What’s a pepper plant without any peppers, right? If your pepper plant is flowering but isn’t producing any yields, there’s most definitely a scientific explanation for that.
In this article, we explain the most common reasons why your pepper plant may be unable to develop fruits and how to remedy this.
1. Lack of Pollination
How To Fix:
Option 1: Add native plants to your garden to increase the pollinator population.
Option 2: Hand-pollinate your pepper plants.
Add native plants to your garden to increase the pollinator population
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | Native plants |
One reason why your pepper plant may be unable to grow any peppers is that there’s an insufficient supply of pollinators. In case you didn’t know, pepper plants are self-pollinating which means that they’re equipped with male and female organs.
Thus, all that’s left is for the pollen to spread. Luckily, small insects work wonders at naturally dispersing pollen.
Native plants play a vital role because they act as the most compatible habitats for local species of bees, birds, butterflies, and other critters.
Hand-pollinate your pepper plants
If you want a quick solution that’s virtually instantaneous, you can manually pollinate your pepper plant flowers yourself. It’s relatively easy, to boot, as you just need to transfer pollen from the male flower to the female flower.
Here’s a quick guide on hand-pollinating your pepper plants!
How To Do
1. Identify which flowers are male and female.
To do cross-pollination properly, pinpoint which flowers are male and which are female. This will give you a better idea of which flowers you can pair together.
2. Select the right time for pollination.
The best time to pollinate flowers is when they have opened fully and are ready to accept pollen.
3. Collect pollen from the male flower.
Use a small brush, cotton swab, or even your fingers to gently collect all of the pollen from the male flower.
4. Transfer the pollen collected from the male flower to a female flower.
Gently put the collected pollen onto the stigma of your female flower. It’s vital that the pollen comes into contact with the stigma to ensure successful pollination.
5. Repeat the process.
Repeat Step #3 and #4 if you have other flowers that you need to pollinate.
6. Shield the newly pollinated plants from disturbances with netting.
Since your flowers are freshly pollinated, they need to be protected from any interferences such as strong winds or pests by wrapping them in netting or putting them in a small bag.
7. Observe to see if the manual pollination was successful.
If your pollination was successful, you should be able to see fruit development within the next few weeks. Otherwise, your flower won’t change and will eventually die and fall off.
2. Poor Growing Temperatures
How To Fix:
Option #1: Add row covers.
Option #2: Layer on a couple inches of mulch.
Option #3: Move your pepper plants to a warmer location.
Add row covers
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | • Row covers • Support structures (PVC pipes, stakes) |
Ideal temperatures for growing pepper plants should be between 70°F/21°C to 85°F/29°C during the day and around 60°F/15°C or 70°F/21°C during the evening.
If your local weather’s a bit off from the ideal temperatures to be growing peppers, adding row covers is a simple solution that can create a more controlled environment.
Here’s how to add row covers to your pepper plants:
How To Do
1. Select the best type of row cover for your plant and location.
Row covers can come in fabric, plastic, or mesh netting form. Thus, it’s important to choose which type best suits your needs taking into account what the temperature, light conditions, and weather is like.
2. Give your plant a trim to lessen its foliage, if necessary.
Prepare your plant for installation by trimming any excess foliage that won’t fit into the cover.
3. Put in place support structures such as PVC pipes and stakes to hold up the row covers.
When installing, be sure not to pierce it too close to your plant as you might injure its root system.
4. Drape the row cover over your plants.
Cover your plants ensuring that the row cover extends all the way to the soil. If your row cover is bigger than your planting area, simply fold the edges over and secure with a heavy rock to set it in place.
Alternatively, you can cut your row cover to size.
5. Monitor and observe your plant for any diseases and pests.
Since row covers are meant to bring warmth to the enclosed space, it could cause moisture buildup during hotter periods. Check regularly and remove if necessary.
6. Provide ventilation a few hours a day.
During the warmest time of the day such as in the afternoon, open the row cover to improve air circulation and let pollinators in.
