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PunkRotten
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Leaves Falling off Serrano Pepper Plant

Hi,


My Serrano pepper plant has a problem. The lower half of the leaves are discolored, droopy, and leaves are falling off. The discoloring I talk about is yellowness and brownness at the tips or like sprinkled on a leaf etc. It has been doing this gradually for about 2 weeks. Some for the leaves fall off even if you gently touch it. I don't know how else to describe it other than showing some pics.


[img]https://i53.tinypic.com/11gqf80.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i54.tinypic.com/28w2hba.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i54.tinypic.com/dwxcti.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i56.tinypic.com/2n1uhdz.jpg[/img]


What could be the problem? Thanks

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rainbowgardener
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Besides the leaves you featured, the whole plant (or as much as you can see in pic 3) looks wilty and droopy and sparse.

You would want it to look more like this:


[url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.laura-n-sasha.com/images/September2008/Garden/portait/hot_pepper_plant.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.laura-n-sasha.com/FTSeptember2008.htm&h=800&w=600&sz=219&tbnid=4WwJam1K5HBgPM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=63&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhot%2Bpepper%2Bplant%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=hot+pepper+plant+images&docid=ajCFJnsSqc48yM&sa=X&ei=5x9aTsn8Ds6gtwezz-GuDA&ved=0CEEQ9QEwDA&dur=8417]pepper plant image[/url]

Droopy and wilty can be under watering or paradoxically could be overwatering, if the plant is getting waterlogged and the roots can't take up nutrients. Or it isn't getting enough nutrients or light or something. Anyway, it isn't just a leaf issue, your plant isn't very happy.

DoubleDogFarm
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I have a question. Is it normal for a pepper plant to have a dozen branches coming up from the base. The few peppers I have grown seemed to be more central leader. It almost looks like it had been coppiced.

Eric

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rainbowgardener
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No, not usual. Either coppiced, or since we can't quite see the bottom, perhaps it is actually a whole bunch of plants crammed together. I don't know if OP started this from seed or bought it. Sometimes when you buy little plants in pots, they put a whole bunch together to give the effect of bushiness. If that is the case, it would certainly explain why they are doing poorly.

DoubleDogFarm
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[img]https://i53.tinypic.com/11gqf80.jpg[/img]

If you look at this picture, it maybe two plants. They all seem to be branches off of two stems or maybe three.

Eric

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PunkRotten
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Yep there is 2 plants. I had gotten 2 red bells like that before too and separated them and both died. When I got the serrano the same thing, there was 2 plants so I left it. Both are loaded and getting loaded with lots of peppers. I was planning on picking peppers off one until it stopped for the season then cutting it out leaving only 1 plant.

I thought they were struggling for nutrients so I added a little worm castings and even some mucky water from my pond.

DoubleDogFarm
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One more question. How large is the pot? Is it at least 5 gallons?

I'm thinking it maybe root bound. Also worm castings and pond water, probably not enough nutrients. At the fruiting stage I would give them a boost of -P-K. Did the original potting soil have a lot of Nitrogen?

Eric

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PunkRotten
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The pot is 12 inch across and 12 inch deep. I used the miracle gro potting mix. I don't remember the amount of nitrogen.

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PunkRotten
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How about adding some coffee grounds? Should I cut the other plant off now?

DoubleDogFarm
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Coffee grounds 2.08 0.32 0.28
Coffee grounds (dried) 1.99 0.36 0.67

I maybe wrong, I'm thinking they are to high in Nitrogen.

Someone from the container gardening should help here. I believe we maybe dealing with root bound plants and or poor drainage. Also depleted soil?????

Eric

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PunkRotten
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What should I add for fertilizer that is organic? Would cutting off the other plant leaving only one save it?

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PunkRotten
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I looked at the list of N-P-K values in the organic gardening forum and cucumber skins and orange peels are pretty high in -P-K. Could I put some right into the soil and cover with some mulch?

DoubleDogFarm
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PunkRotten wrote:I looked at the list of N-P-K values in the organic gardening forum and cucumber skins and orange peels are pretty high in -P-K. Could I put some right into the soil and cover with some mulch?
Personally, I would go for something a little more quick response. Hydrolyzed fish. [url=https://www.amazon.com/Neptunes-Harvest-Organic-Hydrolyzed-Fertilizer/dp/B004ZUWOFK/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thehelpfulgar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]https://www.amazon.com/Neptunes-Harvest-Organic-Hydrolyzed-Fertilizer/dp/B004ZUWOFK[/url] or maybe compost tea

Less competition would definitely help, but you have to make that choice. :wink:

Eric

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PunkRotten
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Could I find that fertilizer at a store? I tried looking for fish emulsion at lowes and home depot and could not find it.

DoubleDogFarm
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God save the queen, We mean it, man


This is the one I actually use. Do you have a Doit Best near by?
https://www.doitbest.com/Lawn+fertilizer+and+rose+and+garden+fertilizer-Dramm+Corp-model-10-24000-doitbest-sku-762649.dib

Eric

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PunkRotten
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I tried to find a Do-it center around me and it ended up only being a distribution center. So I went to Lowes instead. And I was looking at all the fertilizers and only a few were organic. There was bloodmeal, boneweal, like 2 different fish fertilizers, and a miracle gro and this other called ZOOM. One of the fish fertilizers was like a spray you hook up to your hose. There was this other one I forget the name but it was like 0-12-12. The fish fertilizers were like 5-4-1 and 5-1-1 or something. I got something called Jobes Organics All Purpose granular fertilizer. The NPK values are 4-4-4. It was a 1.5 lbs bag. Would this do or should I really get the one you linked?


I know where there is another do-it center. And there is some OSH around us too. BTW is it wise to use mulch in pots?

PS: I cut one of the plants out of the pot so it is only 1 plant now. I got 29 peppers off the cut plant. But to be honest I think I cut the better of the two out.

Dr. Worm
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DoubleDogFarm wrote:One more question. How large is the pot? Is it at least 5 gallons?

I'm thinking it maybe root bound. Also worm castings and pond water, probably not enough nutrients. At the fruiting stage I would give them a boost of -P-K. Did the original potting soil have a lot of Nitrogen?

Eric
I was wondering the same thing. I'd also check the pH. You could be overfeeding or underfeeding the plant.

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PunkRotten
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The plant got worse since posting this. All the top leaves were curled and discolored. And the leaves were very weak almost to the point of all falling off. I got the fish spray and sprayed it, plus I added some azomite and now the plant looks better. The leaves are no longer curled and I see some tiny new growth. But the middle and bottom of the plant is still naked with no leaves.


I moved the plant to a spot that gets some shade. And I am careful not to water too much. I guess time will tell if this plant is gonna make a recovery.



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