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A lot of pods but massive defoliation at bottom of plants? Normal?

nattymari

nattymari

First time grower so bear with me. My plants all look really healthy and have 50+ pods on them, 2-3 feet growth and many new top leaves, flowers and fruit forming. But almost all have self pruned and are pretty barren on the lower 1/3 of the plants.

Its been weird weather here, 80-90 degree days and 50 degree nights. Pods are ripening and overall it looks like harvest time. Should I be worried about this bottom defoliation or is it natural??
 
I wouldn't worry. As long as the new top growth looks healthy and green, you're fine. In my experience, when lower leaves drop on a healthy plant, and the temps/watering are right, the bottom will kick out new growth too eventually. If you have enough season left, it can mean an even bigger second harvest.
 
I'm a first year grower myself, so take my comments with a grain of salt.  But a couple of my plants got bushy after I topped them and are leafy from top to bottom, but a couple, also topped at the same time, did what yours are doing, the top 2/3rds or so are nice and healthy, but the bottom part is pretty much just stalk.  All plants are performing roughly the same so doesn't seem like an issue from my perspective.
 
Yes I know that was a run-on sentence :drunk:
M
 
I had the same thing happen to my plants. I believe that the yellowing and dropping of leaves on the bottom of the plant was a sign of over watering, or at least that was what I deduced my issue was.
 
The garden was at the bottom of a hill and my neighbor at the top of the hill had a busted sprinkler line which was flooding my garden every morning. When he fixed the sprinkler and I put a french drain barrier around my garden things dried out. Since then, the peppers have started to pop new leaves on the bottom end. 
 
Again though, I am a first time pepper grower, although I have been gardening for some years, so take it all with some salt. 
 
TW
 
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