Veggies not growing big enough

[Isis]

My plants are growing great but the veggies aren't very big. I have a jalapeno plant w/ the biggest one growing to be an inch. My zucchinis aren't getting much bigger than 3-4 inches. They're VERY new plants. Does this have anything to do with it? The plants look healthy, as does the veggies. Can I help them to grow bigger? :

[ms.shell]

You could get some granular organic balanced fertilizer and apply about a teaspoon around the base of each plant and then shovel over a generous amount of Black Kow (composted manure) or mushroom compost, which you can buy in bags. Then water it in really well and wait for bigger veggies.
Good luck, mama!

[Talula Fairie]

Isn't it pretty early in the season anyway? How long ago did you plant everything? I think you may just have to wait for the veggies to mature. Here in zone 9 for example, zucchini just came into season a few weeks ago.

Are you fertilizing? What kind of soil are you dealing with? How much sun are the veggies getting?

[cschick]

Originally Posted by Isis

My plants are growing great but the veggies aren't very big. I have a jalapeno plant w/ the biggest one growing to be an inch. My zucchinis aren't getting much bigger than 3-4 inches. They're VERY new plants. Does this have anything to do with it? The plants look healthy, as does the veggies. Can I help them to grow bigger? :

Re: They're VERY new plants . . .

Does this mean that you've recently planted them and they are small?

I live in an area where veggie plants like peppers and tomatoes really need to be started indoors. When I don't start them myself and purchased started plants from local nurseries, I do notice that those plants tend to be a bit stunted: they start flowering and producing veggies while still small. Those veggies will end up either damaging the plant or staying small.

I put my (purchased) peppers and tomatoes out about a week ago, and I'll be pinching off blossoms to avoid this for a couple of weeks.

[Isis]

Originally Posted by cschick

Re: They're VERY new plants . . .

Does this mean that you've recently planted them and they are small?

I live in an area where veggie plants like peppers and tomatoes really need to be started indoors. When I don't start them myself and purchased started plants from local nurseries, I do notice that those plants tend to be a bit stunted: they start flowering and producing veggies while still small. Those veggies will end up either damaging the plant or staying small.

I put my (purchased) peppers and tomatoes out about a week ago, and I'll be pinching off blossoms to avoid this for a couple of weeks.

They're not VERY new. They're about 2 months in. I'm not sure what's considered "new".

[Isis]

Originally Posted by Talula Fairie

Isn't it pretty early in the season anyway? How long ago did you plant everything? I think you may just have to wait for the veggies to mature. Here in zone 9 for example, zucchini just came into season a few weeks ago.

Are you fertilizing? What kind of soil are you dealing with? How much sun are the veggies getting?

Yes, it probably is early in the season but I'm SO new to this, I'm not sure what to expect. I planted it all about 2 months ago.

I'm not fertilizing but I just bought some organic grow big stuff online, and maybe that'll help. The veggies are in full sun for about 8 hours. The soil is the good kind.

[1littlebit]

i am having this problem with my strawberry plants! i keep staring at my teeny weeny strawberries and wondering how the ones at the farmers market are so big.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Isis

Yes, it probably is early in the season but I'm SO new to this, I'm not sure what to expect. I planted it all about 2 months ago.

What's your weather like though? Highs and lows? Here, it's too cold to really start planting out until the end of April/beginning of May. And some things like Basil shouldn't go in until mid/end of May. It doesn't matter if it's been in the ground for 2 months if it's been too cold for it, it won't start doing anything until it warms up.

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

i am having this problem with my strawberry plants! i keep staring at my teeny weeny strawberries and wondering how the ones at the farmers market are so big.

In part, it's the breed they use, particularly if you're looking at the conventional strawberries. Strawberries like warm ground - all the strawberry patches here put black plastic over the ground instead of mulch to trap heat. But they also want enough water (but not too much). And some breeds actually do better in the shade, while some do well in full sun. I just discovered this weekend that the breeds I've been raising prefer full shade when I've been giving them full sun for years... I've been wondering what we were going to plant in the shade, and now I know.

And all the organic farmers at our market sell the small berries, not the huge ones. If you want the huge ones you have to buy conventional... but fact is that the little ones taste better, which is why I grow alpines (wild), which are the smallest.

[eirual]

Are these plants still by chance in their seeding containers which might be limiting their root growth, and hence smaller plants?

I was gauking over how small my tomato plants were then figured "Duh, you seeded them in egg cartons, how tall do you expect them to grow!"

[Isis]

Originally Posted by cristeen

What's your weather like though? Highs and lows? Here, it's too cold to really start planting out until the end of April/beginning of May. And some things like Basil shouldn't go in until mid/end of May. It doesn't matter if it's been in the ground for 2 months if it's been too cold for it, it won't start doing anything until it warms up.



In part, it's the breed they use, particularly if you're looking at the conventional strawberries. Strawberries like warm ground - all the strawberry patches here put black plastic over the ground instead of mulch to trap heat. But they also want enough water (but not too much). And some breeds actually do better in the shade, while some do well in full sun. I just discovered this weekend that the breeds I've been raising prefer full shade when I've been giving them full sun for years... I've been wondering what we were going to plant in the shade, and now I know.

And all the organic farmers at our market sell the small berries, not the huge ones. If you want the huge ones you have to buy conventional... but fact is that the little ones taste better, which is why I grow alpines (wild), which are the smallest.

I live in Southern California, so it's pretty warm. Right now it's about 80s high, upper 50s low.