Pepper seedlings not staying upright

lavanta · July 9, 2014

I have about a dozen pepper seedlings all about 4-6 six weeks old and about 4-5 inches tall. I grew them in DE and only used weak inorganic fert after the second set of true leaves. They are all in 4" pots now with peat moss based soilless medium with organic fert. Lately, during noon (around 85 degrees and sunny pretty much everyday) some of them are not staying up straight. They perk up and stay upright if I move them a shadier spot. I staked some of them and noticed that right at soil level the stem is thinner that the upper parts. That is where stem seems to be weakest. I don't think they had damp off but not sure, they look quite healthy.

My question is this, can I plant them deeper like tomatoes so that they can have roots above that thinner stem section. I really don't want to lose the Urfa peppers in particular since I had very poor germination (about 20%).

Cheers

July 9, 2014	#1
lavanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 68	Pepper seedlings not staying upright I have about a dozen pepper seedlings all about 4-6 six weeks old and about 4-5 inches tall. I grew them in DE and only used weak inorganic fert after the second set of true leaves. They are all in 4" pots now with peat moss based soilless medium with organic fert. Lately, during noon (around 85 degrees and sunny pretty much everyday) some of them are not staying up straight. They perk up and stay upright if I move them a shadier spot. I staked some of them and noticed that right at soil level the stem is thinner that the upper parts. That is where stem seems to be weakest. I don't think they had damp off but not sure, they look quite healthy. My question is this, can I plant them deeper like tomatoes so that they can have roots above that thinner stem section. I really don't want to lose the Urfa peppers in particular since I had very poor germination (about 20%). Cheers