• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

water To what extent will under-watered plants recover?

HwyBill

HwyBill

Banned
I went away for 5 days to visit my family. Despite my best efforts to water everything nicely before I left, several of my plants dried out and suffered some pretty significant damage as a result of being too dry.

I don't think any of them will be lost, but to what extent:

Will wilted leaves recover?

Will dried out leaves recover?

Will overall plant growth be stunted as a result of becoming dessicated?
 
So the dry leaves that have fallen will be replaced with new leaves?

Any chance this will make for a stronger or better plant? :)
 
As long as the plants continue to grow they will make new leaves…not to worry. Do you plan on abusing your plants like this in the future? It's so heart breaking for the little fellas to suffer so!!

Most of us value our pepper plants as family members.
 
Not so fast SuperHot! I actually resent that!

I spend most of my free time (not to mention my money) at home when I am not sleeping taking care of them. Sowing them, planting them, transplanting them, watering them, watching over them... anything I can do to take care of them without loving them to death.

I just needed to go visit my family for a few days, and despite my best efforts to provide them with sufficient resources to flourish while I was gone.. some of them... not so much.

And yes... I do plan on doing it again. In about three weeks I have to leave the country for a week on a medical mission. Perhaps I am going to have to hire someone to stop by while I am away and look after them.

If I didn't care about them, would the first thing I did once I rushed home be to immediately start tending to them and jump on here begging and pleading for help and advice?

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
 
Setup a home made type of earthbox container. I started using those because they are very low maintenance and I found my plants actually do better than regular pots. The best size so far is the a 30 gallon container for 2 plants. The key is it's self wicking so just add 5 gallons of water every week or so and the plants are happy.
 
I'm just picking on ya.
I would definitely bring in reinforcements if you plan on enjoying lots of fresh pods in the fall. I am very fortunate to have the family support in our operation. It really makes all the difference!!
 
Yea I have had that happen to me before and for the most part they come back, got to be careful though someone might call PPS on you (Plant Protective Services) haha!! but since you got 3 weeks maybe we can figure out some way of watering them when you are gone.I would like to figure out something myself. Perhaps there is a way to take some of those drip tubes you use in hydro and some 1/4 inch aquarium tubing and figure out how to get all that aggregated with a manifold and attached to the output of a small water feature/pond pump that you set down in a five gallon bucket and then plug the pump into a programable timer? Just thinking...
 
90% of the plants that suffered were ones that are in the window sill. