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Peppers 'bolting'?

leomleom Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hello, I'm looking for some advice on growing peppers - both sweet and chillies. I live in South East England and I started growing veg a couple of years ago and generally its all gone pretty well. But I have limited success with peppers - especially sweet (or bell) peppers. To me, the plants look like they are 'bolting' or 'going to seed' - but I've been told (and also read) that "peppers don't bolt". This 'bolting' also happens with my chilli peppers, although much less common than for sweet peppers and by the most part they have grown and fruited well and I get a good harvest. Its strange because all my peppers are side by side in a green house and all subjected to the same conditions and watering regime - so I am slightly baffled. I have attached a picture of two young chilli pepper plants (Devil's brew) to illustrate what I mean. First plant looks healthy to me, but second plant is the same variety but looks very different. It is not growing tall and has developed these little 'seed balls' (for want of a more technical term). These are chilli peppers but this happens to all my sweet peppers. Any advice much appreciated. Many thanks!


Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I hate to say this, but the reason for the unusual behaviour is that those are weeds and not sweet pepper plants.  It's sometimes rather hard to tell a weed seedling from a pepper seedling and I think you have unknowingly nurtured these weeds.  One possibility is that you weren't sent sweet pepper seeds but something else, which is very common with small online outfits who sell through huge companies, unfortunately.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Desi_in_LondonDesi_in_London Posts: 731
    edited June 2021
    That second plant does not look like a chilli pepper to me at all , it's something else. And yes peppers don't bolt, ( assuming I understand correctly that bolting is something being cultivated for foliage which goes to flower and set seed) - for chillies and peppers you are wanting them to flower and set seed.

    edit to add - didn't see Bob's answer before , guess he beat me to it!
    Kindness is always the right choice.
  • leomleom Posts: 2
    Well I do feel a bit silly! Thank you very much for your replies - very helpful. I thought it strange that a lot of my peppers ended up looking like this, but as you say it must be because they are not peppers at all! (in my defence - this hasn't happened with my other seedlings -phew!)
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’m wondering if you bought the seeds from a Chinese company selling through Amazon. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • hatty123hatty123 Posts: 125
    @leom if it makes you feel any better last year I grew peppers from seed for the first time. I proudly showed the three that germinated to my sister but was puzzled by one doing really well and the other two taking their time. Then she told me the "good" one was an Acer type seedling 🤦 I think my brain had been so focused on it being a pepper until she said it and then it was obvious 😂 the seeds all looked like pepper seeds so I think it was a rogue that had made its way into the compost
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Many of us have been there and done that @leom 😂 gardeners are always learning and some are further along the path than others .... and then of course there’s another challenge ... remembering it 🤯. 
    Thank goodness we have gardening friends on here to help us ... and commiserate with 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    One way to be sure - I took some seed from a hot chilli pepper that we had used to make a curry. All germinated and are growing on as well as could be hoped for in this difficult year. Did the same with a pumpkin :)
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    You didn't say where the seeds came from @leom if it's a reputable DEFRA registered seller it's worth reporting to them. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
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