Layer on a couple inches of mulch
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | Mulch of choice |
Now, keep in mind that peppers are warm-season crops, which means that they’re not so tolerant to cold temperatures, especially frost. Poor growing conditions will affect how your pepper plant will thrive as well as the quality and quantity of its fruit set.
Mulch is a cost-effective way of providing thermal insulation by acting as a physical barrier protecting the soil from the cold air or harsh sun.
You can add organic mulch such as wood chips, straw, leaves, compost, and grass clippings or inorganic mulch like gravel, pebbles, and rocks.
How To Do
1. Prepare the planting area
Before you add the mulch, you’ll need to clean up your planting area first by getting rid of any weeds, debris, and unnecessary things. You’ll want a clean surface to allow the mulch to easily decompose.
2. Water your pepper plant.
Watering your pepper plant before applying mulch boosts the moisture content in the soil, helping the mulch to blend in the soil better.
3. Calculate how much mulch you’ll need for your planting area.
To get the most out of your mulch, it’s recommended that you put a 2 to 4-inch layer all over the planting area. Identifying how much you need will help you plan out how much mulch to get.
4. Add the mulch to your soil.
Put an even layer of mulch onto the soil starting from the area closest to the base of your pepper plant, working your way outwards.
Avoid putting your mulch too close to your stem as this could promote pests and diseases or inhibit ventilation. Instead, start your mulch about 5 inches away.
5. Reapply mulch as needed.
Over time you’ll notice your layer of mulch decreasing as it decomposes and integrates itself with the soil, gets washed away, or simply compresses.
Thus, you’ll need to add a fresh batch of mulch onto your later, maintaining a height of about 2 to 4 inches.
Move your pepper plants to a warmer location
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Doing this is simple: locate a sunnier location, prepare a spot for your pepper plant and transfer it there, then observe for any changes.
Since your pepper plant will be exposed to more sunlight than it’s used to, it could react badly. If you notice wiling or scorched leaves, relocate your plant to an area that’s sunnier than the previous space but not as hot as this space.
3. pH Imbalance
How To Fix:
Option #1: Add well-decomposed compost or manure.
Option #2: Incorporate elemental sulfur into the soil.
Option #3: Add limestone to your soil.
Add well-decomposed compost or manure
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | Compost or manure |
Pepper plants prefer soil with a pH level of around 6.0 to 6.8. If your pH level is off, this could inhibit resource absorption which can hinder your plant from producing fruits.
If your soil pH is above 7, it’s alkaline soil. This type of soil typically has higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and sodium.
How To Do
1. Prepare the planting area
Before you add the compost or mulch, you’ll need to clean up your planting area first by getting rid of any weeds, debris, and unnecessary things. You’ll want a clean surface to allow the compost or mulch to decompose easily.
2. Water your pepper plant.
Watering your pepper plant before applying mulch boosts the moisture content in the soil, helping the compost or mulch to blend in the soil better.
3. Calculate how much compost or mulch you’ll need for your planting area.
To get the most out of your compost or mulch, it’s recommended that you put a 2 to 4-inch layer all over the planting area. Identifying how much you need will help you plan out how much compost or mulch to get.
4. Add the mulch onto your soil.
Put an even layer of compost or mulch onto the soil starting from the area closest to the base of your pepper plant, and working your way outwards.
Avoid putting your compost or mulch too close to your stem as this could promote pests and diseases or inhibit ventilation. Instead, start your compost or mulch about 5 inches away.
5. Reapply compost or mulch as needed.
Over time you’ll notice your layer of compost or mulch decreasing as it decomposes and integrates itself with the soil, gets washed away, or simply compresses.
Thus, you’ll need to add a fresh batch of compost or mulch onto your later, maintaining a height of about 2 to 4 inches.
Incorporate elemental sulfur into the soil
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | • Elemental sulfur • Personal protective equipment • Rake or shovel • Soil test kit |
How To Do
1. Conduct a soil test.
The results of your soil test will determine how much elemental sulfur you need to lower or raise your pH to the ideal pH level.
