King Naga variation, an observation of two specimens

[alkhall]

I am growing two King Naga plants this year.
 
I grew a couple two years ago, and one last year (which actually grew the Yellow 7-Pot pods, different story).
 
The two previous years plants were from seed, and the two this year were live starter plugs.
 
All were from the same source.
 
As with the two previous years, this years plants have quite distorted leaves (I have no pics of the previous years plants, unfortunately).
This is Plant #1, but Plant #2 has the same leaf structure.
 

 
However, the plants have always been otherwise very healthy and productive.
 
This year, I see two distinct pod variations between the two plants:
 
Plant #1

 
 
Plant #2

 
 
Plant #2 has what I consider 'normal' King Naga size and shape.
 
Plant #1, however, has much shorter, rounder pods.
 
 
I find it interesting when a variety demonstrates such obvious differnces.

 

[cruzzfish]

King naga aren't stable. Also, feed the plants some calcium. The top one looks like it really needs it.

 

[alkhall]

King naga aren't stable. Also, feed the plants some calcium. The top one looks like it really needs it.

 
Yes, I know. It is still interesting to see the differences two plants can have.
 
As to calcium; I have given them bone meal, crab shell, Tomato Tone, and yet, the leaves continue to grow like that. Perhaps it is not a deficiency, but a natural mutation?

 

[cruzzfish]

 
Yes, I know. It is still interesting to see the differences two plants can have.
 
As to calcium; I have given them bone meal, crab shell, Tomato Tone, and yet, the leaves continue to grow like that. Perhaps it is not a deficiency, but a natural mutation?

Might be. It could also be aphids, so be careful.

 

[alkhall]

Might be. It could also be aphids, so be careful.

Possibly, but I am not sure that is the reason, either.
 
I have seen quite a few ladybugs and a couple praying mantis in the pepper patch, and no other plants around them (and they are packed in tight; I planted all the raised bed plants approximately 16-18 inches apart) exhibit any symptoms.
 
Having had three years where this variety always has this type of leaf distortion, while others in the same area are normal, causes me to speculate this is the 'normal' leaf. I am not overly concerned, because they are quite healthy and loaded with pods. Also, looking at the older leaves, it appears they eventually flatten out and are no longer wrinkled.

 

[Bhuter]

I had a red habanero plant last year that had the same thing going on with the leaves. They were extremely crinkled, but the plant put out a ton of pods. I tried calcium and magnesium, but it didn't seem to make a difference. This year, both of my SB7J plants are doing the same thing. They are the only 2 plants exhibiting this to such an extent. I tried some calcium this morning to see if that works, but I think I read somewhere that once they crinkle, they don't uncrinkle. You have to check the new growth to see if it helped. I dont know if that is true or not.

 

[cruzzfish]

Possibly, but I am not sure that is the reason, either.
 
I have seen quite a few ladybugs and a couple praying mantis in the pepper patch, and no other plants around them (and they are packed in tight; I planted all the raised bed plants approximately 16-18 inches apart) exhibit any symptoms.
 
Having had three years where this variety always has this type of leaf distortion, while others in the same area are normal, causes me to speculate this is the 'normal' leaf. I am not overly concerned, because they are quite healthy and loaded with pods. Also, looking at the older leaves, it appears they eventually flatten out and are no longer wrinkled.

Well then, king naga just have goofed up leaves. That's actually pretty interesting, and I'd like to find out why.

 

[Jamison]

To me it looks like broad mite damage.  They aren't the easiest bug to see by any means.  
 
 
Yes,  calcium is an immobile nutrient.  Where the plant uptakes it is where it stays.  

 

[alkhall]

To me it looks like broad mite damage.  They aren't the easiest bug to see by any means.  
 
 
Yes,  calcium is an immobile nutrient.  Where the plant uptakes it is where it stays.  

Hmm... that is not good. But, would they attack only two out of twenty odd plants, most of which are now growing intertwined?
 
The thing with the calcium is; I put down four pounds of bone meal and four pounds of crab shell about a month prior to planting out. I had also put down forty pounds of gypsum the previous year. Additionally, I have added more bone meal, crab shell and even Tomato Tone to the area around those King Nagas over the last two months.
 
I really do not know if it is normal, but the plants seem otherwise healthy.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

I have plants that do the exact same thing, 36 in a raised bed and 2 act like that. For me if they are putting out tons of pods I just leave them alone, putting too much stuff down guessing at issues has proven worse for me in the past. 

 

[alkhall]

I have plants that do the exact same thing, 36 in a raised bed and 2 act like that. For me if they are putting out tons of pods I just leave them alone, putting too much stuff down guessing at issues has proven worse for me in the past. 

Yes, I would tend to agree that often too much is as bad, if not worse, than none at all.
 
As long as they keep producing, I am fine with the unusual leaves.