Question
I have a beautiful habanero plant that is growing very well it keeps putting out loads of flowers but has only produced 2 whole peppers which by the way (muy caliente). I live in Austin Texas so the weather here can be very humid and hot. How can I keep the flowers from falling off?

Answer
Janet, blossom-drop on most vegetables is almost always caused by poor pollination. However, peppers are self-pollinating and are therefore the exception to the rule.

The primary reasons peppers drop their blossoms are inconsistent watering and temperature fluctuations. Peppers need nighttime temperatures to stay above 65F. But they will also drop blooms when daytime temperatures stay consistently above 90F.  

One way to reduce this stress on the plants is to water deeply twice per week and mulch heavily with dried grass clippings or straw. The mulch will help retain moisture while balancing the temperature of the soil. Also, avoid fertilizing during extremely hot periods.  

Attached is a website that will give you even more information on proper growing conditions for peppers.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/vegetables/pepper.html

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.  

Regards,  

Mike