Help diagnosing my problem?

LocalFart · Mar 22, 2017

Hey everyone.

I'm thinking this was caused by over-watering. But I had cut the watering back to once a week about a month ago and still no improvements. They are still flowering but dropping flowers.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

cruzzfish · Mar 22, 2017

That's not overwatering. I've never seen it quite like that before, but if I had to guess they're missing a nutrient of some sort. Or they got sick with something in which case it's more difficult to treat.

LocalFart · Mar 22, 2017

Yeah? I've been watering about one a fortnight with a mix of Dynamic lifter, Trace Elements and Potash. Maybe I'm not giving them enough?

nzchili · Mar 23, 2017

LocalFart said:
Yeah? I've been watering about one a fortnight with a mix of Dynamic lifter, Trace Elements and Potash. Maybe I'm not giving them enough?

Now that's interesting. If anything you are giving it too much, not too little.
I personally think its a weird mutation. The plant in general looks healthy. The leaves are odd..but seem somewhat consistent.

There is no discoloration or death at the nodes which would be seen with mites which can also cause odd shaped leaves.

IMO over fert or weird mutation.

LocalFart · Mar 23, 2017

Hmm okay,

could be it... I think it did happen after I had started using that fert mixture. I have it all mixed up and then dilute it in water. so anything I could do to try to narrow down the cause?
Maybe try not fertilize a few plants?

nzchili · Mar 23, 2017

You could segregate that one plant from the rest and stop giving it fert and continue as you were with the others.
If the others go like that its the fert. If that one stays odd its a weird mutation

Jase4224 · Mar 23, 2017

Hey man are they the plants I gave you? Il never seen anything like that before..

Mutations can be ruled out as you have a few varieties there and the same didn't happen to my plants.

How did you go about mixing your ferts?

Jase4224 · Mar 23, 2017

What is your soil mix?

LocalFart · Mar 23, 2017

Hey Jase,

Yeah they are yours, I'm using the vegie mix soil from green life soil. And I am using the brew that you suggested. I added a 250ml jug of the blood and bone pelets, 2 spoons of the trace elements and about half a cup of potash into 9L bucket full of water. mix it up and leave it for a day and then pour the 250ml jug of it into a watering can and fill the rest with tap water.

The weird thing is that they are growing and green and flowering but just look weird

gasificada · Mar 23, 2017

Is it a Fatalii? Fataliis always do some weird shizz like that on me! I've tried seed from several different sources and it still ALWAYS happens. I have only ever managed to grow ONE plant that didn't do it... and I got no idea what I did different.

Never ever seen it happen to any other chilli I've grown.

If not Fatalii, my guess would be some kind of phytotoxic damage???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytotoxicity

(so yeah, over fert might be a culprit)

LocalFart · Mar 23, 2017

gasificada said:
Is it a Fatalii? Fataliis always do some weird shizz like that on me! I've tried seed from several different sources and it still ALWAYS happens. I have only ever managed to grow ONE plant that didn't do it... and I got no idea what I did different.

Never ever seen it happen to any other chilli I've grown.

If not Fatalii, my guess would be some kind of phytotoxic damage???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytotoxicity

(so yeah, over fert might be a culprit)

Nope the ones in the pics are Habarero, MOA Scotch bonnet and a Carolina Reaper.

But yeah I think you may be right. over-fertz might be to blame. I guess we will see

gasificada · Mar 23, 2017

LocalFart said:
Nope the ones in the pics are Habarero, MOA Scotch bonnet and a Carolina Reaper.

But yeah I think you may be right. over-fertz might be to blame. I guess we will see

Have you used any herbicides around the plants? Know if your neighbours have? Could be another thing.

But yeah, deffo ease up on the nutes I reckon, especially if your potting mix already contains nutes, and go from there.

Out of curiosity, you know of anybody else who uses the same potting mix? Dependent on whether others have experienced similar issues or not, rule out the potting mix itself.

LocalFart · Mar 23, 2017

gasificada said:
Have you used any herbicides around the plants? Know if your neighbours have? Could be another thing.

But yeah, deffo ease up on the nutes I reckon, especially if your potting mix already contains nutes, and go from there.

Out of curiosity, you know of anybody else who uses the same potting mix? Dependent on whether others have experienced similar issues or not, rule out the potting mix itself.

Hey,

I haven't heard of any of the neighbors using any. I only have the two because I'm on a corner block, but I honestly wouldnt know. none of my other plants in the garden have been affected though.

They are in a raised garden bed at the moment and the soil has been there for about 6 months at this stage, so I'm not sure how I would know.

But here are some more pictures, might help the investigation.

Planter Box

Papa Dreddie Scotch Bonnet

MOA Scotch Bonnet

Other Various Chillies

Zimbo · Mar 23, 2017

I'm in Geraldton and have exactly the same issue, have cut off the real bad leaves and flowers and sprayed with lime sulphur from
Bunnings (stinks real bad). Read on a previous post that it is pests causing the leaves to curl. Mine are in a hydro set up and have the correct amount of nutrients etc.

solid7 · Mar 23, 2017

Look at the zig-zagging mid-rib of the leaves in the last few pics. That's a classic sign of a broad mite problem.

Jase4224 · Mar 23, 2017

LocalFart said:
Hey Jase,

Yeah they are yours, I'm using the vegie mix soil from green life soil. And I am using the brew that you suggested. I added a 250ml jug of the blood and bone pelets, 2 spoons of the trace elements and about half a cup of potash into 9L bucket full of water. mix it up and leave it for a day and then pour the 250ml jug of it into a watering can and fill the rest with tap water.

The weird thing is that they are growing and green and flowering but just look weird

Your mix is spot on except for the Potash, I only use 10grams (2 teaspoons) in the mix not 1/2 cup. I looked up Potassium overdose for plants and the info I got was at the bottom of this page: http://plantprobs.net/plant/nutrientImbalances/potassium.html

At the end it says that too much potassium uptake can cause deficiencies, if that has happened to your plants I would suggest just watering with plain water for this season. The colour of your plants looks great and they have new growth so they won't starve.

Either that or you got mites. Perhaps you could take some leaves into green life and see if they can diagnose the problem?

Noah Yates · Mar 23, 2017

This appears to be nutrient burn to my eyes. I would commence using only water to feed the plants... and consider flushing the plants out by placing them under a sprinkler... so that they have adequate water to deal with the ions.

Noah Yates · Mar 23, 2017

Is there any chance that you fed them by applying the nutrient solution to the foliage during the day when the sun is in the sky?

solid7 · Mar 23, 2017

Jase4224 said:
At the end it says that too much potassium uptake can cause deficiencies,

This is not correct. Plants do not uptake specific nutrients preferentially.
.
Just because you put too much of something around a plant, does not mean that it will try to use it.

Jase4224 · Mar 23, 2017

Noah Yates said:
Is there any chance that you fed them by applying the nutrient solution to the foliage during the day when the sun is in the sky?

I have applied this same mix as a foliage feed without any problems however I used much less potassium. Not sure if that makes a difference.