Cupping Up Leafs on my Pepper Plants

[wisconsindead]

I have about 5 varieties of peppers, all are curling their leafs upwards. Not growing all that much now. I have them growing under a 400 watt metal halide light, about 2 feet from the bulb (it shouldnt be too hot, the tomatoes are fine). They aren't root bound, I checked and they seem to have enough room. They aren't dried out. I don't see any bugs. I used fox farm ocean forest soil and added some of my homemade compost (same for my tomatoes which are fine).

Any ideas?

[pepperhead212]

I had something similar happen with some of my chinense peppers, and had them under a 250 w MH, so it was less powerful than yours. And when I moved them to another area under T5s, only because they had gotten too large, and needed more space, the leaves flattened out, and seemed to get larger - maybe to get more of the weaker light? There seemed to be no ill effects from those cupped leaves. And these were the only plants that did this under the MH - nothing like it with the eggplants or tomatoes.

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, it may be that the light is too powerful for them. Tomatoes and peppers outdoors will do something similar (called physiological leaf roll) when the weather is hot and dry. It helps keeps the leaves from losing so much moisture from transpiration.

Is your season not such that you can start hardening them off to go outside?

[wisconsindead]

Yes, it may be that the light is too powerful for them. Tomatoes and peppers outdoors will do something similar (called physiological leaf roll) when the weather is hot and dry. It helps keeps the leaves from losing so much moisture from transpiration.

Is your season not such that you can start hardening them off to go outside?

It is too early here. I have planted the last weekend of May the past two years.

I had something similar happen with some of my chinense peppers, and had them under a 250 w MH, so it was less powerful than yours. And when I moved them to another area under T5s, only because they had gotten too large, and needed more space, the leaves flattened out, and seemed to get larger - maybe to get more of the weaker light? There seemed to be no ill effects from those cupped leaves. And these were the only plants that did this under the MH - nothing like it with the eggplants or tomatoes.

I will try switching them over to the fluorescent light. I'm running out of room anyways.

Thanks guys.

[wisconsindead]

I figured I should share these pictures as well. Perhaps I wasn't paying close enough attention. You can also see the curling of the leafs in the tomatoes. They are greener than the peppers. I am beginning to think the light was too close. I raised it maybe 6 inches. After a rough measurement it is now probably ~2 ft above the highest plant, maybe just less. Hopefully it is high enough now. I moved the peppers to under fluorescent lights. Time will tell.