• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

seeds Rocoto Red (Manzano) Seedling leaves browning from the tips

Hi folks, I trust you are all well and having bountiful harvests! Your help with my current challenge will be greatly appreciated. I am experiencing issues with leaves on my Pubescens (Rocoto Red Manzano) 8 week old seedling browning from the leaf tips, and then slowly fading down most of the leaf. Here is the timeline, and further on the Imgur link to images of the plant discussed:  

Seeds were sown on 29th June in Culterra Germination mix in seed starting trays and the Rocoto germinated on the 17th July. I didn't record 1st true leaves appearance, but on 10th August the 2nd set on true leaves started to show on 18th August, I then potted up from the seed starting tray into Culterra Seedling mix in a 500ml clear cup with drainage holes as I noticed browning of the tip on the 1st true leaf. On 22nd August the 1st true leaf had mostly browned and fell off the stem, and the tip of the 2nd true leaf was showing the same browning. This seems be spreading further down the leaf. On 28th August, I noticed the 3rd true leaf showing same browning from the leaf tip to around 1/4-1/3rd of the leaf. The 4th true leaf hasn't shown any sign of tip browning (yet) and appears healthy so far. The emerging 5th true leaf also appears healthy....... Root development also appears healthy.
 
I'm careful not to over-water (every 5-6 days it gets a bottom watering together with the 6 x Padrons and 2 x Moruga Scorpions in this grow). All plants are getting around 6 hours direct sunlight daily, and another 2 hours in shade. We are not yet in Spring, so the Sun shouldn't be too harsh. I haven't added any other nutrients to the seedling mix as it already has fertilizer added by the manufacturer. All the other plants are growing strong and healthy.
 
I have sprayed it with Neem oil as a precaution - I haven't been able to see any insects with the naked eye.....but this has got me scratching my head. Any Help / Suggestions will be greatly appreciated......Thanks in advance.
 
https://imgur.com/a/a9jGoWh
 
Cheers, Roy 
 
 
hogleg said:
Sounds like too much direct sun for a young pubescens to me. 2-3 hours direct morning sun should be more than enough IMO
 
Thanks for the heads-up Hogleg - I will move it to an area with more shade / dappled sunlight and monitor over then next few weeks.
 
Cheers, Roy
 
 
hogleg said:
Sounds like too much direct sun for a young pubescens to me. 2-3 hours direct morning sun should be more than enough IMO
 
I've got a young Pube (it just popped through the soil in the last week) underneath 50% shade cloth but it's getting a full day of sun. Is this OK or is it still too much direct light?
 
NorCal has been unseasonably cool and Oakland has been cloudy/foggy/smoky with temps in the 70s.
 
Thanks!
 
austin87 said:
 
I've got a young Pube (it just popped through the soil in the last week) underneath 50% shade cloth but it's getting a full day of sun. Is this OK or is it still too much direct light?
 
NorCal has been unseasonably cool and Oakland has been cloudy/foggy/smoky with temps in the 70s.
 
Thanks!
 
I think those are excellent conditions for it at this time of year, especially if it was sprouted under those conditions.  I just be careful if things shift back to really hot direct-sun type of weather as it's still pretty small even with the shade cloth.
 
 
austin87 said:
 
I've got a young Pube (it just popped through the soil in the last week) underneath 50% shade cloth but it's getting a full day of sun. Is this OK or is it still too much direct light?
 
NorCal has been unseasonably cool and Oakland has been cloudy/foggy/smoky with temps in the 70s.
 
Thanks!
 
 
I think you'll be fine under the shade cloth.
 
I don't think that's the right type of mix to be bottom watering.  
 
If this were my plants, I'd be watering from the top, and judging the water schedule based on the weight of the container.
 
But...  I have a considerable difficulty growing these here, where I am.  I do also agree about the sunlight.  Especially if you have high UV.  And the small containers will hot up pretty bad.  
 
Mine gets 2-3 hours of late afternoon sun, only.
 
Back
Top