Hey guys,
It's been a bit of a rocky summer. Things were going well until it got really hot, and since then I've had trouble with:
hornworms
cucumber beetles (yuck)
red spider mites
leaf miners
scales
unidentified mammals (more of a tomato problem, either rats or opossums probably)
Of even greater concern though, a couple of my plants have wilted, and many have significant leaf drop issues. The wilted ones display a pattern of new growth shriveling up, even when sufficiently watered.
Here's my Super Hot Surprise Mix from Aji Joe...it was doing fine until a couple of days ago, now its nearly dead. I was hoping to get a pepper or two off it before it goes.
My Caribbean Red Hab, it was suffering from the same wilting issue but didn't deteriorate as fast, it's had it for a few weeks. I fed it a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide a few days ago, then flushed with normal water. I cut it back aggressively yesterday, and I hope it survives.
Jamaican Hot Yellow...had a horrible spider mite infestation. I sprayed it with a hose really hard and the next day it dropped every single leaf. The leaves grew back sort of oddly, but it was clear it was still infected. I cut it back by about 85%, hopefully the mites will have moved on after the new growth sprouts.
In general it seems like at least half of my plants cant tolerate the heat. If they arn't shaded, they drop a ton of leaves and wilt, even if they have water. I don't think over watering in general is an issue - while I may water too much at times I only see the issue when the plants are out in the direct sun and / or the temperature climbs over 100.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
It's been a bit of a rocky summer. Things were going well until it got really hot, and since then I've had trouble with:
hornworms
cucumber beetles (yuck)
red spider mites
leaf miners
scales
unidentified mammals (more of a tomato problem, either rats or opossums probably)
Of even greater concern though, a couple of my plants have wilted, and many have significant leaf drop issues. The wilted ones display a pattern of new growth shriveling up, even when sufficiently watered.
Here's my Super Hot Surprise Mix from Aji Joe...it was doing fine until a couple of days ago, now its nearly dead. I was hoping to get a pepper or two off it before it goes.
My Caribbean Red Hab, it was suffering from the same wilting issue but didn't deteriorate as fast, it's had it for a few weeks. I fed it a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide a few days ago, then flushed with normal water. I cut it back aggressively yesterday, and I hope it survives.
Jamaican Hot Yellow...had a horrible spider mite infestation. I sprayed it with a hose really hard and the next day it dropped every single leaf. The leaves grew back sort of oddly, but it was clear it was still infected. I cut it back by about 85%, hopefully the mites will have moved on after the new growth sprouts.
In general it seems like at least half of my plants cant tolerate the heat. If they arn't shaded, they drop a ton of leaves and wilt, even if they have water. I don't think over watering in general is an issue - while I may water too much at times I only see the issue when the plants are out in the direct sun and / or the temperature climbs over 100.
Any thoughts or suggestions?