health Help identifying black spots and stunted growth

dotz

dotz

Hi everyone. I'm having some issue with my chilli plants, I currently have scotch bonnet, Bhut Jolokia, scorpions and habs all showing varying degrees of symptoms. 
 
We had a wet winter and most of the plants left outside were showing signs of root rot, wilted leaves dying and staying on the plant and brown roots. I've managed to save a couple of them by repotting and while there is new growth (its early spring) the plants look stunted and the flowers are extremely small and deformed looking. I have some other plants overwintered in a greenhouse that are doing a bit better but most have some branches and leaves that are yellowing and brown and black spots on the leaves and stems. 
 
They are potted in a regular veggie potting mix, and am feeding with a chilli grow mix about once a month.  I have been spraying with neem oil as a preventative measure as I had some powdery mildew on another plant so am fairly certain its not insects, could this be a fungal or bacterial infection?
 
 
 

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If you ever see stunted/deformed growth on a pepper plant, the first thing you should check for is mites on the undersides of the leaves (A magnifying glass might be necessary if the species in question is particularly tiny). They can be surprisingly resilient, as it took me multiple weeks of neem sprays to get them under control whenever they showed up.
 
They can actually be the cause of black spots and leaf browning as well if their numbers are great enough that their venom starts to kill off the leaf entirely instead of just warping it.
 
It's not mites.
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What is your temperature?  Do you have these inside, and if so, do you have a fan on them?  What is the lighting source?
 
acs1 said:
 
Please explain the proper way to do a slurry test..?
 
Click to expand...
 
Take some media out of your planted container.  Not just the stuff at the top.  try to get a "core" or "plug" of material, that spans a vertical column. (and gives you some cross-sectional variation)  Put this in a plastic or glass container.  Pour some distilled or RO (very important) water into the container with the media, at a ratio of about 2 parts water to 1 part media.  Stir.  Let the mixture settle, and then check the pH of the clarified liquid. Try not to get particles on the test pen or strip.
 
solid7 said:
 
Take some media out of your planted container.  Not just the stuff at the top.  try to get a "core" or "plug" of material, that spans a vertical column. (and gives you some cross-sectional variation)  Put this in a plastic or glass container.  Pour some distilled or RO (very important) water into the container with the media, at a ratio of about 2 parts water to 1 part media.  Stir.  Let the mixture settle, and then check the pH of the clarified liquid. Try not to get particles on the test pen or strip.
Click to expand...
How about putting my farbic pot on wire mesh stand in a dry tub but held 3" above the bottom of the tub, then water fabric pot plant liberally from top. Wait for all the run off water to drain out of the bottom of fabric pot into the tub and use the 'drain off water' in the tub to test for ph..?
 
acs1 said:
How about putting my farbic pot on wire mesh stand in a dry tub but held 3" above the bottom of the tub, then water fabric pot plant liberally from top. Wait for all the run off water to drain out of the bottom of fabric pot into the tub and use the 'drain off water' in the tub to test for ph..?
Click to expand...
 
That's not a slurry test.  That's just a runoff test.  Has it's purpose, but this isn't it...
 
Ok then...
Will a slurry test, and a run off test, significantly differ in ph..? And if they do differ what does that mean..?
 
99.9% of water my plants get is advanced RO water...
 
acs1 said:
Ok then...
Will a slurry test, and a run off test, significantly differ in ph..? And if they do differ what does that mean..?
 
99.9% of water my plants get is advanced RO water...
Click to expand...
 
Yes, they will differ radically.  A runoff test is more of an indication of the efficacy of a nutrient solution strength. (it compares pre and post watering)  You are typically testing EC with a runoff test, not pH.
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The established protocol for testing soil pH is the method that I described.  If your outdoor container plants appear healthy and are producing, there's no real reason to do pH testing.
 
solid7 said:
It's not mites.
.
What is your temperature?  Do you have these inside, and if so, do you have a fan on them?  What is the lighting source?
Click to expand...
 
Its averaging 15 - 20 degrees here at the moment, two plants are outdoors on a balcony and the rest in a small greenhouse they get morning and afternoon sun. Its cool for this time of year although they didn't produce well last summer/autumn. I haven't tested the soil ph, will get a test and see where that's at.
 
When you say that it's "averaging" X temp... What is the daytime average, and what is the night time average?
 
The small greenhouse.... Do the plants look the same?
 
solid7 said:
When you say that it's "averaging" X temp... What is the daytime average, and what is the night time average?
 
The small greenhouse.... Do the plants look the same?
Click to expand...
Night time 10-15 deg day time 15 to 25, the greenhouse plants look much healthier and have more new growth but have the same issues
 
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