Fertilizing Peppers: What do you feed your peppers?
We don't go crazy with fertilizing peppers, in fact, we don't fertilize pepper seedlings until after they get their first set of leaves. Even then, we like to use a balanced organic liquid fertilizer at 1/2 strength – don't overdo it when they are young and still indoors under lights. As they grow, using well-balanced fertilizers is best (many growers recommend using fertilizers with a ratio of 3-1-2 or 1-1-1.)
Always read the directions, and don't over-fertilize and use more than the directions recommend, some fertilizers are very potent and it is better to use less than to over-feed your pepper plants.
Once you transplant them outdoors, we find that peppers do best when you feed the soil!
How do you feed the soil? We like to add homemade compost and/or earthworm castings and we use fish fertilizer periodically during the season to give them a boost. We wouldn't recommend using fish fertilizers indoors as they'll stink it up!
Some pepper growers fertilize peppers with a light diluted solution of Fish emulsion or hydrolysate / fertilizer every time they water can help them grow much faster. Fish fertilizer, especially fish emulsion (5-2-2), is beloved by pepper plants and other vegetables due to its nutrient composition. But it is fragrant stuff, so beware!
Top dressing with homemade compost regularly throughout the growing season can also help keep your plants healthy and productive, too.
Once peppers begin flowering, potassium is important for fruiting. If the growing medium is deficient in potassium, your peppers may drop flowers or produce fewer or no blooms at all. Too much nitrogen at this stage, however, can cause your pepper plants to grow lots of foliage and not flowers. Use equal parts or well-balanced ratios such as 1-1-1 or 3-1-2 as your pepper plants grow.
For in-ground gardens, it's good to do a soil test to understand how much of each nutrient is available and apply additional amendments as required.
Many pepper growers love other fertilizers including:
Tomato Tone, Rabbit droppings, Fox Farm's Marine Cuisine, Alaska Fish Fertilizer, Pelleted composted chicken manure, compost tea, earthworm castings, and more.
Above: Microorganisms, especially bacteria and fungi, are what feed our plants, as they break down organic matter (like decomposing leaves) and release essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into the soil that can then be utilized by plants. Read more about Composting for Peppers »
Compost for Peppers:
Homemade compost is full of soil life, and that's who feeds your plants! When you build living soil with compost and organic mulch (like leaf mulch or grass clippings), your soil will naturally feed your pepper plants. Soil microbes eat the organic materials and then in turn feed the plants when they "ask" for it.
Avoid Too Much Nitrogen:
Whatever you do, don't use fertilizers with a lot of nitrogen later in the season, especially as your plants start blooming, as too much nitrogen can result in plants with all leaves and no blooms!
Read our related posts:
Why do my pepper plants have no peppers?
Why do my peppers have blooms but no peppers?
Fertilizing Peppers in Pots:
If you are growing peppers in pots, make sure to use good quality potting soil that drains well and that the container has plenty of holes– peppers don't like soggy soil! We like to fertilize the pots by mixing in compost before planting, and then treating with fish emulsion or earthworm castings and compost a couple times during the summer months.
To conserve nutrients and conserve moisture in your pots, add grass clippings, leaf mulch, or top-dress with homemade compost, and gently water so that you aren't washing away all the nutrients. Fertilizing regularly with a balanced fertilizer is best with pots.
Learn more about How To Grow Peppers from Seed:
