Pepper plant wilted suddenly?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:41 am

I am gardning in self watering containers that I made out of 18 gallon totes. One of the totes has 4 pepper plants in it - jalapeno, 2 bells and a serrano. Everything has been very healthy - growing well. Although the serrano is a little spindly - its growing okay and already producing buds and a couple of peppers (its about 16 inches tall) Tonight after work I came home and the serrano pepper plant is completely wilted. The other 3 plants are perfectly fine. I filled the reservoirs up this morning as usual..

What the heck could be going on? The plant isnt dead - not yellow at all. It looks almost like its dying for water? but we got some rain today on top of the reservoir being filled up? I don't get it.

Weather has been sunny and warm in the mid 80s here in FL

Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:47 am

It could be bacterial wilt. I had peppers do this on me last cycle - in fact, I had half a plant wilt away while the other half stayed healthy. I'm not sure how they even got infected. :shock:

The serrano sounds like it might be a goner, unfortunately.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:50 am

Wow.. really? in a span of 9 hours during the day bacterial wilt can completely zap a pepper plant? yikes.. Can I spray with sulfur to kill any bacteria? I don't want it to spread

Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:36 am

Well, it looks like the serrano is perking back up this morning after I dribbled a little water on it. He is definitely the runt of the box, though. The other peppers are much bushier and taller. Im thinking that maybe the water isnt quite getting to that pepper well. Even though it rained yesterday, I think it just got really hot and dried out.

I hear if peppers get stressed throughout their life - they get hotter.. well, maybe this runty pepper plant will produce superhot peppers. hah

Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:00 pm

In answer to your first question, yes. My aji macho went from perfect in the evening to a total wreck in the morning, a period of no more than 12 hours (since I'm an early riser and like to do my wake-up amongst my plants).

I haven't found any effective control for it, incidentally. It just randomly knocks out some of my plants each cycle, and with no logic to it - the ajis in the same spot as last cycle's wilted one are robust and healthy.

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OTOH, since it's perked up with watering (if it was bacterial wilt, it wouldn't have responded), it might just be getting starved by the more robust peppers in the bucket. You might try the slightly more drastic measure of potting it up individually, to ensure its needs are being met. If the other plants are already picking on it, its life won't get any easier.... Although as you point out, if it survives this trial by fire, it will produce much more flavourful fruits.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:09 pm

lorax wrote:In answer to your first question, yes. My aji macho went from perfect in the evening to a total wreck in the morning, a period of no more than 12 hours (since I'm an early riser and like to do my wake-up amongst my plants).

I haven't found any effective control for it, incidentally. It just randomly knocks out some of my plants each cycle, and with no logic to it - the ajis in the same spot as last cycle's wilted one are robust and healthy.

--

OTOH, since it's perked up with watering (if it was bacterial wilt, it wouldn't have responded), it might just be getting starved by the more robust peppers in the bucket. You might try the slightly more drastic measure of potting it up individually, to ensure its needs are being met. If the other plants are already picking on it, its life won't get any easier.... Although as you point out, if it survives this trial by fire, it will produce much more flavourful fruits.

Well - it seemed to have perked up, and now only a few hours later it looks worse than it ever did. So weird. I guess I will just let it be and hope for the best over the next two days. Its so wilty looking now, i cant imagine it surviving.