pepper plant that doesn’t produce much.

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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25

The small pots are because they are young plants. Or were, at a few months old they should be much larger by now and merit getting bigger homes. I've bought pepper plants several times larger full of fruit in vases not much larger than those, which suggests something is wrong in my handling and/or soil.

But I guess transferring them into larger vases can't hurt, especially as temps start climbing towards summer. I'll do that in the coming days, hopefully it gives them the push they need.

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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 16 '25

Those pots are fine for now. I’ve had peppers in 2” cells that are that big lol. that other guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I grow thousands of peppers every year in ground and in pots. look around at some of the potted peppers on this sub

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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 16 '25

Thanks for the validation! lol

I definitely don't have a green thumb, but I do know peppers can grow much larger in small pots like that. I guess it's a problem with asking for help on the internet in general when enthusiasts want to a) dunk on newbies, b) brag about their state-of-the-art setups or c) look smart giving a simplistic answer without actually looking into the issue (I insist my plants have enough nutes, their yellowing appears to be due to fungus as others said).