Transplant too early and the cool weather in spring will stunt their growth do it too late and the cool weather in fall will have the same effect. Temperature can be a big problem when transplanting pepper seedlings in early spring. Pepper plants do best in the range between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and no lower than 60 at night. If the temperatures in your location are too low, your pepper plants will grow slowly. Pepper plants originated in hot equatorial climates and need warm weather to grow quickly. When plants start to flower and fruit, you can cut back on the nitrogen and increase the phosphorus. On the flip side, you don’t want to add too much nitrogen since this can burn your plants. The best way to ensure that your plant gets enough nitrogen early is to add it to the soil before transplanting the seedlings. To speed up growth, you have to give the plant enough nitrogen before it sets fruit. If your pepper plants aren’t getting enough nitrogen, they may flower early and fruit rather than grow bigger. Nitrogen is especially important for growth. Peppers need to be fed a lot of nutrients to grow quickly. –> Learn More: What Is The Best Soil pH for Peppers?Īn inadequate supply of nutrients can also hinder your pepper plants’ growth. The ideal soil pH range for pepper plants lies between 6.5 and 6.8. If the pH is too high - making the soil basic - you can lower it by adding sulfur. If the soil is too acidic, you can raise the pH by amending it with calcium carbonate. Pepper plants need phosphorus to store energy. For example, soil that is too acidic - it has a low pH - will make phosphorus unavailable. If soil is too acidic or not acidic enough, this can make nutrients unavailable to your pepper plants. The first aspect of the soil’s nutritional composition to consider is the soil’s pH, which is how acidic it is. If your soil can’t meet your pepper plants’ nutritional needs, this will affect how quickly they grow. Improper soil pH Balance/Lack of nutrients Improper soil pH Balance/Lack of nutrients.Pepper plants growing slowly could be from nutrition, watering habits, lighting, or more Table of Contents Here is a look at some of the factors that cause pepper plants to grow slowly and what you can do about them. Many of the common issues that cause slow or stunted growth in pepper plants have simple solutions. Of course, many factors can make the environment less than ideal. The most general explanation for this issue is that your pepper plants’ environment is not ideal for fast growth.

If you are concerned because your peppers have remained at the same height since you planted them weeks ago, note that you are not the first gardener with this problem. Slow growth is a common but fixable problem with pepper plants.

Pepper seedlings