Top 7 Best Fertilizer For Peppers

It is more complicated to grow peppers than you may think. Because pepper plants require multiple important nutrients and proper care.

Thus, we are here to give you a detailed buying guide and reviews about the top 7 fertilizers. Specifically, the EarthPods Premium Cal & Mag Plus is the most desirable candidate on our recommended list.

It provides a surplus amount of essential nutrients. Not only that, it is safe for the environment and easy to use.

The other 6 products are also worth a try for their remarkable features.

Best Fertilizer For Peppers Per Category

EarthPods Premium Cal & Mag Plus – Best Overall

Features

The EarthPods Premium Cal & Mag Plus features a premium bio formula, providing your plants with a surplus supply of calcium and magnesium.

With this product, your peppers will no longer suffer from calcium and magnesium nutrient deficiency and blossom end rot. Also, it maximizes vegetative and flower plant growth, promising an abundant crop.

The ingredients are made from all-natural sustainable resources, making it ideally eco-friendly. Also, the paperboard package is recyclable. Even the printing is environmentally friendly, too – the manufacturer uses soy inks.

Applying this fertilizer is merely child’s play. All you need to do is push it into the ground near the pepper plants’ center and water it.

What we like

• Premium bio formula
• Eco-friendly
• Easy to use

What can be improved?

We have nothing to complain about this product as there is nothing to be concerned about its quality.

Dr. Earth Organic 5 – Best Organic

Features

Your peppers can receive sufficient amounts of important nutrients while eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.

Not only that, the product provides probiotics, 7 strains of beneficial soil microbes, and 8 strains of Ecto and Endo Mycorrhizae. These substances encourage drought tolerance, enhance nutrient availability, and increase plant performance.

This product is completely safe for people and pets, too. As the fertilizer is organic, it is free of synthetic chemicals, chicken manure, sewage sludge, or toxic ingredients.

What we like

• 100% organic
• Providing extra nutrients
• Safe for people and pets

What can be improved?

The fertilizer produces some unexpected pungent smell. But you can rest assured as it won’t adversely affect your plants.

Osmocote Smart-Release – Best Time-Release Fertilizer

Features

The Osmocote Smart-Release can feed up to 4 full months for a single application, thus, it is unnecessary to apply it regularly.

Thanks to the extended time-release of the product, you can use it on many other plants other than peppers, preferably perennials.

The affordable price is another plus point for this particular fertilizer. You can have a healthy pepper garden without breaking the bank.

What we like

• Feeding up to 4 full months
• Ideal for perennials
• Affordable price

What can be improved?

Because this product is granular fertilizer, it inevitably leaves empty shells after application. Thus, it can cause some inconvenience if you accidentally trample over them.

But these shells are residual materials; they will disintegrate into the garden soil over time.

Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Continuous Release – Best Productivity

Features

Coming from natural ingredients such as earthworm castings, bone meal, and feather meal, the fertilizer feeds the microbes in the soil, thus feeding your plants.

There won’t be any calcium deficiency in your plants with this product. It provides a sufficient amount of calcium, helping form stronger cell walls and better yields.

The product comes in 3 different sizes, namely 1 pound, 4.5 pounds, and 8 pounds, making it utterly convenient to pick the suitable amount for your lovely garden!

What we like

• High productivity
• Providing extra calcium
• Many sizes available

What can be improved?

The high price might be quite off-putting, however. But for all its outstanding features, it is worth every cent.

Jobe’s Tomato Spikes – Best Price

Features

The fertilizer is incredibly easy to use, even for novices. With the specially formulated, pre-measured spikes, you can quickly and easily deliver them without causing a mess.

We give this product another plus point for its waterproof package. If you accidentally leave the fertilizer in the rain or a damp place, it won’t be a problem.

What we like

• Budget-friendly
• Easy to use
• Waterproof package

What can be improved?

At first, this fertilizer won’t show immediate effects, making some gardeners question the product’s quality. In this case, be patient – good things take time.

Burpee Organic Tomato and Vegetable – Best Versatility

Features

This fertilizer is ideal for pepper plants and vegetables, young bedding plants, and patio container ones.

These granules release an abundant amount of essential nutrients for up to 3 months. It is very convenient, so there is no need to reapply every now and then.

Moreover, the product is very easy on the wallet. You can call it a cost-effective choice for happy gardening.

What we like

• Versatile
• Feeding for up to 3 months
• Affordable price

What can be improved?

The fertilizer is not very effective in reducing blossom end rot, though.

Bonide Rot Stop – Best For Beginners

Features

With the Bonide Rot Stop, the process of fertilizing peppers suddenly becomes a lot easier. All you need to do is mix it with water and spray on the foliage using a hose-end sprayer or a tank one.

Other than peppers, the fertilizer can work well on other plants. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and so many more.

The product also provides foliar fertilization. You can use it as an additional fertilizer on your regular fertilization program.

What we like

• Easy application
• Multiple uses
• Foliar fertilization

What can be improved?

This fertilizer is not a miracle cure when it comes to blossom end rot. It reduces such unwanted symptoms but does not eliminate them entirely.

