Deformed Plant Growth

DjBecker

DjBecker

Hello! This is the continuation of a thread I started in the wrong forum, so I'm gonna get this one up to speed from where I left off.
 
I have been growing superhots and regular peppers, and things have been going very well up until about a week ago. My Reapers, Chocolate Bhutlahs, and Moruga Scorpions started showing some really deformed shriveled growth after I topped what had been really healthy plants. Now what ever issue this was is seeming to effect two already established Bhutlahs and a firecracker chilli, while my Jalapenos, Bells, and Fluorescent Purples seem to be doing very well and producing even better. My first few thoughts from what I gathered on other posts was either herbicidal damage, over fertilizing, cold damage (if there is such a thing) or what seems the most similar Mite/Pest damage.
 
I'll attach some pictures of the before and after toppings, which is where the issue began after the new growth started to show issues. The before pic of the group is from a month ago, the other pics are current.
 
 


 
I got them checked at the University Of Florida Dep. Of Agriculture plant clinic, it's awesome that those exist lol. They listed mite damage,aphids, chile-thripe(?), fungus, disease, essentially anything that could've been wrong haha. But I got a big list of solutions so I'm looking forward to turning the plants around.
 
Could you post what their solutions are?

Especially I terested to hear what the UF dep of agr opinions are.
 
They also recommended a 6-6-6 fertilizer, and a shot of miraclegrow half strength to help them back to their and I've decided to stop the organic route for now, it being my first time growing anything at all, I figured I'd give my self the boost my plants and I need.
 
Yeah the specifics are a cocktail of pesticides and a fungicide. Copper dust fungicide to take care of the black ring fungus I believe they called it, and as for the pesticides a couple were just any sort of insect soap, and spinorad specifically by name as well as some other things I wrote down I'll have to find. They also recommended to change my soil mix, and avoid any solid fertz such as Epsom salt and bone meal. The mix they recommended interestingly was 2 thirds potting and one 1 third compost that the local garbage collectors make from yard waste (was really interested in this one). Probably the largest issues were disease and virus damage that my plants looked to have already gone through and had begun recovering from, as well as the drastic temperature swings that Orlando goes through often, such as a high of 46f last week, and a high of 75f today, which should stabilize within the next couple weeks.
 
So your plants looked too have a virus or they have a virus?

All literature I have read, was there was NO cure for a plant virus.

What mites were your plants diagnosed with?
 
They actually sent a written list of what they noticed was wrong and solutions for each of them, so maybe the information will be clearer. Both of the plants I took that were in different stages of deformity looked to have been damaged in the past by a disease, while on of them looked to have had a virus, although it was mentioned before they examined it under a microscope, and the virus was never brought up again, so that could've been just an observation before the full analysis. My plants also had mites at one time, so the mites were no longer involved, so hopefully I was able to treat that with dish soap I had used a few days before I brought them in, while Chili Thrips were still an issue, and a single aphid was spotted, which I would assume meant there were more. Another thing that was spotted was damage from Frog Eye Fungus, which they said to treat with Copper Dust fungicide. If the mites returned, insect soap was recommended, and if I ever spotted Caterpillars damaging my plants, Thuricide would fix that, and for the Chilli-Thrips spinosad would do the trick. Lastly a nutrient deficiency could be involved somewhere, and again a 6-6-6 complete fertilizer would do the trick. 
 
Essentially most of the information I received from the plant clinic is in that paragraph^, I'm excited to use it to get my plants to turnaround and get back to normal. It was frustrating because I have C.Anuums that are doing fantastically and producing like crazy, while the C.Chinese are getting hit by this and now are gonna take even longer. But being my first grow attempt, I'm doing better than I thought I would, and I've learned a lot, so this will all be good knowledge to bring into future grow seasons.
 
I'm curious to know what kind of soil you're using, along with the ferts. It's easy to say stop the organic route, but in my experience, my plants have never gotten diseased. All I've ever used was organic ferts.The only time they had mites were from plants I was overwintering in my basement. I attribute the low sunlight to their weakening.
 
I've been using a 1 to 1 ratio of Vigoro Potting soil and Gardening soil, with half an application of bonemeal from the beginning, with Epsom salts and Fish emulsion every few weeks. I'm not sure how disease became an issue myself, but UF said it could be because I started my plants a little early, giving diseases that only spread through a certain time of year access to my plants.
 
The plant clinician (I love that title lol) also advised against topping peppers, so I think my next batch of plants I'll let be and see how they do.
 
 
Something along the lines of restricting growth? I'm not sure, all I've ever heard is you should top your plants, so for the first time hearing you shouldn't is bizzare. They did admit most say you should top them, but not many try just letting them grow, so I'll take their word and just try it out on a few plants and see what the results are.
 
After about a week or two of treatment with fungicide, spinosad and a shot of miraclegrow to perk them up I'll give some pic updates, especially for my worst plant, I'll post a before and after of that one once I see a drastic difference, if everything goes well that is.
 
 
   Some plants just do not do well after topping. My Bhut's loved their topping and went crazy afterwards. My Scotch Bonnets hated it and are doing what your plant is doing, but not deformed just slow growth and poor looking leaves. And I don't have bugs. I feel like bugs take the blame for too many plant problems. When most of time its actually a deficiency of some sort. Be it ferts, light, growing conditions etc etc.
 
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