Fertilizing Peppers - All About Plant Nutrients - Pepper Geek

In this video, we share an overview of essential plant nutrients and how they affect plant growth. In particular, we'll discuss how to properly fertilize pepper plants in both containers and in the ground.
Join our Patreon to grow peppers with us!
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We'll also share some recommended plant fertilizers for peppers along with our regularly updated list of recommended growing supplies.
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FERTILIZERS (Affiliate Links):
Fox Farm Trio:
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Miracle-Gro Organics:
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Espoma Garden Tone:
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Fish & Seaweed:
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Bat Guano:
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Seabird Guano:
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Our Recommended Supplies (updated regularly):
peppergeek.com/supplies
More about fertilizing peppers:
peppergeek.com/fertilizer-for...
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Major nutrients
4:06 - Secondary nutrients
4:58 - How to fertilize pepper plants
8:52 - Fertilizer recommendations
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I hope this video helps you learn about fertilizing pepper plants. Feeding plants properly is essential for optimal growth and harvests. It can also be a learning experience over time, and results may vary based on your specific climate and grow season's duration. Let us know any fertilizing recommendations you have in the comments!
Thanks for watching Pepper Geek :)
#peppers #growingpeppers #gardening #fertilizer #fertilizing

[@enlightenedhealthcareguru2575]

This is the most thorough explanation of NPK/nutrients I've ever seen and I've seen MANY! Not to mention, its EXTREMELY efficient. Awesome job. I appreciate you.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful :)

[@Wordsalad69420]

This guy has a pepper bonsai. Dam, that's passion.

[@yourtruemomma8280]

My new favorite pepper channel!

[@PepperGeek]

Awesome! Thanks :)

[@joewilliams1805]

This year is my first time to grow jalapeno plants. You have guided me the whole way... I am in Vancouver BC. And have 2 inch beautiful jalapenos covering my 2.5' plants. I want alot of red peppers. Thanx for you...

[@PepperGeek]

Amazing! So glad we've been helpful :)

[@catherinedorr3717]

This guy knows his plant science. Best tutorial I've seen !

[@urbanharvestdfw]

I know right

[@aIizard]

Thank you! I’ve been looking for a good fertilizer for my pepper plants for a while!

[@jollerclausen281]

Yeeeeess i have been looking for a vid like this for so long

[@lilyxciv5637]

Yes, absolutely love the details on container growing vs in-ground growing.

[@SpiceyKy]

Thank you so much. Now I see where I went wrong last season. You rock!

[@matteframe]

I love how your videos aren't just pepper specific (tho I love peppers). Really informative and esay to digest.

[@merrycontrary3520]

Loved your explanation of living soil. Our precious earth.

[@nirmalaviswanathan4120]

Thanks a lot for enabling all how,when,and what to fertilize our pepper plants. I found it very useful for my garden. Keep posting ,n sharing your knowledge and experiences. Thanks.:)

[@krystal878]

Great breakdown and recommendations! Huge help, thank you!

[@grissellvelez01]

This is my first time I've seen your channel, and I really want to hear more , your knowlege and scientific way to explian is wonderful and make's me absolutely secure to taking care of my plants, I will most definitely apply your recommendations. Thank you:)

[@paranormalspecialist]

Great video, VERY helpful for beginner chilli growers. I will be watching it repeated times :D

[@Antiluls]

you know I tend not to subscribe or like anyones channel who asks for likes or subscribes. But, I was so impressed that you acknowledged there where time stamps and where to skip to if one wanted a quick answer, you earned it pal.

[@albaguerra3621]

Good morning. This video was awesome. Very instructional. Thank you. I'll be looking forward for your other videos

[@PepperGeek]

Thank you, glad you found it helpful!

[@Kristoffceyssens]

This was so enriching to watch. Thanks.

[@PepperGeek]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kelvinsantos1226]

This is what im looking for today. Lucky me i didnt asleep yet when this been uploaded

[@GreenLove1]

Great video. I am going to be growing lots of hots and super hots next season in pots and grow bags since the sunniest space in my backyard is covered in concrete! But peppers grow fantastic in containers as long as you give them the nutrition they need, and you explained it so well. Thanks again.

[@prathibharamaswamy1464]

Single most relevant informative piece of video on peppers. This can very well be followed for most fruit/veggie plants. Thanks so much!

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks, glad to help!

[@WaRn00b85]

Top quality content and video content! Keep the videos coming! Blessings from Cape Town South Africa!

[@mwright6395]

Great help, made me realize what i did wrong last year

[@bryansiepert9222]

Great info, thanks!

