disease Possible Powdery Mildew

[NJChilehead]

My Lemon Drop was growing beautiful and healthy, and then suddenly the growing tips started developing tiny spots with yellowing, and the leaves started dropping. It looked like a deciduous tree in the fall when I touched it, leaves just dropped right off. Undersides of the leaves had fuzz on them near the base of the leaf stalk. It started small but is spreading rapidly to all growth tips. I sprayed it with micronized sulfur, I'm hoping that helps. If it doesn't, not sure if I should cull it so it doesn't spread. That would break my heart because I've really been looking forward to the Lemon Drops this year. Can I get confirmation of powdery mildew, or if you believe it is something else, please let me know? I do acknowledge that air flow is not great around these plants, now that they are so bushy. Photos below of the issue, plus the whole plant from two days ago. Thank you for any help.

Note white fuzz on base of leaf in lower right of this photo:

 

[CaneDog]

That's really disappointing. I don't think that's powdery mildew and, even if it were, something else seems to be going on with the leaf spotting and dropping leaves. You could consider removing a branch or two from the center to open up air flow. I sometimes do that with caged plants when the foliage gets too compact. Usual caveat though of being careful about spreading infection on cutting tools when not sure what might be wrong with it.

 

[Marturo]

. I don't think that's powdery mildew

I don't either.

Powdery Mildew Management in Chilli Pepper: Symptoms, Identification, Treatment, Chemical, Biological, Natural, and Organic Control

Powdery Mildew Management in Chilli Pepper: Symptoms, Identification, Treatment, Chemical, Biological, Natural, and Organic Control.

pestsdiseases.com

Powdery mildew is easy to prevent using Southern AG Garden friendly fungicide, however it must be present to block spores form germinating.

 

[NJChilehead]

That's really disappointing. I don't think that's powdery mildew and, even if it were, something else seems to be going on with the leaf spotting and dropping leaves. You could consider removing a branch or two from the center to open up air flow. I sometimes do that with caged plants when the foliage gets too compact. Usual caveat though of being careful about spreading infection on cutting tools when not sure what might be wrong with it.

I don't either.

Powdery Mildew Management in Chilli Pepper: Symptoms, Identification, Treatment, Chemical, Biological, Natural, and Organic Control

Powdery Mildew Management in Chilli Pepper: Symptoms, Identification, Treatment, Chemical, Biological, Natural, and Organic Control.

pestsdiseases.com

Powdery mildew is easy to prevent using Southern AG Garden friendly fungicide, however it must be present to block spores form germinating.

Thanks guys. Any leads on what it might be? I'm curious as to whether it might be nutrient related, or over/underwatering (we've had quite a bit of rain lately, but it's also been very hot). We're supposed to get major storms today with 3-4 inches of rain, originally I was going to give it some fish hydrolysate and kelp, but am holding off until after the deluge. Let me know your thoughts?

 

[Marturo]

Any leads on what it might be?

might be nutrient related,

You would think with fish & seaweed nutrient problems would be rare.

Nutrient deficiencies - Pepper | Yara Australia

www.yara.com.au

Have you tried Superthrive? I have been using vitamins on my plants for many seasons with good results.

Based on multiple customer reviews, SUPERthrive The Original Vitamin Solution is reported to help revive and improve the health of sick or distressed plants. Customers have noted that it can bring dying plants back to life, help plants recover from transplant shock, and make gardens lush and healthy. It is also mentioned to be a non-toxic, highly invigorating vitamin supplement suitable for various plants, including house plants and succulents.

https://www.amazon.com/SUPERthrive-VI30148-Plant-Vitamin-Solution/dp/B000OM82J0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B3SN8OGK056M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sQmVvbsLtQAP5NPXOD35zfBrOG21YEt92br0OMv6Drp6OLfBt4WzeLi37v3EsOm0rJgReIwIu37NWpmFegzT_lCbLBqkC3J4OOLbN8cwahPPJEd4aRYM9oGyJn2wWnsWGAcvwgL_qiJV1XeeaDpliZBkp2dLhEGdrdQJfJ-2-8VsmIfHQGdsuIYFtMV1Ckq26Y4FB4OhnmviBzV89vCqYncEDEgAlQcSxp2BDn3a1vZ_NMQ1R5zgFEAZInNJ0qf5jMN21VBVxzF338NgAJ8RKw70z-qR0epxN2eeyW8EKIk.B9hWaX23D4rYMuLgZ9S0sHOwgoa_-7BOwVaZWoGUioE&dib_tag=se&keywords=super%2Bthrive%2Bplant%2Bfertilizer&qid=1752527723&sprefix=super%2Bthrive%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1&th=1

 

[CaneDog]

I certainly don't know for sure, but I would lean toward a fungal issue, perhaps some kind of fungal spot. The dense foliage and damp conditions would seem to support that. That wouldn't necessarily be the death sentence of a bacterial spot.

 

[Annuchin]

Maybe stink bugs? There are small dark spots.

 

[NJChilehead]

Okay folks, I'm facing a tough choice. Whatever is wrong with the Lemon Drop is progressing rapidly. I found a lot of dropped young leaves and dropped buds under the plant today. Hitting it with sulfur on a hot day yesterday probably didn't help much, but I'm concerned that whatever is wrong with this plant might spread to adjacent plants, so I was willing to take that chance.

My question: should I prune it back, clean all of the fallen debris from under it, put down new compost and feed heavily with fish/help to see if it recovers, or should I cull the plant? I have a large and beautiful Aji Chinchi Amarillo that abuts it, and an Aji Mango closeby, so that makes me lean towards just getting rid of it, but on the other side of that, I think if these plants were going to be sick, they probably would already be.

Let me know what you think-cull it or not?

Here's a photo from today:

 

[Annuchin]

If it is stink bugs then it is not contagious and any treatment might actually make everything worse. You could try to find (and kill) the stink bug nymphs or the characteristic eggs if that is a reasonable guess for your region. Also, better quality and higher resolution pictures might help identifying your problem.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Did you spray it with anything before you noticed the dark spots?

 

[NJChilehead]

If it is stink bugs then it is not contagious and any treatment might actually make everything worse. You could try to find (and kill) the stink bug nymphs or the characteristic eggs if that is a reasonable guess for your region. Also, better quality and higher resolution pictures might help identifying your problem.

I did look around for insect pests and did not see any. Also, there are no lesions on the fruit that might indicate stink bug feeding. Also, is this picture helpful on your end?

Did you spray it with anything before you noticed the dark spots?

No I didn't. It seems like those spots and the yellowing show up first, then the leaves and buds quickly abort. Really frustrating.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I have no idea but it could be TSWV.

 

[CaneDog]

Man, that's a tough call. There's nothing easy about making "spot"-related diagnoses. It could be environmental or it could be pathological. Whatever you do, you can only be sure that maybe you should have done the alternative I lean toward yoinking them when they're in my beds and trying to save them when they're in containers, but I don't know what I'd do in your case. Depending on how it looked in-person, I'd be sorely tempted to clean it up and see if it it promptly recovered or not. Given that it's been in the soil next to other plants for a while already maybe risking a little more time to be sure wouldn't put the neighbors or the bed at too much additional risk.