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issue Leaf curling downwards, newgrowths are deformed and brown at the tip and then turn necrotic

D

Deggy

Hi, my pepper plant leaves are curling downwards, but theyre not flimsy, they have some rigidity, and mostly happens on the younger leaves although some older leaves are also starting to curl downwards.

Loads of newgrowths, but theyre small, deformed, and slowly turns necrotic, now the older leaves are starting to turn yellow aswell (veins are still green)

Flower pods grow, but they drop before they could bloom
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RatzUk said:
Hi Deggy,

My first thought is rootbound but looks like a decent sized pot, is drainage good ?
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The pot is big, its a 25 litres grow bag i beleive.
Drainage is also good, the soil retains moisture, but any excess moisture gets dumped out (by retain I mean that the soil can maintain its moistness for around 2 weeks).

But the soil is super alkaline.
I used 50% roasted husk which is alkaline, the ph is around 7-8 currently, managed to keep the plant alive by giving it regular foliar sprays (at a low dose to prevent leaf burn), should i increase the dosage?

Oh and repotting is not an option for now, because the plant is already quite big and I have no spare soil at hand.
 
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Is it an indoor or outdoor grow? The pH is high but for a soilless media I wouldn't expect it to cause a problem that looked like that, some chlorosis of new growth maybe but from the photos that is extreme.

For peace of mind, do you have a loupe or microscope that you could check for microscopic bugs? and/or neem oil or something?
 
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johnwilliamhunter said:
Is it an indoor or outdoor grow? The pH is high but for a soilless media I wouldn't expect it to cause a problem that looked like that, some chlorosis of new growth maybe but from the photos that is extreme.

For peace of mind, do you have a loupe or microscope that you could check for microscopic bugs? and/or neem oil or something?
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Saddly, no I dont have a microscope.
But I do have neem oil.

Its grown, uh "semi outdoors"? Its on my balcony, receives around 2-3 hours of direct sunlight and theres no walls surrounding my balcony.

And if its worth mentioning, my plant has a few ants, but judging from their low numbers, I think theyre just there looking for cover from the elements, just 1-2 ants roaming the leaves
 
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Sorry for asking this, Im still a new grower.
But, what do you mean by the ph shouldn't matter because its a soilless media? Won't the plant get nutrient deficiency?
 
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No need to be sorry for asking :).

pH is important but what the plant cares about is the pH of the solution it's getting it's nutrients from, it's more important with hydroponics because the media is the solution, and soil because it effects the solution more, soilless media is typically more inert and doesn't effect the pH of the solution so much.

pH of 7 might slow the plant down compared to even 6.5, but I don't think it's high enough to cause an obvious deficiency.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
 
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johnwilliamhunter said:
No need to be sorry for asking :).

pH is important but what the plant cares about is the pH of the solution it's getting it's nutrients from, it's more important with hydroponics because the media is the solution, and soil because it effects the solution more, soilless media is typically more inert and doesn't effect the pH of the solution so much.

pH of 7 might slow the plant down compared to even 6.5, but I don't think it's high enough to cause an obvious deficiency.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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Oh, got it Thanks :D.
New update, just looked VERY VERY closely at the leaves of the plant, noticed a few small bugs (brown in colour) and when I touch them, they jump.
Heres a picture, not sure if you can see it, its the light brown elongated thing near the vein
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johnwilliamhunter said:
don't know, and I've never seen it in person, but the photos remind me of photos on this forum where the problem was mites.
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Deggy said:
Loads of newgrowths, but theyre small, deformed, and slowly turns necrotic, now the older leaves are starting to turn yellow aswell (veins are still green)
Click to expand...

In my case (tropical climate as well), this would be an indication of mites and/or thrips. Older leaves, however, usually show bronzing.
 
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So what do I do now?
Do I spray with neem oil, if so what dosage should i use?
Im worried that its going to be a repeat of what happened to my first pepper plant, gave the dosage that most website suggests, plant dies of overdose anyway.
 
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I apply neem oil, every 4-7 days: most effective against mealybugs and aphids.
Occasionally break through: thrips, mites. If there are indications it will become problematic, I treat with:
  • abamectin: acaricide, only at dusk, twice with 7d interval.
  • imidacloprid: against thrips, thrice with 7d intervals between applications.
Abamectin is very effective against mites. I'm now treating my plants with imidacloprid against thrips and it seems to be effective. I don't like to use it though since it's likely toxic to pollinators. Cyhalothrin and neem were not effective to keep thrips at bay.

Keep in mind that this is what I do for my particular situation (urban terrace garden, tropics, containers) and should not be considered as a general recommendation.
 
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Looks like several factors causing this problem. First the small amount of bugs are not enough to cause this tho they are contributing to it. As i read eailer you said you spraying your plants every 3 to 7 days with neem oil? Not a good idea as oil can cause hypoxia in plants. You should not apply oil no more then once or twice a season and that is outdoors in full sun. Also you need to increase air flow for proper respiration. But it also looks like you have a toxic soil mix. When i get a plant that looks like that i remove all the soil and wash off the roots completely then repot it in new clean sterile soil. Make sure to examin the roots an see if they are white
 
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Update on my plants, (tested the neem oil spray on a few leaves before spraying) Just did the first dose of neem oil spray today, after starting to flip each leaves i noticed a bunch of ants creating a "nest" ? Theres these bumpy green spots that the ants were protecting, then noticed a leaf with white bumps on it, and a spider mite was also protecting it.
 
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