[@johnkeller3803]

Love all the recent content, keep up the great work!

[@damanypalmer5849]

I feel this is the best video well explained he went straight to the point no looking talking

[@PepperGeek]

Appreciate that :)

[@neelams6828]

Best channel if you are planting peppers . I got so much information without wasting any time 👍🏻 . Thanks 🙏

[@PepperGeek]

So glad! 😁

[@cynthiawilliamson5905]

Great info!!

[@noelchafe8384]

Wow excellent video! I knew a little about NPK but thanks to you I understand a whole lot more about it now. I'll be looking at more of your video's :)

[@PepperGeek]

Glad we could help :)

[@TheIcemanHoop]

Your vids are so informative and straight to the point! A rare find in Gardening youtube. 🙏🏾

[@PepperGeek]

Thank you! :)

[@adorhambre597]

that's fucking true. tnx pepper geek!

[@TheIcemanHoop]

@@PepperGeek thank you! I am growing bell peppers for the first time this year and your channel has helped me so much :-) excited to try more varieties in the future

[@urrigongreyjoy]

Thank you.

[@ahnaahna7278]

I am near Atlanta, georga. My pepper plants look great.....minus any reasonable fruit. But I now will switch over to the phosphorus/magnesium quotient for my peppers. Thk you so much.....for this clearly communicated.....information. You present a very helpful service of info for us gardeners. God bless you!!! Ahna

[@ThePinkBinks]

Thanks so much for this! I wasn't sure if I'd picked out decent nutes but feel better about my choice now. 😂 This will be my second attempt since 2020 was a massive screw up. 😂

[@adelekesamsela1062]

This is what I need

[@kanthvickram4490]

super video with so much information. i learned a lot as to when to reduce the nitrogen and increase phospherus and pottasium.

[@PepperGeek]

Glad it was helpful, thanks!

[@morenacampanero8785]

thanks for the info

[@caseyarmstrong7064]

My pepper plants just don’t have that nice flat green leaf to them. There in ground and always seem to have a V shape to them and always hanging down. Great video, thanks pepper geeks

[@bnach2843]

new subscriber; really helpful info. appreciate it very much!! growing peppers first time in zone 9B

[@maribelmeza4494]

Hello from Texas - Zone 9a. Love my peppers 🌶 and with your help, I’ll be able to grow my own. Just stumbled into your channel. New subscriber! Looking forward to watching all your pepper videos. Thanks and God bless you!

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for the kind words, glad you found our pepper channel! Hope you have a bountiful year :)

[@charliensam]

New subscriber here... THANK YOU so much for sharing your time, talents, and knowledge. Your videos are allowing me to gain some pepper knowledge & become a better home gardener. Can't wait to improve my pepper beds. :)

[@PepperGeek]

That’s great to hear, thanks for subbing - we’re happy to be here making videos!

[@barco581]

Spot on. Soil testing is key and can save a lot of money. And a combo of granular, foliar, and limited use of synthetics. That is the road to the best yields.

[@barco581]

And nice to see someone who agrees that synthetics in small amounts work well. Being lectured by 100% organic people gets old quickly.

[@thecyclingcouple4438]

Hi PG from Toronto, 🇨🇦. Great video, thumbs up. I love yellow and orange bell peppers. Its gtk the nutrients that i need for them to grow and give me a good harvest this year so thank you.

[@PepperGeek]

Hi 👋🏻 thanks, glad we could help - good luck with your plants!

[@icouldjustscream]

I like Gaia Organic 2-8-4 Powerbloom, a bit of bonemeal and a dash of worm castings for my peppers. Add a sprinkle of Seaboost Liquid fertilizer to their water once they start to leaf up a bit. I tend to go light on the nutes, it's easier to add more if needed, than give too much early on.

[@PepperGeek]

Good advice, thanks for sharing your regimen :)

[@NorthGaReptile]

As a first time potted vegetable "farmer" this season, I've done quite a few things wrong. But that's how we learn, right!? Your channel has been unbelievably comprehensive and informative. What I haven't come across yet though, is how much fertilizer do you use per juvenile plant in 4in pots and again for mature plants in their permanent pot? And how often do you recommend fertilizing? Thanks for helping all of us n00bs out!

[@gren3833]

Thanks! I’m gonna start growing my first pepper plant soon.

[@hilow8331]

oh no! dont do it.... dont you dare..... dont you dare do it! :P

[@PepperGeek]

Prepare for a new addiction :)

[@mohammeddamir8214]

Thank you solo much

[@diygardener8574]

Very informative; thank you! And I love the Swedish horse in the background!

