Hi, sorry about the un-clickable link...don't know my HTML tags! Here is it again:

Here is a link that might be useful: Pepper plant

You don't want to plant the group of them as is -- either carefully tease them apart and give them each their own pot (or section of the garden) or if you only want one plant, snip off all but the best looking one and replant only the one. At that size, I'd personally try to separate them and hope to save at least a few.

Have the seedlings been hardened off outside? If they've only been grown inside so far, I'd suggest planting each one in its own pot, then carefully exposing the plants to a bit of direct sun each day, increasing little by little over the course of a week or so. The stress of the roots being separated, plus going right into a sunny garden, could be too much for them.

Good luck!

Kathy

If you are going to separate them, you might try soaking the rootball in a bucket of water to soften up the soil, then gently moving them apart.

If you are going to separate them, you might try soaking the rootball in a bucket of water to soften up the soil, then gently moving them apart.

That looks to me like a tricky proposition. The plants are very close to each other, and the pot is small for just one plant that size. I think that has to mean that the plants are root bound, and the roots are probably very tangled.

But I agree that the only option to try to keep them all is soaking, and teasing them apart. Just don't let the roots dry out. It will take a while for each to get themselves reestablished, and I suspect you'll lose half the foliage in each.

I would have half a mind, as you were thinking. to thin to two or three, transplant them together in some good deep soil, and see what you get. The plants will be healthy, but they won't grow that big, and it may be a challenge getting much fruit. If these were small peppers, you might have more luck.

Don't just soak the roots. Soak them in a bucket, but grab them by the stalks and swish around in the bucket of water. Then take an adjustable spray nozzle and wash off the majority of the soil. Then start tugging loose each individual plant. Then get them to their final growing spot and drench. If at all possible, let the soil dry out before the next watering.

I just did this myself about 2 weeks ago with 3 red bells and all are rebounding just fine.

Kevin

This post was edited by woohooman on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 0:40