Bell Pepper question

[Gardentoad]

I am growing several California Wonder green bell peppers and a couple Red Beauty Peppers. The ones I grow don't have as thick of a wall as the ones I buy in the stores.
I asked a gardening friend who thought it was a different variety, but I looked it up and California wonder is listed as thick walled.

Last year we had a long drought and I thought that was the reason, but this year we've had plenty of rain. I have some in pots with commercial potting soil and some in the ground.

I have clay soil. Last fall I spread shredded leaves on the beds and very early (March) this spring I tilled it in with blood and bone meal and a little bit of 12-12-12. Later (May) I added peat moss and homemade compost. The beds are slightly raised, about 4". I have a row of tomato plants with the peppers planted in front (south) of the tomatoes. They get sun from about 11:00 until 5:00.
I haven't added any fertilizers and have only watered once during a 90+ spell that lasted several days.

What am I doing wrong?

[Gardentoad]

Never mind.
I found the answer.

[Chris_W]

Can you share it? I was wondering myself, and starting digging around for some answers since I love fresh peppers.

In the past I've used fertilizer with low nitrogen, planted the stems deeply to keep the roots cool and moist, and watered often.

So what did you find?

[JaneG]

Yes, I'd be curious. I picked one of my bell peppers this morning (not California Wonder) and it has very thick walls. California Wonder is a very common garden bell pepper around here and I've not had problems growing it.

Are you sure of the variety? I also grow poblanos, and they have thin walls.

[Gardentoad]

I was told that I was picking them too early.
I thought the green ones were ready anytime and the red was ready when it colored up. I will leave them on the plant longer now and see how it goes. Some suggested thinning them to just 3 or 4 peppers per plant. I never thinned them before either.

I had my first ripe tomatoes when I picked the thin ones and I just couldn't wait for fresh salsa. I really should plant more peppers since I always have way more tomatoes and am waiting on my peppers to grow or I just buy them.
This year I wanted to grow the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalepinos, onions and cilantro. My onions bolted so they are tiny. My cilantro is scraggly.Then my bells were thin.

I'm more of a flower gardner, but I'm learning.

[DryGulch]

Sometimes they grow peppers here commercially. I think they like hot weather and sandy soils. I know bud count/drop is affected when temps at night drop below 50 degrees. My jalapenos I planted in limestone scree off my driveway and never get water look great and are loaded. The heirloom Chinese Red Peppers I grew from seed and took in and outdoors depending on night temps until I felt safe to plant and planted in loamy garden soil, not so well.