When you buy nursery stock, your good to do the following when you plant them despite it not sounding like it is. You want to remove any blossoms started on them, so it can focus energy on root expenditure, rather than expend it on the flowers. they will return in no time. Also try not to disturb the roots too much, and lay a special black tarp, around the plants to keep heat in after they get situated. Just leave them open enough for water though. ask your local nursery owner about it. Even with all this it still not worth in my mind, we just don't have a long enough warm growing season. Not to mention you're about 100 150 miles north of me, so it's even more difficult. You don't put transplants out until nights don't get colder than 50 degrees. It was about June when I was able to get them in. It just makes more sense to grow indoors. Just keep the birdies away. They can't taste the heat and will lovingly eat the peppers. The even put hot peppers in suet to keep squirrels away.
