re: peppers, watering and fertilizer, plus deadheading

Vegetables need to get about 1 inch of water a week, and they prefer
long watering sessions so the water goes down in the soil.  If you are
fertilizing make sure you follow the instructions on the label.  I have
been told many times to use half the strength recommended on the
package, if you want to try that.  Yellowing leaves can be a sign of too
much or too little fertilizer.  No flowers/fruit and lots of green is
usually too much nitrogen.

Also, someone asked about deadheading and going to seed.  A plant wants
to reproduce so it makes seeds.  Once a flower gets past its prime it
starts making the seeds and all the effort goes in to changing the
flower to seed.  In the case of most herbs and flowers, you want to cut
off the flower so the plant continues to work on creating the leaves,
roots and more flowers.

Hope all this helps.

Debby Williams
Advanced Master Gardener
Oakland County, Michigan USA
USDA Hardiness Zones 5b/6a
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