Sad looking peppers

[michaellustfield]

I'm trying to grow my peppers indoors since I live in an apt with no balcony and no decent light and no chance of just setting them outside. So..... making the best with what I have.

Recently, I've noticed a not so great change. For starters, I've been dealing with fruit flies since I started. They seem to have come in with the potting soil I bought. I threw a lid on the buckets of potting soil that I had extra and the pest problem dropped quite substantially. However, I still have an issue with them. Is there any chance I could get a suggestion for a food safe and plant safe pesticide that will kill those fuckers?

I'm also curious if they're maybe the reason I'm seeing a different issue.

I have two plants that look like this, and another that is just starting. At first I assumed it was entirely something I did wrong like over or under watering or over fertilizing, but I with this new one, I swear it looks like something is eating it from underneath. Could fruit flies do that? If so, could I kill the suckers, cut the stalk, water it really well, then let it regrow itself? The flowers that have started all seem to turn brown and die quite quickly, I assume this is from the same cause.

Something else I noticed is that sometimes the leaves like to tip random directions. It goes so far that sometimes the leaves wind up completely upside down. It's not all of them. Maybe I have the lights on too much or too little during the day and they're trying to hide from teh light?.... Sounds unlikely. The leaves that twist around look normal and healthy all the way to the point they touch the stem.


On a brighter note! My trinidad scorpion is looking mighty fine. It did looking like it was falling over, but I used some wire to make it grow more upright and over the weekend it seems to have learned how to grow toward the light.

I tried really really hard to get a picture of one of the things. I caught one alive, holding it hurt it enough that it couldn't fly, tried and tried to get a camera to come in focus on it, and just couldn't. I'd say it's body is about 1/2 the thickness of a dime. When it's standing with wing up, it's taller than the thickness of a dime, but not by much. I've been fighting them for a few weeks now and that seems to be as big as they get. I think this is a pretty good picture of what I have -- http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ6uRbymv7kW332TNUOACDGWpKx-FDYTTj-mw7pkcCSIr2-CJ2rqAG0-KBc

 

[pepper48_98]

[sup]I had the same problem and I used Doktor Doom spider mite knock out insectide plant spray with good results.[/sup]

 

[michaellustfield]

So is it a good assumption that the plants look terrible because of the flies? Is there anything else it could be? I see there's the Spidermite Knockout which you mentioned and they also seem to have a House & Garden Insecticide. Is there any reason you chose the former?

 

[synclinorium]

The flies are probably just fungus gnats, a fairly common issue with indoor plants. They require the surface of the soil to be moist to reproduce, and they're usually a sign of overwatering... I would let the surface dry between watering, and bottom-water if you can. That should take care of most of that problem.

However, fungus gnats shouldn't cause the leaf browning issue. My first guess was fertilizer burn, but I've never seen a case that severe if that's the issue... how often have you been fertilizing (and what are you using)? Otherwise, it could be something more sinister like mites. Some of the new growth on your plant looks suspect, but there isn't really a clear shot of it. I can't say for certain anyway, I've never dealt with them before.

 

[michaellustfield]

I looked as close as I could for anything visible other than those flies (or gnats). I'm sure it's possible that there could be mites far smaller than I can see. Unfortunately, as far as a picture goes, that's the best I can do. I thought it was too much fertilizer. Then I saw this just kinda start on a much more well established plant well after I put any fertilizer on it. I guess I wouldn't say it's not the culprit, though.

I add a miracle grow balanced fertilizer about once per month. It's one that's supposed to used every two weeks and I apply it kinda light. But, the two bad plants are in small pots. When this started and I suspected too much fertilizer, I did go through adding a lot of water in an attempt to flush some of it out. It didn't seem to have helped any. Maybe some dried up in there and watering spread it around the roots? It has been about

If it helps any, Pic 1 & 2 are of the same leaf, and 3 & 4 are of the same different leaf.

I guess if it's something like mites hurting them, then this spray pepper48_98 suggested might help. Maybe kill the gnats too. Then keep the top of the soil less moist to help prevent those suckers from coming back.

Sooooo much to learn.....

 

[pepper48_98]

So is it a good assumption that the plants look terrible because of the flies? Is there anything else it could be? I see there's the Spidermite Knockout which you mentioned and they also seem to have a House & Garden Insecticide. Is there any reason you chose the former?

I went to the local hydroponics store and that is what they recomended. I am a newbe at this and have a butch T I am holding over the winter and it was infested. I took a leaf with the bugs on it into the store in a sandwitch bag and they have been very helpfull.