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If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
Stunted New Leaf Growth
- Thread starter patrick
- Start date
See those wavy lines on the leaves in the second pic? It's some pest I think......not sure which one.
Pretty sure the wavy line is the main vein of the leaf collapsing as the leaf shrivels. The only bugs I've had any problem with is the little beetle that resembles a lady bug except it's more yellow with brown spots. They just eat holes in the leaves. I'm going to do some serious bug hunting right now though just in case. Thanks Chillilover.
Looks very similar to what I had going on last season. At the time I had spider mites but not sure if it was actually spider mite damage, or perhaps a virus/disease the little shits were carrying, or even just a coincidence that whatever it was, it just happened to appear at the same time....
Gas I remember that well, tried to find it earlier but no luck.
I decided to sacrifice a plant for the cause, cause I want to know what the heck is going on. Looks like root rot but it isn't real bad. Guess that's why the plant is still alive. I did the hydrogen peroxide thing just to see if it will make any difference. Too late in the growing year to get too crazy with trying to save it.
Here's the pics. This is the plant that is pictured above on the right.
I decided to sacrifice a plant for the cause, cause I want to know what the heck is going on. Looks like root rot but it isn't real bad. Guess that's why the plant is still alive. I did the hydrogen peroxide thing just to see if it will make any difference. Too late in the growing year to get too crazy with trying to save it.
Here's the pics. This is the plant that is pictured above on the right.
Whatever is causing these kinds of symptoms seems to be a mystery on here (I don't recall a definite answer ever coming up on what would be causing it). I remember FadeToBlack had the same sort of thing happening too not so long ago. One thing that stood out to me was that both what he and I had, it appeared to 'spread' and didn't affect certain varieties.... if that is of any help.
I've had similar problems with deformed growth last year. My problem was the soil itself. It 'went bad' for lack of a better term. It actually had a sour smell to it instead of the earthy dirt smell. I removed as much of the soil as possible, which included rinsing the roots, then replanted it in better soil. It took almost the entire season to re-establish itself and produce. Like you said, it's a bit late to really do much about them now, but it would be nice to find out what's causing your problem
millworkman
Extreme Member
How have you been feeding them pat? Any extended periods of heat?
I had the same thing happen to me this year in June about a month after I potted up. One or two plants started having the deformed and wrinkled leaves. Then it seems to start spreading like wildfire. I was desperate as more than half of my 50 plants had the problem. I could not find any pests and had been fertilizing lightly with seaweed and fish emulsion. Then AJ made a comment in an unrelated thread that from his experience bad drainage always seem to factor in on problems like these. I was only watering every 5 days so I thought there was no way that could be the problem since I had like 10 holes on the bottom of each of my pots. However after seeing all of AJ’s beautiful islands of green I heeded his words and decided it was worth a try. Got a 1” bit (the old holes were ¼” inch) and drilled the heck out of them and added some side drainage holes at the bottom too. I noticed as I was drilling that the soil was kind of slimy at the bottom but luckily it did not smell bad yet.
A week or two later the majority of the problem was gone. New growth was perfect and most of the leaves recovered. I guess some plants were more tolerate of the bad drainage so that is why it seemed to spread for me. Every day a new plant would succumb to the bad drainage. A few of my plants were not affected at all. They had the expensive MetroMix soil from the nursery or on a few of the MG and Scotts Soil pots I had added extra perlite to the bottom 1/3 of the plant on the recommendation of someone I can’t remember now that was successfully growing in Florida heat. They said they had to have great drainage so they could water every day (even twice a day) to keep the plants healthy in the heat. Hope this helps someone.
Beaglestorm
I had the same issue, but I suspected it was from herbicide exposure since the lawn crew had recently sprayed the grass near where I was keeping my young peppers. Once I planted out in the garden the new growth was fine.
I've been feeding them Chili Focus and Age Old Bloom, at half the rate of each. The Chili focus is real weak in the NPK department but has all the other good stuff. The age Old Bloom is 5-10-5. They're all fed on the same schedule.
I have a lawn service that does spot killing of weeds but we've talked and they're real good at not spraying anywhere near the peppers. Same guys been doing my yard for a few years now.
Thanks for all the comments guys, we'll get this figured out.
I have a lawn service that does spot killing of weeds but we've talked and they're real good at not spraying anywhere near the peppers. Same guys been doing my yard for a few years now.
Thanks for all the comments guys, we'll get this figured out.