2. Select the right type of elemental sulfur that’s most convenient for you.
Elemental sulfur can come in granules, pellet, and powder form, so choose which kind best suits your preferred application method.
3. Apply the elemental sulfur.
Apply the elemental sulfur according to the packaging’s directions. Be sure to read the instructions first as some types require dilution.
4. Use a rake or shovel to work the elemental sulfur into the first 5 to 10 inches of your soil.
Mix the elemental sulfur into the soil, ensuring that it’s well incorporated for the best results.
5. Water your soil to help activate the elemental sulfur.
Lightly water the soil. Be sure to avoid pooling water and runoff.
6. Monitor the pH level every few weeks.
Administer another soil test to determine whether your soil has reached the desired pH level.
If your soil has a Ph level of less than 6.5, then it’s acidic soil. This soil type usually makes it harder for plants to absorb available nutrients in the soil and causes aluminum and manganese levels to be toxic.
To fix, you can add limestone to your soil. Here’s how:
Add limestone to your soil
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | • Limestone • Personal protective equipment • Rake or shovel • Soil test kit |
How To Do
1. Conduct a soil test.
The results of your soil test will determine how much limestone you need to lower or raise your pH to the ideal pH level.
2. Select the right type of limestone that’s most convenient for you.
Limestone can come in granules, pellet, and powder form, so choose which kind best suits your preferred application method.
3. Apply the limestone.
Apply the limestone according to the packaging’s directions. Be sure to read the instructions first as some types require dilution.
4. Use a rake or shovel to work the limestone into the first 5 to 10 inches of your soil.
Mix the limestone into the soil, ensuring that it’s well incorporated for the best results.
5. Water your soil to help activate the limestone.
Lightly water the soil. Be sure to avoid pooling water and runoff.
6. Monitor the pH level every few weeks.
Administer another soil test to determine whether your soil has reached the desired pH level.
4. Nutrient Imbalance
How To Fix: Add nutrient-rich supplements and fertilizers.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Nitrogen-rich fertilizer or supplement • Soil test kit |
More often than not, the culprit for deficient soil conditions is the lack of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. All of which are essential for healthy plant growth, especially for when your plant is flowering.
If you don’t have the right mix of nutrients, say too much or too little of one thing, your plant could not be equipped to produce any yields.
In most cases, the following can be observed with the following nutrient deficiencies:
- Nitrogen (N) – Yellowing leaves starting in older leaves and slowly making its way throughout the rest of the plant.
- Phosphorus (P) – Discoloration on older leaves, particularly turning a dark-greenish or reddish-purple shade.
How To Do
1. Identify which nutrients your plant needs and lacks.
Conduct a soil test to find out which nutrients are deficient or excessive. Soil testing kits can be purchased at your local gardening store, online, or a soil sample can be taken to your local council.
2. Add supplements or fertilizers that are rich in the type of nutrients you need and have low levels of the nutrients that you have too much of.
5. Insufficient Sunlight
How To Fix:
Option #1: Move your plant to a sunnier location.
Option #2: Transplant your pepper plants into a different location that receives more sunlight.
Move your plant to a sunnier location
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Pepper plants require full sun, which means they need at least 6 hours of sunlight exposure daily.
Depending on where your pepper plant is located, it’s possible that throughout the day the sunlight is covered by trees or other tall plants nearby.
If your pepper plant is in a container that can be easily moved, we suggest relocating it to an area that gets undisturbed sunlight.
How To Do
1. Locate a sunnier location.
Observe which areas in your garden receive the most sunlight daily.
2. Prepare a spot for your pepper plant.
3. Move your pepper plant.
4. Observe for any changes.
Since your pepper plant will be exposed to more sunlight than it’s used to, it could react badly. If you notice wiling or scorched leaves, relocate your plant to an area that’s sunnier than the previous space but not as hot as this space.
Transplant your pepper plants into a different location that receives more sunlight
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Seedling • Large planting area |
If moving your pepper plant in the pot that it’s currently in isn’t feasible, you may need to wait until the next growing season to start new pepper plants in a sunnier place.
