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Q: My jalapeño plants are growing very well, but most of the blooms fall off and peppers have yet to form. What is happening and why?
A: Peppers plants are picky about temperature. Their seeds germinate best in soil temperatures above 75°F, they prefer to be transplanted into garden soil that is at least 60°F, and they can't abide frost. Optimal pepper-growing temperatures range between 65° and 85°F during the day and between 60° and 70°F at night. When daytime temperatures climb above 90°F or fall below 60°F, pepper plants often experience blossom drop- a condition where flowers fall off the plant before fruit can set.
Blossom drop causes low yields in otherwise healthy plants.
The peppers' optimal temperature range causes difficulties for gardeners in desert areas, where daytime temps can soar well into the 90s but fall below 60°F at night. One way to get around this is to plant peppers earlier in your growing season, when daytime temperatures are more moderate. If evening temperatures are chilly, place a lightweight row cover over your plants. Just be sure to remove the row cover on days forecast to reach above 80°F, since the temperature inside the row cover will be several degrees warmer than the ambient air temperature.
If nighttime temperatures are optimal but daytime temperatures rise too high, you must provide afternoon shade. Consider planning your garden so that taller plants, such as corn and tomatoes, shade the peppers during the warmest hours of the day. Or plant your peppers in containers and place them in an area of your yard that receives afternoon shade. You can also shade the plants with shade cloth@a fabric designed to allow only a fraction of sunlight through. Shade cloth (also called shade netting and shade fabric) and row covers are available at most garden centers, through mail-order gardening catalogs, and online from the Gardener's Supply Company (gardeners.com).
