edema mold on leaves after moving to basement?

[plantsonfire]

I have had a very successful healthy growing season this summer with my cayennes, jalapenos, anaheims, and ornamentals ( all in 5gal pots ). I recently moved them to my Michigan basement that is partially finished ( insulation, drywall and grow lights but the floor is still concrete with slight cracks and gaps in the corner ). The first 3 week things were great and the peppers were going ripe faster then they were outside. Suddenly they are all getting fungus looking growth all over the bottoms of the leaves. I looked it up and discovered it is definitely Edema they have. The cause is said to be too much humidity and too much watering. I never over water my plants and they are rarely soaked, if anything they are under watered but they grow fine so i dont push it. The humidity is the only thing i can think of since its the basement. I just bought a humidity meter to test it and see how big the difference is. Anything else anyone can think of that could cause this sudden change? Also the leaves arent a lush green and im getting blossom drop like crazy! They are all flowering awesome but pretty much everyone just falls off and dies.

 

[juanitos]

How's your lighting? And temps?

 

[geeme]

First off, edema is not mold and nor is it fungus. It is literally the cells over-filling with fluid. If you rub a leaf with edema, the bumps will not move. They are definite bumps to the touch. You state that you are not overwatering, but it would be helpful to know what your method of knowing when to water is. The best advice for newer growers is a combo approach: First, don't water the plants until the leaves start drooping just a tad. Lift the pots just a bit off the floor (table, whatever) and feel how light they are. Then, give them a good soaking, letting the water flow freely out the drain holes. When they're done draining, lift the pots again and feel how heavy they are. Periodically lift over the next several days. It's the light-weight feel that you are looking for between waterings. You may need to repeat this process a few times by letting the leaves droop just a tad to become familiar with the appropriate weight for each plant. You'll get to a point where you don't need to wait until the leaves droop, but can tell by the weight that it's close enough.
 
Mold or fungus, on the other hand, will often wipe off or smear if you rub it. If the stuff rubs off, get a good fungicide. Also, get a fan going on the plants. This will simulate the wind and help keep the stems strong and will also help dry out the surface of the soil (and the soil in general) which will help prevent mold/fungus from growing. Even if the plant has edema, get a fan down there for the same reasons.