kweb
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Location: Canada, Saskatoon- 3b

Hungarian wax pepper problem

I've noticed on my Hungarian Wax peppers there's a crystallization forming under a couple leaves. After searching the web, I think it's a problem called, edema. From the quick reading it's caused from excessive watering.
Does anyone know if this will cause the plant further damage as it grows?

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

You may also have a fertilization issue.

Crystallization or bubbling and curling of leaves are not typical symptoms of over watering.

Overwatering = Wilting of plant when the soil is dripping wet = root rot
Soil smells bad and/or doesn't drain well.
It has been raining and the soil is puddling= roots drowning.
Plants get yellow and drop leaves.

Crystallization, bubbling of the leaves and curling may be a calcium or phosphorus deficiency. They are not very mobile, but are needed especially for fast growing plants. If plants grow to rapidly from over nitrogen fertilization or because of longer days the plant just cannot transport the nutrients fast enough to the top of the plant.

It is best to use a pre plant fertilizer. Bone meal would be good if you want to be organic or some chicken manure in the ground. Not much luck putting compost or manure in pots. I just use citrus food with micros or osmocote in pots as it has slow release nitrogen. And do side dressings monthly. Some people put a little dolomite in pots for added calcium for tomatoes and orchids, but I do not.

I actually do not add anything except compost, manure, and sulfate of ammonia to my soil but that is because my soil tests very high in phosphorus, potassium, and Calcium. I probably won't have to add any for years.

https://www.growhotpeppers.com/fertilizi ... -chillies/

kweb
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Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:20 pm
Location: Canada, Saskatoon- 3b

Thanks for the suggestions.
These are seedlings about 5" with 3 sets of leaves. I was battling a yellowing leaf problem that I suspected to be caused from over watering or nitrogen deficiency. I fertilized and kept my fans on all for longer intervals. One day later the yellowing started to clear and turn a nicer green.

In another post title "Pepper leaf problem" imafan, you suspected a insect....
My leaves look just like that persons. When zoomed in, it looks like salt forming underneath.

pepperhead212
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Strange thing, but I just had a similar problem develop on just one plant out of 71 - a Purple Fire. I posted this on another site, asking the fellow gardener who gave me the seeds if he had ever noticed this with the variety, or if anyone else had ever had this problem. Some noted that they had seen something about this happening in tomatoes, and it was described as a nutrient imbalance, as imafan26 noted as a possibility. It was the first time I have ever seen it, in all of the peppers I have planted in over 30 years! I fertilize my peppers (and other seedlings) with a very dilute solution (1/4 tsp/gal) of a vegetative hydroponics fertilizer, figuring that would have all of the micro-nutrients needed for the plants, as well as the NKP. And I add some extra perlite to the mix, to give better drainage, so this is not a case of over fertilizing or sitting in soil that is too wet.

I removed one of the leaves, and examined it under a 30x magnifier, and there appeared to be no insects, or eggs, and when I pressed on the leaves the blisters simply popped. Something strange that I noticed today is that at the base of all of those leaves with the blisters there is a sucker - a stem formed, with new leaves already. Only one other variety out of 33 has that, and the suckers are very small, in comparison. All of the others have a hint of a sucker, waiting until they get more light, probably, to form a shoot. I'm wondering if it has something to do with this new shoot, as the lower leaves, with the larger shoots at their bases, have almost dried out completely. The newest leaves at the top have a few blisters, but nothing like the lower ones.

Here is a photo of mine:
Image

Here is another photo, showing the suckers better, though they have increased in size considerably since this was taken a few days ago:
Image

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

What kind of soil mix are you using and do you know the pH and the nutrients that were added?

kweb
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Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:20 pm
Location: Canada, Saskatoon- 3b

The potting soil was from a older fella who retired at work and moved to B.C, Canada. He gave me about a dozen large pots with potting soil in them. Not sure on the quality of soil or how long its been used for and what was grown in them.
It seems mostly peat moss based with perlite and a bit of something else. Probably along the lines of MiracleGrow potting soil, used for a couple years, maybe more.
I haven't PH tested the container soils yet.
I've also noticed on a couple plants, the stem just above the dirt has split and looks like new roots want to form. I haven't research that yet but I'm guessing its' a issue caused from soil being too damp. The soil has since dried out and is dry for about 2 inches of the 4 inch pots.

kweb
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Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:20 pm
Location: Canada, Saskatoon- 3b

After doing some test on the soil that the plants are potted I've come to the conclusion that I have may have over fertilized and now they have to much nitrogen. Tomatoes look to be getting leaf burns, basil has been a ongoing battle with browning leaves, variety of peppers seem to be showing signs of leaf burns and dying. I'm turn my dehumidifier on tonight and dry the pots out, then leech water thoroughly through them.
Does this sound like a good idea?

The peppers are about 10 weeks old and the tomatoes are 7 weeks. Very sturdy stems and good growth so far. Peppers seem to have stunted and slowed right down. They were all up potted about 3 weeks ago and are in 5"x3"x3" potters

Does anyone have experience with excessive nitrogen level?
I've read it causes a build up of salts which in turns hydrates the plants. Would this cause the "salt" build up under the leaves?

imafan26
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Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I do not reuse soil from pots. I put that in the garden. Mainly for the reasons you are having problems.
Salt builds up in potted plants from what comes out of the hose as well as fertilizers put in the pot. On clay pots the salt shows up easily and turns the clay white and you can actually scrape the salt off. In plastic pots you will see the white around the drain holes. This is worse if the plants are not flushed out regularly.

Different plants require different quantities of nutrients so it is hard to tell what is left in used media.

There is also the problem of build up of fungal spores from decaying matter (dead plants), and degradation of the potting soil making it less free draining.

I do take some of my potting soil to the garden center where it is sterilized in a soil steamer for 4 hours, it kills most of the weed seeds but if it is too wet when in the steamer, and put it the bin wet it can still have a lot of fungi.

If I use the reused soil, I will often mix it in with some fresh potting media. I mix my own, 50-50 peat moss and perlite. I will add more perlite if the mix is heavy. The reused soil is not only from my house but also from the garden and they like to add a couple of shovel fulls of dirt to the mix to replace soil bacteria, but it can make the mix heavy. I add osmocote or Apex to the mix as a starter. They are slow release fertilizers. Generally, I will plant out to the garden or pot up so I rarely fertilize seedlings beyond the starter fertilizer.

If your soil tested high in nitrogen, the plants in them were probably being supplemented. Nitrogen is very volatile and usually needs to be replaced frequently. Too much nitrogen in a starter mix will cause dampening off or failure for the seeds to sprout.

I would actually try to repot the plants in new MG potting soil (not moisture control). It already contains fertilizer for the first three months so don't add any. Use the old soil in the garden and spread it out.



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