[@PepperGeek]

Glad you found it helpful, and thanks! I've got some Swedish roots

[@diygardener8574]

Me too, man! Have a great season and keep the videos coming:)

[@Mike-Eye]

Great info 🤙🏾

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks :)

[@Jardin-de-invierno]

Love the video…again

[@susannesandin5992]

What!!! Behandla the fertilizings i saw ”my” swedish Dalahäst, and i even like all the info. :-)

[@catfur9215]

Thank you for this video! I think I understand why my serrano Is so slow to grow and lightly colored now.

[@ericcooley38]

Holy crap I feel I just learned more about chemistry and horticulture in 10 minutes than everything I learned in my entire 12 year public school career

[@AKJJSIM]

I use Down to Earth All Purpose 4-6-2 in my soil starting with the first transplant. Raised beds are amended with 1 part of the All Purpose and 2 parts DTE Bone Meal 3-15-0. After final planting I use DTE Liquid Bloom 2-6-4 and a little DTE calcium and Kelp in a drip irrigation fertilizer injector. Zone 4 south central AK.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing your regimen - cool to hear about a pepper grower out there in AK!

[@amck3345]

I am transplanting my 65 pepper plants in 2 days and needed some info on to what to add to my soil before I put the plant into my large pots. I was going to add some banana peels and egg shells that I have been accumulating over time to the soil before transplanting and bone meal. Thanx for your great videos of useful information, Cheers and happy pepper growing

[@PepperGeek]

Hm, that could be interesting. I've heard good things about adding chopped up banana peel directly to the soil. Bone meal is great too, especially if the soil you're using doesn't have any calcium - just make sure to offset it with some magnesium (again, only if the soil doesn't already have it). Good luck, we have about the same number of plants!

[@petervuive]

Love it

[@willsolarski8550]

Great content-subscribed.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks!

[@vimadmax]

Also, keep in mind that, unless you re using osmose water, there are nutrients like Ca, Mg etc. in water. What is really importaint, is to have a right balance of nutriences, proper concentration (for peppers it is 1800-2800 µS/cm) and right PH value. A good rule of thumb is to have somewhat about 1.00 N 0.50 P2O5 1.00 K2O 0.33 MgO 0.67 CaO 0.25 SO3 0.01 Cl

[@andielliott7721]

I have been using "compost tea" to fertilize my tomatoes and peppers and it seems to be working wonderfully well. I can even use it on my tiny seedlings without fear of burning them.

[@PepperGeek]

That is great!

[@mrbossamo]

thanks for your tips and advice im looking this kind of content for a long time in the enternet full support new friend....god bless.

[@TimBeitz-vp2fw]

Thanks for more Tips on pepper growth. Hope this year is my largest crop.

[@PepperGeek]

You bet, we hope so too!

[@TimBeitz-vp2fw]

@@PepperGeek Thank you. Trying the Bulgarian carrot and Caribbean red.

[@gabrielkawa3477]

Awesome video

[@PepperGeek]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gabrielkawa3477]

@@PepperGeek I have a lot to learn about this but it makes things easier

[@bigdawghemi4134]

I've found that for containers such as 5 gallon buckets for peppers miracle grow organic soil with bone meal and blood meal works really well with pepper plant growth and production

[@PepperGeek]

Nice, sounds like a simple and straightforward method

[@suihkurunkkari]

Nice and informative. I've always been a lazy man and just used general fertilizer Puutahan Kesä (13-7-20) during the summer. I've done alright and the limiting factor is the fact that my balcony is not getting enough sunlight. Maybe I could get better results with optimising the amounts but like I said, I am a lazy man. :) Anyway, keep up the good work with these videos.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks a lot! Yeah, less sun can affect growth, but we grow a lot of our plants in morning sun only too. The plants seem to find a way to be productive anyway!

[@michaelcribb7205]

Super helpful about to start Carolina reaper,pumpkin habenaro, 7 pot brain strain, bhut jolakia chocolate ghost peppers ,pablano,and moruga scorpion peppers I've done Carolina reaper once before turned out good wanting to make hot sauce or salsa with some also have 5 different tomatoes as well

[@PepperGeek]

Very cool - sounds like you're going to make some SERIOUSLY spicy hot sauce

[@boosted211]

generally for all my plants, inoculate with mycorrhizae at the start and during transplants, top dress with ground up 2 row malted barley, maybe some kelp, and water it in with aloe vera and humic acid.

