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Mangled Pepper Plant - What is this?

mcraighead

mcraighead

My buddy's pepper plant continues to grow but everything is mangled looking including the stem.  Any idea of what this is?  No pests are noticeable and temperature outside is perfect.  I don't think it's overwatered because there are other pepper plants in this garden box that look fine.  No synthetic fertilizers are used just the occasional kelp meal and neem cake.
 
http://imageshack.com/a/img921/6215/86O72V.jpg
 
 
 
I have some plants indoors that look like that.
 
I see no mites  etc. under a magnifying glass.
 
I used new brand of soil and none of the plants I used it on are doing very good.
 
I'm thinking soil PH especially since I use organic ferts.
 
If a soil has too much stuff breaking down it tends to go acid.
 
I will eventually post what an "El Cheapo" soil test kit says-gotta go to Homey Depot.
I have a cheap meter that I don't trust...Actually 2 different meters.
 
smokemaster said:
I have some plants indoors that look like that.
 
I see no mites  etc. under a magnifying glass.
 
I used new brand of soil and none of the plants I used it on are doing very good.
 
I'm thinking soil PH especially since I use organic ferts.
 
If a soil has too much stuff breaking down it tends to go acid.
 
I will eventually post what an "El Cheapo" soil test kit says-gotta go to Homey Depot.
I have a cheap meter that I don't trust...Actually 2 different meters.
Click to expand...
 
In some cases calcium can be the culprit but OP post looks just like mite damage. 
 
megahot said:
Id Toss it, honestly.
Click to expand...
Everything in the raised garden bed are thriving so we are afraid to toss it.  Could could be acting as a natural pest deterrent (sacrificing itself to the good of the tomatoes) 
Lovepeppers said:
Does your buddy get HEAVY winds continuously?
If not, I'd say pests.
Click to expand...
Occasionally but we live in the same area and my peppers look healthy.  So yeah seems like this is mite damage but not sure what type of mites exactly.  We can detect leaf miners, aphids, grasshoppers, hornworms and the damage they cause.   So, we know how to control those but this was something different we hadn't seen before.    
 
Mites I've had were Spider Mites,to me easy to get rid of.
Broad mites SUCK!
They loved my C.Pubescens.
Killed 5+ year old plants,1 12 yr. old plant.
 
The Green Light fungus stuff worked (sulfur based).
Gotta spray it in the evening-sun,water and Sulfur=Sulfuric Acid.
Plants gotta be dry before the sun hits them.Or you fry the leaves.
 
I used to get Gal. of Water Soluable (SP?) Soil Sulfur for $18.00.
I can't find it anywhere IN STOCK anymore.
It was a Lot Cheaper.
Made 200+ gal. of spray...
 
Only thing that killed Broad mites.
 
I'm pulling up the few plants I have now,not growing a winter crop this year.
Going to start from scratch in Dec.
 
Life got in the way the last 2 years...
 
Check out your soil PH.
 
Doesn't look like mites to me,I raised Spiders and Broad mites at times. LOL
Mites turn leaves yellow first...Stem stuff I see looks like another problem.
 
Just my opinion-worth what you paid for it. :)
 
Could be a Fungus or Virus too.
 
If you had mites,All your plants around that plant would be Screwed,Big Time too.
 
Mites spread Fast!
None of the Plants touching the plant you are talking about look nasty...
 
Not Mites,I think.
 
If you have Mites,All plants near by would show the same problem.
They spread outdoors to inside from Hitch Hiking on my gloves etc,or just from picking pods.
 
Sulfur also is a Fungus killer.
 
But if it's a PH problem,it might add to the Acid thing.
Check the PH before anything else.
Use a kit that you put a soil sample in distilled water and let sit a while before you add the stuff that shows results.
 
I think check out PH,then use sulfur If it's a Fungus thing-soil drench 1 time for root damage.
 
If a Virus-get rid of it OR put it in a pot elsewhere for seeds.
Use a Bleach soak before planting the seeds or you will end up at stage 1 again.
 
By the way,do the plant stems seem to be 2+ stems fused together?
I forget what it's called but it's a really cool mutation I've gotten from a pack of seeds years ago.
Leaves looked like that +/-.
 
smokemaster said:
Could be a Fungus or Virus too.
 
If you had mites,All your plants around that plant would be Screwed,Big Time too.
 
Mites spread Fast!
None of the Plants touching the plant you are talking about look nasty...
 
Not Mites,I think.
 
If you have Mites,All plants near by would show the same problem.
They spread outdoors to inside from Hitch Hiking on my gloves etc,or just from picking pods.
 
Sulfur also is a Fungus killer.
 
But if it's a PH problem,it might add to the Acid thing.
Check the PH before anything else.
Use a kit that you put a soil sample in distilled water and let sit a while before you add the stuff that shows results.
 
I think check out PH,then use sulfur If it's a Fungus thing-soil drench 1 time for root damage.
 
If a Virus-get rid of it OR put it in a pot elsewhere for seeds.
Use a Bleach soak before planting the seeds or you will end up at stage 1 again.
 
By the way,do the plant stems seem to be 2+ stems fused together?
I forget what it's called but it's a really cool mutation I've gotten from a pack of seeds years ago.
Leaves looked like that +/-.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the info.  Maybe it is some mutation because the stem looks very bizarre and twisted.  
 
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