If your pepper plants are young enough without any established roots yet, you can try your luck at transplanting them to a sunnier area. However, this should be your Plan Z because moving your pepper plant around too late in the season could kill it.
Otherwise, you may need to wait until the next growing season to start new pepper plants in a sunnier place.
What To Do
1. Inspect whether your pepper plant has a well-developed root system ready for transplanting
Before you can actually transplant your pepper seedlings, you’ll need to make sure that they’re big and strong enough for it or else they won’t be able to make it past the shock and eventually die.
After about 4 weeks they should be at least 6 to 8 inches tall and have a couple of true leaf sets.
If your pepper plant tree seems a bit too short or doesn’t have many true leaf sets yet, you can leave it to grow for another week or two.
2. Start hardening off your seedlings a few weeks before transplanting by putting your pepper seedling in the shade for about 2 hours.
Once time has elapsed, bring your seedling back indoors and repeat for the next few days.
3. After a week or two, increase the sun exposure by giving your pepper seedling about 10 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight.
If you notice drooping leaves or sunscald, you may want to reduce the amount of time your pepper plant is spending under the direct sun along with adjusting the sun time.
4. Gradually increase the amount of direct sunlight your pepper seedling is getting.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on the temperature, steering clear of temperatures more than 95°F/-15°C or less than 55°F/12°C.
5. After 2 weeks, leave your plant outside overnight.
6. You can leave your pepper plant outside for good after 2 to 4 weeks of hardening off.
By this time, it should have acclimated successfully to the outdoors.
7. Prepare the soil of their new container.
Prepare the soil of the new container where you’ll be transplanting your pepper plant by mixing in high-quality potting soil along with an equal portion of well-rotted compost.
In addition to these, rake through your soil to make it loose enough for soil growth.
8. Gently relocate your seedling from its old pot.
Softly remove some soil with your fingers and use a chopstick to carefully puncture the soil and break it up.
In your new pot, add your potting mix until the pot’s about 75% full. Then, create a deep hole enough to fit your pepper seedling and its roots.
Position your seedling deep enough so that its first set of true leaves are underneath the soil. Afterward, fill in the hole with soil and lightly pat down to help it compact a bit.
9. Deeply water the soil.
10. Move your seedling to a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day
6. Inadequate Ventilation
How To Fix:
Option #1: Adequately space your pepper plant seedlings.
Option #2: Open a window to increase windflow.
Option #3: Use a fan a few hours a day to simulate wind and promote airflow.
Adequately space your pepper plant seedlings
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Seedling • Shovel • Mulch • Water |
Pepper plants should be spaced at least 18 to 24 inches apart so that they don’t congest and restrict airflow. Because they’re quite bushy plants, their foliage could inhibit the passing of air.
As mentioned earlier, peppers are self-pollinating plants which means that proper air circulation is crucial.
Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with flowering pepper plants that won’t be able to pollinate resulting in poor and reduced fruit development.
How To Do
1. Measure the distance between each plant.
Before putting your pepper seedlings into their spot, measure a distance of 18 to 24 inches apart with rows that are 24 to 36 inches apart.
2. Mark where you intend to plant your seedling.
Putting an indicator such as a stake, flag, or stick will help you visualize how far apart each seedling will be from one another.
3. Dig the planting holes.
Dig holes that are a bit deeper and wider than the root ball of your pepper seedling.
4. Plant your seedlings into the holes.Gently move your pepper seedling into the hole, extending its roots to reach the very bottom. Then, carefully fill in the hole with soil until it’s level with the rest of the planting area.
5. Add a layer of mulch on top of the soil.
6. Deeply water the soil.
7. Provide structural support if needed.
Open a window to increase windflow
Difficulty | Very easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | Window |
If your pepper plants are in a greenhouse, open a window to help increase ventilation. The breeze that comes in will also help with gently swaying your plant, releasing the pollen.