[@jahineverybody]

Big up. Malted barley, and aloe, seems like another clackamus coot head likes to grow a wide variety of plants too!?😅

[@boosted211]

@@jahineverybody yup. Cheap and it works, though I could get by with just good compost. Coot is a well of knowledge. Feed the soil, keep it healthy, and the plants take care of themselves.

[@kjax0630]

1st year grower! I have lots to learn and your channel is awesome for all the tips and steps, thanks!

[@christopherstirrat1398]

Just found your channel. Subscribed!

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks!!

[@sobersportsman]

Egg shells are wonderful.

[@Ashteroth]

Thank you for this video! Been waiting for it! I hope you can also make a video about pest and how to deal with it (broad mites, aphids, mildew, whiteflies and fruitflies). What happens to pepper plants affected by them? There are also beneficial insects like the ensign wasp... Maybe a simple guide to follow?

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for suggesting this - we will definitely cover various pest control methods, we deal with aphids most years so we are well versed

[@josephcliffordmontana4493]

Fox farm, nice

[@urbanharvestdfw]

great explanation I gotta get me some of that my peppers didn't do too good this year

[@PepperGeek]

Yup, a little goes a long way for most veggies!

[@urbanharvestdfw]

@@PepperGeek thanx, please help out a small channel by subscribing t

[@noahmeme2]

I like to use Trifecta+.

[@Yeah-right-2024]

good video.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for the visit

[@DL-ir2wb]

In this year 2024, which Miracle Grow fertilizer would you recommend? For potted jalapeño and tomato plants? Thank you, I watch your videos and I learn every day.

[@SuperflyCLB]

I got a foodcycler so my family could compost our table scraps, but now I’m constantly working new compost into the raised beds. Dunno if that’s gonna cause problems or not. All the plants seem pretty happy and productive so 🤷‍♂️

[@PepperGeek]

It should help for a while - compost is a miracle addition that can fix basically any soil issues over time. Eventually, I guess it becomes unnecessary once the soil is really healthy and alive.

[@mcraw4d]

Blossom End rot is typically from a Calcium deficiency due to inconsistent watering affecting the uptake vs. a lack of availability in the soil

[@PepperGeek]

Interesting...thanks for sharing

[@peacebewithyou5702]

Also consider poor calcium plant absorption may be due to high soil potassium, low boron, and/or low manganese

[@MeBigR3d]

You are a nerd God! Thank you.

[@kishannayak5773]

Do you side dress with more solid fertilizer later in the season, or just once right before transplanting? Thanks for all your great work, this channel is my one-stop shop for pepper advice!

[@PepperGeek]

We continue fertilizing later in the season with either side dressing or water-based fertilizer. We just make sure it isn't too high in nitrogen. Thanks for watching!

[@mutinyspice8868]

Baus sent me. He said you were joining our Discord, welcome!

[@PepperGeek]

Just joined - thanks :)

[@chrisferrell6159]

Lots of money for that stuff. I use chicken and rabbit compost later I add wood ash and Epson salt. Wow cheap and powerful

[@oregonlife2323]

Just found your channel and you seem like the good version of me... hahaha, young got the home office, the bonsai's, the peppers. Are you in the stock market and collecting as well? haha good video, thanks!

[@PepperGeek]

😅 Great minds think alike! Thanks for watching

[@Manuel3525m]

I went to a store and ask for the fox farm grow big and the big bloom for my peppers and they said you don’t need any of that and gave me all purpose natural fertilizer 4-6-2

[@jonathanburg8029]

Thanks for a the great tips. I was curious how often to fertilize?? I have 5 week old bell peppers currently growing inside under grow lights. They are in 3 inch pots but the plants are a little small yet. I fertilized them twice (2 weeks between) with Alaskan fish emulsion 5-1-1 half strength. But their size concerns me considering they should be heading outside in about 3 weeks!

[@PepperGeek]

Go to full strength if they are 5 weeks old, and I believe you can fertilize weekly with Alaskan fish emulsion. Thanks for watching!

[@sarmatiko]

If you live in the areas where good fertilizer mixes are too expensive or unavailable (due to imports for example) or you want to micromanage your mixes for different cultures, or simply save money - you can easily use basic water-soluble salts, calculator (like Auto NPK Calculator for Android) and $5 0.01 weights. I usually use these: Monopotassium phosphate, Potassium nitrate, Calcium nitrate, Magnesium sulfate (aka Epsom salt) + some micro elements that can be feeded occasionally on leaves. These are basic fertilizers and they should be always available in serious farmers\gardening stores.

