Scotch Bonnet & Red Ghost

[outlaw]

Sorry for posting another "what's wrong with my plant" thread, but this one has got me stumped. I have a SB and red bhut planted next to each other in one of my raised beds. Same soil, amount of light, water, and same fert schedule (vermicompost/fish emulsion tea every two weeks and calmag once a week with epsom salt foliar sprays once a week as well). We have been getting pounded with rain so haven't been watering as much lately. No insects or sign of them, holes in the leaves are from hail. Any ideas? Bhut has calcium deficiency? I am clueless on this, any help is appreciated!

 

[magicpepper]

which plant is bhut and which one is the scotch?   my caribbean red habanero's look like the one in the last picture

 

[Burning Colon]

is that cedar mulch you are using?
 
i have read that cedar mulch can rob plants of nitrogen and other nutrients and can drastically lower ph levels of the underlying soil especially in heavy rains.
you may want to clear the area directly under the plant of the mulch to see if that improves your situation.
 
my comment is only based on what i have read and i have no first hand experience but if you are stumped - this would be my first observation.
 
good luck.

 

[magicpepper]

is that cedar mulch you are using?
 
i have read that cedar mulch can rob plants of nitrogen and other nutrients and can drastically lower ph levels of the underlying soil especially in heavy rains.
you may want to clear the area directly under the plant of the mulch to see if that improves your situation.
 
my comment is only based on what i have read and i have no first hand experience but if you are stumped - this would be my first observation.
 
good luck.

i have heard this as well, but when the mulch begins to deteriorate it puts all the nutes it stole back into the ground. but it can take a year os so for it to deteriorate  

 

[outlaw]

which plant is bhut and which one is the scotch?   my caribbean red habanero's look like the one in the last picture

Sorry for not clarifying - the SB is the one on the left with the non-wrinkled/curled leaves.

is that cedar mulch you are using?
 
i have read that cedar mulch can rob plants of nitrogen and other nutrients and can drastically lower ph levels of the underlying soil especially in heavy rains.
you may want to clear the area directly under the plant of the mulch to see if that improves your situation.
 
my comment is only based on what i have read and i have no first hand experience but if you are stumped - this would be my first observation.
 
good luck.

It is actually medium sized pine bark mulch that has been sitting in a pile in my yard since last summer when we re-did the landscaping. I took the pictures in between showers, so the bark was wet and that is why it looks like cedar. I went back and forth on using it, since I heard the same thing about nitrogen being robbed by non-composted mulch. The mulch I used, however, has been sitting outside for a few years. I'm not sure if it is having a negative effect or not since the SB and Jalapeno planted in the same bed are growing "normal" leaves?

Thanks for the input I appreciate it

 

[outlaw]

I'm leaning to the possibility of the bhut being over watered at this point, due to the amount of rain we've been getting. If anyone else has any ideas I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks for your time and help,

Trev