Can't help much. I started my peppers from seed on 4/16. I still don't have flowers yet. We had a very cool June with above average rain. July has also been cool and some rain. But my bells and jalapenos look very green, leafy and healthy now. I am a first time gardener. Next year I will start seed in March. My church's garden has several kinds of pepper plants all with fruit and flowers. I think they transplanted from a nursery. We live in the mtns but lower elevation and lots of sun.

No issues here. I've gotten a couple Anaheim peppers and serranos & jalapenos. I've also got fruit set on all of my 6 bell pepper plants. That's about where I expect to be right now. As soon as the weather starts heating up, they'll really get going. They'll go until frost. You've got time.

Mine are doing really well. I have some green peppers that will be ready soon. The jalapeno, anaheim, red and yellow peppers are blossoming and setting well. Sorry for your trouble!!

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Yes and no. Some varieties have started producing, but for the most part the plants themselves aren't where I want/expect them to be in terms of size so I just pinch the fruits off.

My plant's aren't unhealthy, but it's been fairly cool thus far for the year. Some nice, warm streaks the peppers loved, but then it snaps back to spring/fall temps and plants don't do much.

What I would say is that even in zone 5, we still have time. For some of us things may be a little behind, but there is still time for them to go on to do great things.

Hey there - I've found that the night time temps are still so far below seasonal in my area (Toronto, Ontario, Zone 5) that my peppers are just a little behind. Don't worry! They will pick up - we've got loads of time still =)

I'm in zone 4 and one of my pepper plants is in just as sad a shape as you are describing. I think it is has to do with the cool spring. I planted my chocolate bell pepper plant right after Mother's Day, and it wasn't until two days ago that I noticed any change in my pepper plant. It's actually getting a little bit greener and sprouted a few more leaves. Unfortunately I don't think it's grown at all.

I bought two more pepper plants in late June because I was frustrated with my other pepper plant. They appear to be doing well. One is flowering and the other has buds. I'll be happy if I at least get one pepper from my sad chocolate bell pepper plant. The other two look like they will each give me more than one pepper.

justaguy2: "Yes and no. Some varieties have started producing, but for the most part the plants themselves aren't where I want/expect them to be in terms of size so I just pinch the fruits off."

I'm new to growing peppers and was wondering if you pinched the fruit off of small plants helps the plants continue to grow. I've seen videos and pictures of much larger plants than I have, and they seem to have stopped growing and seem focused on producing the few peppers that have set. Would it be better to pinch off the fruit to encourage these smaller plants to grow? Thanks!

My peppers planted into the ground in the garden proper are not as large as the two planted in a 5 gal. bucket. However, they are all healthy, have lots of blossoms and there are quite a few small fruit on them so far.

My in ground peppers are doing very well for once. I have harvested quite a few banana peppers with many more still on the plants. My green and red bell peppers each have several peppers on them.

My container peppers (bells) are another matter. I started them from seed and they were quite a bit smaller at transplant, so they have had some catching up to do. They have gotten quite large and have flowers, but no peppers yet. I just might get lucky and get something from them.

As I post this I just saw the other day on some site that my area in S.W. MI is now considered zone 6 as zones have changed. I need to do furtue reasearch. Until then I still consider myself zone 5. As far as peppers are concerned we put up a hoophouse that I planted peppers in, and also in the field. The ones in the hoophouse are just now really starting to grow and some have flowers. The ones in the field are also just now starting to come along. But this weather, esp. the cooler nights are not very condusive to peppers, but as others have said,we still have time to get a good harvest. Tomorrow I am going to close the covers on my hoop to bring up the temps. and see if it helps.

I'm new to growing peppers and was wondering if you pinched the fruit off of small plants helps the plants continue to grow.

Yes. I don't have any evidence that it actually works, but from my past experience when the weather isn't conducive to plants growing quickly they tend to start producing fruits when they are really small. Small enough that the peppers almost seem larger than the plant. I just pinch these off with the expectation that the plant will grow larger and then be able to support more peppers.

In other words I delay my gratification for the hope of better yields.