[@roryweeding6128]

Solid salts are always the cheapest way to feed plants, but you often have to be careful what you mix to not cause precipitation to form in solution

[@urbanharvestdfw]

wow I didn't know I need to subscribe to your channe

[@lindacobe]

Hello again! Nice video 😊 How do you recommend using Epson Salt? Should I put it on the soil? Thanks a lot!

[@kevinsorensen367]

I appreciate the scientific explanation of what fertilizer ingredients do what. But as a new gardener I need some examples and ballparks. For a potted pepper, do you wait for deficiencies and the fertilizer once? Or do you fertilize every day until it's gone? How do you mix the right amounts, etc?

[@PepperGeek]

This is a great idea - we will do a more basic “how to fertilize pepper plants” type video soon to share our process. Essentially, for potted plants, you just want to follow the guidelines of your fertilizer.

[@TheBurtle005]

Do you have any videos explaining how much fertilizer/at what stage to give during the growing process?

[@PepperGeek]

Not in that format, but that sounds like a good topic for the coming grow season

[@benjismith593]

I get my potassium straight from Khazikstan. Number one exporter of potassium. Borat is my dealer.

[@hilow8331]

its Niiice!

[@radianceofnature7613]

May I know what bonsai plant on your table? It’s looks amazing and healthy!

[@PepperGeek]

That was a C. chinense pepper variety called 'CGN 21500' also sometimes called the 'sunset peach' or 'purple peach' - we have an article about it here: peppergeek.com/cgn-21500-peppers

[@sbayles]

This is very interesting. I wish I’d have seen it a month ago. Now I know why my seedlings haven’t grown much. Should I just start over with new seeds or can they catch up?

[@MB-co6qj]

Give them that booster shot😄

[@PepperGeek]

They should catch up fine, some of our seedlings just got their first bit of fertilizer.

[@tarekazzouz6607]

First time planting pepper for me. Should I start fertilizing when the seed develops seed leaves or the true leaves?

[@victoriasann1772]

Question I use Fish Emulsion only, it's a 511

[@SONICFANS4EVER]

Hello those recommendations fertilizer can i also use them to all vegetables plant?

[@daniel1c]

Thanks for the video. Question, in your potted plants guide, did you recommend the organic bond meal/bat guano in conjunction with the added chemical fertilizer, or was it do one or the other?

[@Trevd508]

You should grow cannabis. I'm a second gen grower & you approach your growing the same exact way I do. With minor tweaks I was able to excel at any pepper type of pepper 🌶️ I tried with eas. Induced flowering bloom boost feed's to increase flower sights & even ripening teks all made perfect sense. Without a cage or scrog net they would break overwhelmed during boom's. Pots & ground. Also applied some of the same Tek with squashes and tomato vine varieties

[@crewnail1763]

My pepper plants aren't growing this year. I put some egg shells, coffee grounds and some 4-4-4 vegetable fertilizer. Not sure if I shouldn't have put egg shells and coffee grounds as this was the first time I have tried it. I probably should put them in sunnier area. Any thoughts please reply.

[@aluyaejiroghene295]

Thank You for this knowledge, I notice that my pepper leaves are shrinking and folding, what could be the cause?. Thank you

[@PepperGeek]

Hmm..sounds like it may be lightburn? It could also be overwatering or disease

[@Underdogsteve509]

Great info!! Thank you. I’ve had a hard time germinating peppers this year, hot peppers, and kinda confused on what happened. Grow tent, light, proper temp, and reputable seeds. All my bell peppers done great except the yellow bell and hot ones. I’m no novice but no pro either, I’ve been doing my own seeds for 5 years and this is the first year I’ve had issues with peppers. The ones that did come up are really small and not growing. They look healthy, but tiny. Any suggestions?

[@PepperGeek]

hm, could be the medium you're using? Are you growing in a coir based soil? If so, could have residual salts, etc. Otherwise, I'd look to nutrients and/or temperature

[@stephaniebasire2998]

Hi there, love your channel. I am planning to put some peppers in pots, one question if I use bone meal and Epsom, is it just one application, and how much? Or it is better to buy an organic fertilizer?

[@PepperGeek]

If a fertilizer contains calcium/magnesium, then you shouldn't have to worry about bone meal/Epsom salt. However, if you do amend with them, we usually just do one application before transplanting.

[@johnkorotki7861]

I believe Grow Big and Big Bloom are both organic, the tiger is synthetic. Great video. Offhand, do you know the breakdown of standard miracle grow?

[@elijahisrael86]

I love fox farm nutrients. Just purchased some “grow big” today!

[@Texas972]

Thank You For Sharing ✋🏾 New Subscriber 😁 🌶 🔥🔥🔥 🌶