1st Growing Season Awesome, 2nd Growing Season Not Much Peppers But Long, 3rd... Help!!!!!!!!!!

[popeye304]

My first growing season was awesome... not all peppers grew well but my favorite; Serrano and Jalapeno was plentiful. My second growing season, same raised bed, didn't produce a lot but it produced for a full year. This year, a new raised bed doing well, the old raised bed, losing a pepper everyday... right wear the stem meets the dirt. No signs of worms, other than earthworms. There were 5 or 6 when I checked this seasons dirt. 
 
I have two beds active the old one... not doing well, the new one looking strong.
 
I attached a photo. Does anyone have an idea? I am buying new wood... building a new raised bed and as of right now, I'm going to transfer the existing plants in the new raised bed. Suggestions?
 
Help!!!

 

[skullbiker]

My first growing season was awesome... not all peppers grew well but my favorite; Serrano and Jalapeno was plentiful. My second growing season, same raised bed, didn't produce a lot but it produced for a full year. This year, a new raised bed doing well, the old raised bed, losing a pepper everyday... right wear the stem meets the dirt. No signs of worms, other than earthworms. There were 5 or 6 when I checked this seasons dirt. 
 
I have two beds active the old one... not doing well, the new one looking strong.
 
I attached a photo. Does anyone have an idea? I am buying new wood... building a new raised bed and as of right now, I'm going to transfer the existing plants in the new raised bed. Suggestions?
 
Help!!!

Kinda looks like you have some type of pest munching on them. Maybe someone from near where you are would have some insight what it might be.

 

[DontPanic]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but one possibility is cut worms.
 
They'll chew on the stalk right a ground level to suck out the juices.
 
If all the stalks look gnawed on right at ground level, it would make it more likely it's cut worms.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

It's hard to tell from the picture

 
Agree with this, not with cutworms. Cutworm damage tends to look like the stem was "snipped" cleanly like scissors did the cutting. 
 
If you look at OP's pic note the stem is dark green near the leaves turning purplish heading toward media then kind of opaque as it reaches the media. From top to bottom of the pix below, the opaque area is immature stem that can still grow roots (That's why we're often advised to plant leggy seedlings deeper.) (Edit: Just stumbled over this Leggy seedlings? Help and learned leggy = etiolated!) but as the purplish area takes over that's a hardening off to green but can be "progressive" leaving the opaque area which is vulnerable to damping off.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Hope this helps!
NECM

 

[Masher]

My first thought looking at pic is wet soil and dampening off.

I've done it a few times, looks just like your pics.


Unfortunately the effected plants won't recover.


That's some great info and pics chiliman posted.

 

[popeye304]

Hey guys, I went out and bought an insecticide but at the same time, I began thinking that possibly I've been over watering the seedlings. I only lost two more seedlings since I stopped watering them so much. My pepper plants are doing well now, I do have a few plants that have the stem low to the ground but they seem to be growing taller. I am feeling hopeful that I'll have a good growing season. My tomatoes are freaking ridiculous! Wait you all don't care about tomatoes.

 

[internationalfish]

Glad they're doing better! If you're losing established seedlings at all, though, I'd still wonder what's going on.
 
Hey now, we care about things that aren't peppers. Just not as much. Definitely post them in Growing Other if you want to share; there's not a whole lot of activity in there, but it does get some traffic.