Buying Guide For Best Pepper Fertilizer

Types of fertilizers for peppers

Granular fertilizer

This pepper fertilizer is a dry one, therefore, quite simple to apply with a spreader.

With granular fertilizer, you can see where exactly you have applied it, thus avoiding misapplication. Also, you can use this plant food as either a slow-release or a quick-release one.

• Slow-release fertilizer: This type of fertilizer delivers nutrients gradually in a certain period. You don’t need to fertilize frequently – only once or twice a year should suffice.
• Quick-release fertilizer: This one releases nitrogen immediately, meaning that you will have to fertilize regularly.

To get optimal performance, do remember to read the instructions of the fertilizer carefully.

Liquid fertilizer

This pepper plant food requires some preparation – you need to dilute it before application.

There are various ways to apply it: with a canister, a hose, or simply a watering can. Because the plant food is quickly absorbed, using it is just a piece of cake.

The only drawback is that the rain can wash away the fertilizer, making it less effective than it is supposed to. Please keep an eye on the weather if you plan to use liquid fertilizer for your pepper plants.

Spikes

Spikes are unique compared to the other 2 plant foods, as they have the shape of sticks.

A popular opinion is that these spikes are the perfect option for beginners. The application process is a total breeze – all you need to do is to apply it directly to the soil.

Features to look for

Grades and contents

There is always a 3-digit number on the packaging of fertilizers. The number can vary, for example 3-5-5, 5-5-5, or 2-3-1.

This ratio indicates the relative amount of 3 essential nutrients for most plants. It is also known as the ‘fertilizer grade.’

Specifically, these numbers represent the amount of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium the product contains. Understanding those digits will help a lot in choosing the right type of plant food for your garden.

Stages

Throughout the growing season, it would be best to use 2 types of fertilizer for pepper plants.

The first one is conducive for leafy growth and root development, and the second one provides sufficient nutrients for pepper pod production.

Stage One Fertilizer:

It is recommended for the early growth stage only. In this stage, peppers require high levels of nitrogen, so you should pick a high-nitrogen plant food.

However, it is not a good idea to stick to one type of fertilizer for the whole season. Otherwise, your plants won’t produce many yields.

In this case, the best choice is an organic, water-soluble fertilizer with a surplus degree of nitrogen content.

This particular plant food encourages healthy green leaves and large foliage, thus helping your pepper plants produce better pepper pods in the next stage.

Stage Two Fertilizer:

For the second stage of growth, these plant foods are often preferred. You can start applying second-stage fertilizer once you notice the very first flowers that your plants produce.

At this stage, peppers do not require as much nitrogen as the first stage, but there is a vital need for potassium and phosphate. These nutrients are essential for pepper pod production.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of fertilizer is best for peppers?

It is quite difficult to claim exactly which is the best pepper fertilizer, as this type of plant requires different levels of nutrients at different stages.

Generally, it would be ideal to choose the 5-10-10 fertilizer. The nutrient content is clear: The relative amount of phosphate and potassium are twice as much as the nitrogen counterpart.

While phosphate and potassium encourage fruit production, nitrogen supports the plant’s growth.

However, as mentioned in the buying guide section, we recommend using 2 types of fertilizer for the 2 stages of peppers to get the best possible results.

How often should you fertilize peppers?

Fortunately, most fertilizers’ packaging has detailed guidelines about when to fertilize peppers, so the most helpful advice we can give is to follow the instructions.

In case there is no guidance on the packaging, you can apply the fertilizer weekly or once every 2 weeks. Plus, it is always useful to know how to fertilize peppers, as some fertilizers are supposed to be applied into the soil beforehand.

Also, try to maintain a consistent fertilizing schedule. Remember not to get impatient or over-fertilize your pepper plants.

What nutrients do pepper plants need?

Primary Nutrients

These nutrients are vital to any plants, including peppers. They are usually derived both organically and inorganically.

• Nitrogen: It is the most important element, as it supports the regulation of photosynthesis, thus encouraging foliage production and leafy growth.
• Phosphate: This nutrient provides phosphorus, enabling plants to consume solar energy.
• Potassium: It plays a crucial role in water and nutrient movement, allowing photosynthesis to happen smoothly.

Secondary Nutrients

• Calcium: This element is conducive to cellular development in the leaves and fruits of peppers. You can add calcium to your soil using a bone meal.
• Magnesium: It helps produce green foliage in pepper plants. If the fertilizer does not provide enough of this content, try using some Epsom salt.

Beneficial Microbes

You can’t have a healthy garden of peppers without these soil-based microbes. Bacillus licheniformis and bacillus megaterium are some typical examples of this.

Secret recipe for success of Chilli growing in pots:

Conclusion

So, what is on your mind? We’re confident that you have already decided on the best fertilizer for peppers, thanks to the useful information our article provides.

If you haven’t, we recommend going for the first product candidate on our list – EarthPods Premium Cal & Mag Plus.

Finally, thank you for reading. We hope you have fun planting peppers!

Last update on 2024-06-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API