You really should have a soil test done to see what you need for your peppers. Your local Ag dept can do this for you for a few dollars.

I use a 10-10-10 garden fertilizer and add extra nitrogen. My soil, no matter how much organic waste we add, is always low in Nitrogen. This time we bought a large bag of Ammonium Nitrate 34-0-0. We've had pepper plants carry so many peppers the branches actually broke. This year with all the gloomy rainy days, our peppers are not producing as they usually do. And yes, rotate them. Don't plant peppers in the same place year after year.

Thanks, I'll post some pics to see what everyone thinks of them. IDK they just never look to good.

I've never used fertilizers for the peppers or anything else I have ever planted, my grandpa who taught me never did so I just didn't either.

Your grandfather probably did things you didn't know about such as adding manures or had cover crops or who knows. Still, there are soils that are naturally fertile enough that they can grow crops well for decades before the nutrient supply is exhausted.

Many years ago, before agriculture, there were civilizations that would migrate to an area and finding water and fertile ground would settle there. They would grow their food until the ground no longer grew it well and then they would move on to another area. They didn't understand plant nutrition or they could have stayed where they were and simply tended to the soil.

In other words, yes, you need fertilizer or some source of nutrients.

Still, there are other considerations that may account for poor performance. Too much or not enough water, not enough sun etc. would all result in sub par growth from peppers (any plant really).

I use spent coffee grounds and it works pretty good.But my soil is mushroom mix :)

remember keep good drainage hot peps don't like wet feet long
I use fish emulsion/bonemeal/bloodmeal/seaweed mixed with a good dose of water every 3 weeks and the peppers are huge and good

i use egg shells for my plantsthey really work