How much water does a pepper plant need?
It depends on the conditions of course. But keep in mind, peppers do NOT like soggy soil, so make sure to let it dry out between watering.
Do pepper plants need a lot of water?
Peppers actually like to dry out a bit between watering. That said, during the longest hottest days of summer, especially in pots, that may be every day. With cooler weather and during the spring and fall you may only need to water them every 2-3 days. The best bet is to feel the top layer of soil to see if it's moist, if the soil feels dry, you can water, but if it's still moist, wait until the top layer dries out before watering again. Remember, peppers hate wet, soggy feet!
How to fix overwatered pepper plants:
First, stop watering and let the soil dry out before watering again! This is your best bet to help them recover. Peppers do not like wet, soggy roots! Make sure the pot is well draining, and if not, drill some extra holes to provide drainage.
If the soggy pepper is in a pot and is looking pretty sad, move the pepper to a shaded area while it recovers. Then, slowly re-acclimate the pepper plant to sunlight once it starts to perk up and recover.
If growing peppers in pots, make sure to use well-draining potting soil mix, not garden soil or top soil which do not drain well. If growing in the ground, you should also make sure the soil is loamy and fast draining for the healthiest pepper plants. We like to add lots of compost to in-ground grown pepper beds to keep the soil healthy and productive.
Why does your pepper plant have yellow leaves?
There are many reasons, but overwatering is the most common.
Don't overwater your peppers! Let the soil dry out between watering. On hot days, you may need to water every day, but on cooler days you may only need to water every few days, so keep an eye on the soil. Even if the soil dries out and a pepper plant wilts a bit, it will recover quickly with a dose of water. But if your pepper is wilting and getting yellow leaves and the soil is moist, you are most likely overwatering!
Read more about Yellow Leaves on Pepper Plants »
Don't overwater your peppers! Let the soil dry out between watering. On hot days, you may need to water every day, but on cooler days you may only need to water every few days, so keep an eye on the soil. Even if the soil dries out and a pepper plant wilts a bit, it will recover quickly with a dose of water. But if your pepper is wilting and getting yellow leaves and the soil is moist, you are most likely overwatering!
Read more about Yellow Leaves on Pepper Plants »
