Pepper Problem

Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:32 pm

Central Florida Garden
Bell Peppers and Banana Peppers

I've been growing peppers for the last 2 seasons and have been having the same issue. Plant seems to get a good start but then top leaves grow out small and somewhat shriveled looking. (and they are not just new leaves... they may get a little bigger, but still shriveled looking) Other plants in the garden seems to do fine.

Attached a photo... anyone know if I am looking at a nutrient deficiency or something else?

TIA

Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:36 pm

No answers - I had the same problem a few years ago (but I had other problems like not enough water and too small a pot) and I'm curious as well.

Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:46 pm

I've had unexpected great success with my peppers, except for one that looked similar to the one in the photo. It was in the same soil as the others so I was dumbfounded. So I dug it up and noticed the roots had ball-like growths on them.

Problem: Nematodes.

I'm not saying that's your issue, I'm leaning more towards a nutrient deficiency.

Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:21 pm

I'm thinking the commonest cause for leaves like that is damage from some kind of sucking insect, sucks juices from the leaves, leaving them crinkly like that. Could be aphids, whiteflies, or thrips. The thrips especially are very small and light colored and difficult to see. Check the underside of your leaves carefully, maybe even with a magnifying glass.

If not that, then it could be conditions -- too much rain/moisture, damage from herbicides/insecticides if you use anything like that, calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency in plants is usually not a deficiency of the soil, it is difficulty in uptaking the Ca that is there, due to various kinds of stress, including again over-watering/ waterlogging around the roots.

Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:54 pm

My Serrano is going through a similar problem. And I have a Gypsy pepper that is showing some symptoms but not as bad. I think it is several things going on. Some of which Rainbowgardener named. My peppers in the ground do great. But the Serrano and Gypsy are in pots.

I have checked for bugs and see none. I see a few nibbled leaves but whatever nibbled has moved on. For me I think the pots could be too small and/or bad soil (I mixed clay soil with potting soil), and this is causing problems with the roots, which is causing problems for the plant to take up nutrients.

I am not sure what I am going to do. I just started fertilizing with a fish spray. I am gonna see after applying it a few times if it is really helping. If not I may have to repot them. But my Serrano is in bad shape and not sure it will make it another month or 2.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:04 pm

Thanks for the input everyone... I know that I have had issues with Nematodes in the past, so it's very possible that this could be the issue.

I have a raised garden and solarized the soil for a good 6 weeks prior to planting. If the plants don't make it I will find out when I pull the plant up. If I still see those tell-tale knotted roots then I guess I am looking at nematodes.

Anyone know any good remedies for nematodes? I'd rather keep things as organic as possible but I may be running out of options...

Thanks again.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:50 pm

French Heirloom marigolds supposedly drive nematodes away.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:26 pm

Marigolds in general repel nematodes and help prevent them from reproducing

(see link I put in this thread:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... des#158862 )

but it takes several months to work, so you would have to plant the marigolds well ahead of the peppers (which works since they are much more cold tolerant), you need to plant a lot of them, not just one or two. Best is turn the marigolds under in the soil when they are done and keep replanting them in following years.