Why will my pepper plants not grow?
I changed suppliers of seeds this year. In the past I typically would seeds from one of the major companies like Gurneys, mostly hybrid varieties. This year I purchased all of my seeds from seed savers.
I bought tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, etc, and many varieties of each and all USDA organic certified and mostly heirloom varieties.
They all took off well in the house as expected, but some of the pepper plants and the cucumbers are stunted. Once in the garden, they only grew a few inches (1-2) and stopped. They have been the same height for 2 months now.
Has anyone experienced this before? Is there something I can do or change?
What USDA zone do you live in? And did you harden off the plants for a period of time before planting them outside?
What are you doing for plant food and watering? What has the weather been like in your location?
I am in zone 5b and yes I do acclimate them as I always have, a couple of hours a day for a few days, then a 4-6 hours for a week or so, and then all day (bringing them in at night) for a week or so then all the time unless the temp drops below 40 degree F.
I water every other day unless there is rain in the forecast. Typically early morning or late evening.
I am not fertilizing this year, my garden beds are new, I layered straw, compost, leaves, manure and soil in new raised beds 10-12in deep. All done over the winter. I also added blood meal for the nitrogen source.