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health What's wrong with this chili plant?

Hey,

So I decided to grow a chili plant a couple weeks ago and I have gone with some Chili Pepper gusto hybrid seeds, and I'm currently growing one plant. My problem is that this plant is now displaying some signs of deficiency or disease. Unfortunately I'm a human biologist, not a plant biologist, so I've come for your help :)

Four days ago I decided to transplant the young plant into some miracle grow and only since yesterday have I seen any visible problems, last night whilst having a quick look I noticed some brown/pale patches on two of the leaves and today they have gotten much more pronounced. Here are a couple pictures.

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I am hoping somebody would be able to assist me in fixing the problem.

Thanks!

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Your plants look very pale.  Are you overwatering them?
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At a glance, what looks wrong with them, is the following:
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1) possible overwatering
2) lack of air circulation
3) possibly not enough light.
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Please provide more info...
 
It's possible in overwatering. In the old soil before transplanting the soil seemed to get relatively dry each day before watering, but this miracle grow compost retains the water very well and has constantly looked damp without watering.

I have it on my desk with a desk lamp above it to provide light.

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Josh40996 said:
It's possible in overwatering. In the old soil before transplanting the soil seemed to get relatively dry each day before watering, but this miracle grow compost retains the water very well and has constantly looked damp without watering.

I have it on my desk with a desk lamp above it to provide light.

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I'm not sure what "relatively dry" means... Are you talking dry on top?
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You have this plant in pure compost?
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Do you have a fan blowing across the leaves? 
 
Yeah the top layer would become dry, but the miracle grow stays damp on top even 2 days since watering.

Yeah I used Miracle Grow Expand n Grow. It says on the packaging that I can plant into it pure in a pot.

I'm not using any fan, would that be the cause of the problem. I forgot to mention that in person the plant is a rich green, the pictures make it appear much more pale / yellow.


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For a seedling indoors, stop watering, until the plant looks like it's starting to stress.  This is the first most commonly made mistake.  Once you have grown out a few times, you'll start to understand when the plant needs water, intuitively.  Until then, let the plant tell you when it's thirsty.
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Secondly, get a fan.  Plants require oxygen, both at the root zone, and across their leaves, to facilitate transpiration - which in turn, helps the plants draw up water, and thereby, nutrients.  You will not have good success without air movement.
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Thirdly - even if something is safe to grow in a container, every type of potting media has a perched water table.  This is the layer of saturation that occurs when the media has reached an equilibrium - it's not draining out the bottom, but it's also not been wicked up, and won't hold higher in the column.  Much easier to describe this, in terms of a sponge.  Water won't freely drain out of a wet sponge, but over time, it will wick out, and evaporate - provided there is sufficient airflow (feeding into that other issue) to help that occur.  The problem with perched water tables, is that they are not proportional - meaning, that the size and/or shape of your container does not dictate the perched water table.  Every media has its own perched water table - and if yours happens to be 3" deep, then the PWT is 3" whether your container is 5' tall, or 3" tall.  This is often overlooked when planting in small containers.  But it's important to know, because it's there, even if you can't see it.  While your plants may dry out on top, they've been sitting in saturation since their last watering.
 
I should also add to that, if you haven't purpose built a potting mix, based on the 4 fundamental principles of soil building - structure, moisture retention, nutrient retention, and drainage - then you need to be extra careful.  In my opinion, and experience, it's a complete mistake to take a potting mix out of a bag, and water it to saturation, without knowing its properties.  Water very sparingly, until you get to know your plants.
 
The compost variety, it says I can use it in a pot, or I can spread it on top of plant beds/boarders.

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Lifted from this UK ad.> Miracle-Gro Expand 'N' Gro Compost Expands To 50L
 

Product details
Miracle-Gro Expand N Gro Compost is a 100% peat free and lightweight multi-purpose compost that expands up to to 3 times when mixed with water. The lightweight composition makes it easy to transport and use around the garden.
  • Features: Expands up to 3 times to make 50 litres of compost. Feeds plants for up to 6 months. Absorbs 50% more water than ordinary multi-purpose compost. 100% peat free. Comes in a resealable bag.
  • Volume: 17L
  • Coverage (per pack): 1 bag makes sufficient compost to fill 7 x 25cm hanging baskets
  • Contents: 100% peat free compost.
  • Suitable for: Use all around the garden from beds and borders to pots, containers, and hanging baskets.
  • Additional information: This compost expands to 50L when watered.
 
While it does state it can be used in "pots, containers, and hanging baskets" I'd be looking for some potting media with peat if it were me.... Wait, what does the label on the bag report the % of contents are?
 
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Expand and Gro is just Coco coir pith with some slow release ferts in it. Growing in pure coir pith in a cool climate like the uk I can pretty much guarantee from experience that thing is over watered and isn't gonna dry out any time soon. Either transplant it into some multipurpose compost or cut your miracle gro with some perlite or similar. I also think that 6 month feed claim is rather dubious, I can't really envision slow release nutrients working with coco rather than just getting flushed out.
 
A Spicy English Cheapskate said:
Expand and Gro is just Coco coir pith with some slow release ferts in it. Growing in pure coir pith in a cool climate like the uk I can pretty much guarantee from experience that thing is over watered and isn't gonna dry out any time soon. Either transplant it into some multipurpose compost or cut your miracle gro with some perlite or similar. I also think that 6 month feed claim is rather dubious, I can't really envision slow release nutrients working with coco rather than just getting flushed out.
 
If it's coco coir, then I agree, put 25% perlite in it, and it will be just about the perfect media. (no matter where you're at)
 
I ran into this same issue with several of mine. I was definitely over watering and had kept them in the seed starting trays for a little longer than I should have also. I decided it was leaf spot (could be totally wrong) and ended up throwing away most of the plants that had it because it seemed to be spreading at the time. The ones I kept I have kept outside and away from the others. I even wash my hands every time after I handle them. They will appear to be doing better, and then a leaf will get a big spot on it again. The only reason I am keeping them is to verify it is what I think it is and so that I can learn exactly how leaf spot (if that's what it is) effects the plants. I've read that it can effect the fruit as well. Again, I'm new at this, so I may be completely wrong. Don't just take my advice. I ended up buying several more varieties of pepper seeds, that I've already started, as a way to overcome the tragedy of losing so many haha. Anyways, keep it dry, always bottom water, and don't over fertilize. That's what I've learned so far in the two months that I've been growing.
 
Just curious, since it was not described or asked, how close is your light source to the plant and what kind of bulb are you using in the desk lamp? It was likely the watering as others said, but wondering if it could have gotten burned from being to close to the light.

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I'm using a 40W halogen bulb about 5 inches above the plant. If I place my hand at that distance away it feels warm but I'm not sure its warm enough to burn it. I'm still experiencing some problems with the plant, the new leaves seems to be curled on the sides and hanging low and one is developing more brown patches... Google says it could be over watering or under water, I hadn't watered since advised but even since watering the plant is still hanging low.
 
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