I contacted a good friend who has his Master's and is currently working on his PhD in Botany and he's of the mind that it was caused by some type of pesticide spray. I don't know if he's right but in my case it is certainly possible.
By a process of elimination that's about the only thing left for me. Roots are fine, there are no bugs, at least in the numbers required to do this much damage or I would have at least seen one, and I've never let them go without water for more than a few hours. Temps are good, no extreme hot or cold. Plus I have the lawn service that does spot spray for weeds. That makes the pesticide spray a number one contender for this.
By a process of elimination that's about the only thing left for me. Roots are fine, there are no bugs, at least in the numbers required to do this much damage or I would have at least seen one, and I've never let them go without water for more than a few hours. Temps are good, no extreme hot or cold. Plus I have the lawn service that does spot spray for weeds. That makes the pesticide spray a number one contender for this.
AlabamaJack
Extreme Member
Gas I remember that well, tried to find it earlier but no luck.
I decided to sacrifice a plant for the cause, cause I want to know what the heck is going on. Looks like root rot but it isn't real bad. Guess that's why the plant is still alive. I did the hydrogen peroxide thing just to see if it will make any difference. Too late in the growing year to get too crazy with trying to save it.
Here's the pics. This is the plant that is pictured above on the right.
Patrick...did you take one of the darker roots between your finger and thumb and slightly pull away from the plant?....if the outer sheath slips down the root easily...that is root rot...not sure how you determined whether it was or wasn't...
not trying to hijack this thread but root rot attacks the plants by sections from what I have found...I can't tell from your first photos...have you got a shot of the whole plant?...here are are two pictures of two of my plants I am currently battling....
the way root rot works is...it is bacterial infection caused by a wet/hot/nutricious environment...that bacteria grows, penetrates the sheath of the root and multiplies like crazy being carried upward with the other nutrients of the plant...the phloem that carries water/nutrients to the plant isn't a single "tube", it is a netork of many "transport tubes"...as the bacteria multiplies, some of these "tubes" stop up and starve the stems of the plants they supply causeing them to wilt and die...I have had a lot of experience with root rot because I have to keep my plants alive during my horid summers...
I don't know whether this was helpful or not...
AWESOME post AJ. I've always wondered what root rot was and how you could tell. From patricks pictures of the roots I couldn't tell what was wrong. I just figured it was the noob in me.
I too have had this problem but luckily not this year.
Thanks for posting it patrick and excellent info from all!
I too have had this problem but luckily not this year.
Thanks for posting it patrick and excellent info from all!
Now that you mention herbicides and lawn care I had some pretty messed up new growth from Pyrethrin based insecticide. The can specifically mentioned that you should not spray the product on new growth and that you should only use a light dusting. When I used it for spider mites and aphids the new growth was "crinkly" and wilted. Growth after that was fine though.
I apologize for not staying with this thread guys. I'll do better.
I've been hitting the worse plants with an Epsom salt deluge the past week with some noticeable improvement. Not a back to normal look but the stunted leaves appear to be coming out of it. I hit the leaves on back to back days and on the third fed them via the roots.
AJ thanks for the great post. I'll go back and check the roots on that same plant. After I pulled it up I stuck it in another pot full of dirt to use as a test subject. It's one that has shown improvement with the magnesium feeding.
I have a Scotch Bonnet that was planted in Scott's Potting soil with moisture control and it hasn't had issue one this year. I also have five plants that are planted in Pro Mix BX only and they're not showing any signs of this. Leads me to believe that the problem lies within the soil or indeed is a drainage issue.
Thanks for all the help, advice, comments everyone. Like I said earlier this is the second year I've experienced this and I want to find the culprit.
I've been hitting the worse plants with an Epsom salt deluge the past week with some noticeable improvement. Not a back to normal look but the stunted leaves appear to be coming out of it. I hit the leaves on back to back days and on the third fed them via the roots.
AJ thanks for the great post. I'll go back and check the roots on that same plant. After I pulled it up I stuck it in another pot full of dirt to use as a test subject. It's one that has shown improvement with the magnesium feeding.
I have a Scotch Bonnet that was planted in Scott's Potting soil with moisture control and it hasn't had issue one this year. I also have five plants that are planted in Pro Mix BX only and they're not showing any signs of this. Leads me to believe that the problem lies within the soil or indeed is a drainage issue.
Thanks for all the help, advice, comments everyone. Like I said earlier this is the second year I've experienced this and I want to find the culprit.