Is this magnesium deficiency? If so, what should I do? I sprayed it with epsom salt a few weeks ago, but I wasn't sure what the ratio of salt to water should be. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
-
If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
Is this a magnesium deficiency?
- Thread starter gibletdinner
- Start date
Well first, never treat an unconfirmed ailment as you could very well impede essential proper treatment when the primary symptoms have been confirmed or create a whole new set of problems.
Next, provide as much info about how and what you are growing. what and how much are you feeding, watering frequency, treating for pest etc.
Detail, details and more details get the best answers the fastest.
Next, provide as much info about how and what you are growing. what and how much are you feeding, watering frequency, treating for pest etc.
Detail, details and more details get the best answers the fastest.
It's a jalepeno, I'm in Cambodia (where it's warm all of the time, we are close to the equator) and it's rainy season now so it gets a lot of water. The soil here is terrible because it's a monsoon country, so the nutrients get washed away. I fertilize with compost, but have been pretty slack about it. I have sprayed with neem oil for pests, but not lately. In the past, my peppers have been invaded by aphids and whiteflies, but I haven't seen any evidence of this lately.
Because I am in Cambodia I cannot send anything to UC Davis for testing or go to my extension office for soil testing, etc.
Because I am in Cambodia I cannot send anything to UC Davis for testing or go to my extension office for soil testing, etc.
OK, too much water and inadequate drainage is your first big problem and needs to be addressed first. Correct that, and things may start looking better. It does appear to be a nutrient deficiency issue but, if whatever you put in the soil is going to get washed away, there is no point. Fix the water / drainage issue first.
I've already done everything I can about the water and drainage issue. The pepper plants are on a slight slope and I dug a trench for the water to drain into. I'd like to try and address the nutrient deficiency, and rainy season will be over in a month, anyway. Do you think it's a magnesium deficiency? What would you suggest someone in a not-rainy climate do to deal with that?
Do you have other pepper plants that are doing ok there or is this your only plant? Could be your soils ph is out of whack making some nutrients unavailable for uptake. You could always dig it out and pot it with a good container mix.
It does look like Mg or Fe deficient though, I'd lean more towards Mg. Plus all the rain doesn't help either.
It does look like Mg or Fe deficient though, I'd lean more towards Mg. Plus all the rain doesn't help either.
can you container grow ? 
Peppers + containers= :-)
I have several varieties of peppers growing, and all show signs of this, although this one has it the worst. I have a few hybrids growing and they seem to have it the least, but they are also starting to show signs of it now, and it seems to be getting worse.
I planted 10 or 12 types of peppers, one of each variety in containers and one in the ground. The ones in containers did really poorly (see my previous thread) compared to the ones in the ground, but I think that may have been because of poor soil content in the containers. I don't have access to things like potting mix, etc. The only thing sold here is bunt rice husks/biochar, which I think I was using too much of. Since then, I have started composting like a maniac so I have much healthier soil I can use in containers this time around.
I have plans to do new plants in containers this year, but was wondering if I could do anything to save these existing plants. I have epsom salt (brought from abroad) so should I do a foliar spray? If so, what is the ideal ratio of water/salt?
I planted 10 or 12 types of peppers, one of each variety in containers and one in the ground. The ones in containers did really poorly (see my previous thread) compared to the ones in the ground, but I think that may have been because of poor soil content in the containers. I don't have access to things like potting mix, etc. The only thing sold here is bunt rice husks/biochar, which I think I was using too much of. Since then, I have started composting like a maniac so I have much healthier soil I can use in containers this time around.
I have plans to do new plants in containers this year, but was wondering if I could do anything to save these existing plants. I have epsom salt (brought from abroad) so should I do a foliar spray? If so, what is the ideal ratio of water/salt?
I live in an area much like yourself. Tons of heat and rain . I grow in containers and have many of the same issues you have . It does indeed look like magnesium deficiency . Start doing some Epsom salt root soaks and that puppy will green up fast . Table spoon per gallon of water . And compost is an excellent source of nutrients .
to me it looks like overwatering or possibly root rot. But that is just a best guess without knowing a ton of information.
Forget foliar spraying - it basicallt doesn't work with peppers.
I think there's a lot more going on here than a simple Mg deficiency. You have an obvious interveinal chlorosis (the pale spots on the leaves) that affects all growth, new and old. Several deficiencies can cause this. There is some edge curl but not much bubbling, so Ca or Mg deficiency is present but not primary.
This tells me that as you suspect there is an issue with nutrient mobility. Washout is one possibility. Soil pH is another. You can do something about pH. Try to find out what your soil and water pHs are.
I don't know that you can use too much rice husk. AFAIK it is intended as an inert substance included in soil to improve drainage and aeration. It should work in containers. In ground, it probably won't help unless you amend very deeply to the water has a place to drain to.
If you can't put them in a healthier, better draining soil, consider going with native varieties that are used to the local conditions.
.
I think there's a lot more going on here than a simple Mg deficiency. You have an obvious interveinal chlorosis (the pale spots on the leaves) that affects all growth, new and old. Several deficiencies can cause this. There is some edge curl but not much bubbling, so Ca or Mg deficiency is present but not primary.
This tells me that as you suspect there is an issue with nutrient mobility. Washout is one possibility. Soil pH is another. You can do something about pH. Try to find out what your soil and water pHs are.
I don't know that you can use too much rice husk. AFAIK it is intended as an inert substance included in soil to improve drainage and aeration. It should work in containers. In ground, it probably won't help unless you amend very deeply to the water has a place to drain to.
If you can't put them in a healthier, better draining soil, consider going with native varieties that are used to the local conditions.
.
