Got home last night and several plants were wilting from lack of water. I've heard that many wait for this as a sign to water and even that this type of stress can be helpful to produce hot peppers. Can anyone speak more about this. It's hard for me to let a plant wilt, I get a little freaked out. Is there really a benefit to it?
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Wilted plants
- Thread starter Spankyscolts
- Start date
PaulG
Extreme Member
Plants are very resilient. Wilting is the way they conserve water, which is why they wilt in hot sun.
If you caught it in a reasonable time frame, they are okay. If it's only several of your plants, maybe
just give those pots/cells a little extra at watering time so they don't dry out so fast. Some of my plants
wilt a teeny bit now and then - usually the bigger leaves. It they get yellowy too, I just cut them off,
especially on the clones.
If you caught it in a reasonable time frame, they are okay. If it's only several of your plants, maybe
just give those pots/cells a little extra at watering time so they don't dry out so fast. Some of my plants
wilt a teeny bit now and then - usually the bigger leaves. It they get yellowy too, I just cut them off,
especially on the clones.
I check the weight of the pots water adds 50% of the weight, if they are lite its time to water em for sure.
Thanks all as usual a wealth of information and a little varying perspective there's a beauty in that !
One of my plants wilted so bad it looked like it was gonna die. All it needed was some water and it turned super healthy 
. It seems safe to wilt them. Overwatering is what you need to watch out for .
True, you certainly don't want to keep it wilted.
. It seems safe to wilt them. Overwatering is what you need to watch out for .True, you certainly don't want to keep it wilted.
There was a thread about this not too long ago... Sometimes, when I forget to water, they'll look something like this..
I watered them down good, and within 20 minutes, the leaves perked right back up! I have to water every day. I don't know if the plants are water hungry, or if my soil drains too well..
I watered them down good, and within 20 minutes, the leaves perked right back up! I have to water every day. I don't know if the plants are water hungry, or if my soil drains too well..
What size and type of pot is that? As much as places around here are starting to put out the gardening stuff, I haven't been able to find pots like that and I'm thinking it's time to go online with my search...
Mine? Mine was from a website that sold these. They are 2 gallon pots. The Air Pot was a gift from the site, not sure about the size though. The 2 gallon pots are Air Pot knockoffs, and they seem to work just as well. Roots form all the way to the soil surface!
http://www.roguehydr...ting-pot-2-gal/
I learnt last season that stressing the plants during flowering resulted in failure to get fruit set. I wouldn't induce water stress on a plant unless it had an adequate crop of developing fruits.
+ 1 Harry
Some cultivars tolerate water stress better than others - but even though water deficiency will have an overall negative effect on both the growth, root system, the number of fruits pr. plant, the lenght, size and weight of the fruit - especially if the deficiency occurs during the vegetative or blooming stage
But so will excessive watering!
I believe the hold back on the water thumb rule is due to the fact, that the plants easily come back green and lively from a dry period where as excessive water can easily kill them - for instance due to root rot or due to lack of oxygen. Also first signs of water defiency - a lack of virosity in the leaves / droopiness are easy to spot - where as to much water often gets spotted to late plus have other negative side effects such as fungus etc.
I also think that others then I are likely to over water (and over fertilize) just becauce we wish all the best for the plants..
For the upper reasons slight under watering is my choice
Regarding water stress and hotter pots studies as far as I know points in different directions - allthough most say ay. Temperature seems to be one of the most important variable in producing the hottest pots.
Some have btw. more than speculated that due to the fact that water stressed plants have smaller fruits proportionally they have more placenta - than large not water stressed fruits. Therefor the capsaicin concentration is higher pr. weight unit.
/Jadia
PS. Not a native English speaker, so if I mess up and something is unclear - do not hesitate to give me a heads up.
Some cultivars tolerate water stress better than others - but even though water deficiency will have an overall negative effect on both the growth, root system, the number of fruits pr. plant, the lenght, size and weight of the fruit - especially if the deficiency occurs during the vegetative or blooming stage
But so will excessive watering!
I believe the hold back on the water thumb rule is due to the fact, that the plants easily come back green and lively from a dry period where as excessive water can easily kill them - for instance due to root rot or due to lack of oxygen. Also first signs of water defiency - a lack of virosity in the leaves / droopiness are easy to spot - where as to much water often gets spotted to late plus have other negative side effects such as fungus etc.
I also think that others then I are likely to over water (and over fertilize) just becauce we wish all the best for the plants..
For the upper reasons slight under watering is my choice
Regarding water stress and hotter pots studies as far as I know points in different directions - allthough most say ay. Temperature seems to be one of the most important variable in producing the hottest pots.
Some have btw. more than speculated that due to the fact that water stressed plants have smaller fruits proportionally they have more placenta - than large not water stressed fruits. Therefor the capsaicin concentration is higher pr. weight unit.
/Jadia
PS. Not a native English speaker, so if I mess up and something is unclear - do not hesitate to give me a heads up.
Looks to mike like its all those air holes in those pots thats drying your soil out so quickly!!! Prob not the soil itself!
+1 for what
Prehensile said!!!
I'm wondering if letting wilt a little here and there is good for em as well as exposing them to higher temperatures (90s). That's if you are planning to put them outside. Maybe they will be more tolerant to the very hot summers? Kind of like how we condition them with fans for stronger stems (in my case strong winds too).
Edit: Kind of Nietzschean philosophy--whatever doesn't kill chiles makes them stronger.
Edit: Kind of Nietzschean philosophy--whatever doesn't kill chiles makes them stronger.
Chilli plants produce different leaves depending on the light conditions. Letting the plants wilt isn't going to cause them to produce leaves that are more tolerant of the ultraviolet light that is a component of the outside sunlight.
Hmm, I was talking about heat and drought tolerance rather than light. The only way to condition it for sunlight seems to be exposing it gradually to sunlight.
I agree.. not great for any production and future... keep them watered (#1) and keep them fed (#2) Simple once you undertand the routine of each type of plant.