Use a fan a few hours a day to simulate wind and promote airflow
Difficulty | Very easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | Electric fan |
If your greenhouse doesn’t have enough ventilation despite cracking open a couple of windows, then it’s time to bring in the big guns and use a fan to increase air circulation.
Be careful about the strength of your fan and the direction the wind is blowing. You’ll want your fan at the lowest strength setting and a couple of feet away from the plants, not directly blowing air at them.
How To Do
1. Select a location next to a window where you can position your electric fan.
2. Situate your electric fan and make it face your pepper plant.
3. Set your fan’s strength to the lowest setting. Increase the strength as needed.
4. Observe whether the wind is too strong for your pepper plant.
If the stem and foliage are swaying too much, then it’s a sign that the wind is too strong.
7. Excessive Wind
How To Fix:
Option #1: Provide protective covering for your pepper plant.
Option #2: Move your plant to an area that isn’t strongly affected by wind.
Option #3: Make permeable windbreaks.
Provide protective covering for your pepper plant
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Speed | Slow-acting |
Things You Need | • Row covers • Support structures (PVC pipes, stakes) |
How To Do
1. Select the best type of row cover for your plant and location.
Row covers can come in fabric, plastic, or mesh netting form. Thus, it’s important to choose which type best suits your needs taking into account what the temperature, light conditions, and weather is like.
2. Give your plant a trim to lessen its foliage, if necessary.
Prepare your plant for installation by trimming any excess foliage that won’t fit into the cover.
3. Put in place support structures such as PVC pipes and stakes to hold up the row covers.
When installing, be sure not to pierce it too close to your plant as you might injure its root system.
4. Drape the row cover over your plants.
Cover your plants ensuring that the row cover extends all the way to the soil. If your row cover is bigger than your planting area, simply fold the edges over and secure with a heavy rock to set it in place.
Alternatively, you can cut your row cover to size.
5. Monitor and observe your plant for any diseases and pests.
Since row covers are meant to bring warmth to the enclosed space, it could cause moisture buildup during hotter periods. Check regularly and remove if necessary.
6. Provide ventilation a few hours a day.
During the warmest time of the day such as in the afternoon, open the row cover to improve air circulation and let pollinators in.
Move your plant to an area that isn’t strongly affected by wind.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | Stakes, trellises, or cages |
Excessive wind can blow away all of the pollen and damage your flower. In more extreme cases, wind can be rough enough to cause your pepper plant to fall over and die.
Thus, low wind speeds of only 3 to 5 mph is good enough to promote pollination along with thicker and stronger stems.
If there’s no other way to protect your plant, simply move it to an area that isn’t as strongly affected by wind such as behind a shed or next to a wall. You can add stakes, cages, or trellises for support, too.
How To Do
1. Identify a location in your garden that doesn’t receive much wind.
Observe which areas in your garden receive the most sunlight daily.
2. Prepare a spot for your pepper plant.
3. Move your pepper plant.
4. Observe for any changes.
Monitor to see whether your pepper plant receives less damage from the wind in this area. Your plant should appear to be more vigorous and stand upright.
5. For additional support, add stakes, trellises, or cages so that your plant has something to lean on.
Make permeable windbreaks
The idea behind creating permeable windbreaks is to help slow down and break the strong wind. This way, it won’t be as damaging when it blows against your pepper plant.
For this, you’ll need tall and dense plants like miniature trees or shrubs because they’re tall and wide enough to shield your pepper plant.
How To Do
1. Look for plants that are taller and denser than your pepper plant.
2. Plant these around your pepper plant, creating a wall.
Be sure not to plant them too close to one another as you risk decreasing the air circulation between them.
8. Improper Watering
How To Fix:
Closely observe your weather conditions to know whether to add more water or not to your pepper plant.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need |
Even though peppers are warm-season plants, they won’t survive without the right amount of water. This means that its soil needs to be moist enough, but not wet to the point that they’re drowning in water.
Too little water will cause the soil to dry up and eventually kill the roots. Meanwhile, too much water will lead to congestion in the soil, preventing air and other resources from passing through.
Thus, you’ll want to pay closer attention to what the weather’s been like to determine whether or not to water your plants.
What To Do
1. Closely observe your weather conditions to know whether to add more water or not to your pepper plant.
For example, if it’s been raining the past couple of days then your plant has been receiving a lot more water already. Thus, there’s no need to water it.
2. Pay attention to how wet or dry your soil is to determine whether it’s retaining moisture well. If not, add mulch or soil amendments.
If you’ve just watered your plant and the soil looks as dry as a bone within a few hours, then it’s likely that there aren’t enough amendments to help keep moisture.
To remedy this, you can add a layer of mulch on top of your soil or amendments such as peat moss and coconut coir, among others to prevent water from evaporating too quickly.
3. Check the quality of your soil everyday and adjust your watering frequency and quantity accordingly.
You can stick your finger or a chopstick into the soil to feel whether it’s dry or moist. This will give you a better idea of how much or frequently you should be watering your plants.
Planter’s Tip:
The best time to water your plants is early in the morning because this gives it enough time to absorb the water before it evaporates later in the day.
Apart from that, this gives the plant and soil enough time to dry off before nightfall. Remember that wet plants and soil heighten the chances of contracting fungal diseases and root rot.
9. Too Low or High Humidity Levels
How To Fix:
Option #1: Move your pepper plants indoors.
Option #2: Only water when needed.
Option #3: Increase ventilation.
Option #4: Use a fine mist sprayer in the area.
Option #5: Add standing bodies of water in your space.
Move your pepper plants indoors
If you’re growing your pepper plants outdoors, you can’t do anything to change the humidity levels, unfortunately. If possible, we suggest moving your pepper plant indoors into a greenhouse so that you have a more controlled environment.
An environment with high humidity levels means that there’s too much moisture in the air. This can make your plant more prone to fungal diseases, increase pest activity, and hinder air circulation.
Only water when needed
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need |
To reduce humidity levels, only water when necessary. If possible, avoid watering at night to remove any standing water. In the same vein, remove any puddles or water in trays, saucers, cups, and whatnot in the area.
This is because you’ll want to reduce the amount of water in the air, so you’ll need to remove any standing water that will evaporate.
What To Do:
1. Water early in the morning
2. Check on your greenhouse later in the afternoon to see if there’s any standing water left. Remove any if found.
Increase ventilation
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Window • Fan |
Crack open a window or two to increase ventilation, which will help reduce humidity. If possible, position an electric fan and leave it on “low” for a couple of hours to help exhaust the moist air and bring in outside air.
If humidity levels are too high, on the other hand, it’ll be too sticky, making it difficult for the male organ to release it. Ain’t that just a waste of pollen, right?
Thus, healthy humidity levels should be at around 65 to 85% to promote proper pollination. Any lower than 50% and you’re risking humidity stress.
How To Do
1. Open a window
2. If humidity levels are still high, set a fan on low in front of the window and swing to blow air in all directions.
3. Increase the strength as needed.
4. Observe whether the wind is too strong for your pepper plant.
If the stem and foliage are swaying too much, then it’s a sign that the wind is too strong.
On the other hand, low humidity levels mean that the air is too dry. To address this, you’ll need to add more water in the environment so that it can evaporate into the air.
Use a fine mist sprayer in the area
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Fine mist sprayer • Water |
Spraying a fine mist in the area boosts the water content in the air, effectively increasing humidity around the plants.
The best time to mist your plants is in the morning and in the afternoon when it’s the driest time of the day.
How To Do:
1. Spray a couple of spritz all around the greenhouse in the morning.
2. Repeat in the afternoon.
3. Continue spraying for the next few weeks until you’ve reached your desired humidity level.
Add standing bodies of water in your space
Difficulty | Very Easy to Hard ●○○○○ to ●●●●○ |
Speed | Fast-acting |
Things You Need | • Small pond, fountain, or bucket • Water |
As mentioned earlier, to increase humidity levels you’ll need to boost the amount of water that’s evaporating. To do this, you can add bodies of water like a small pond, fountain, or simply leave out a bucket.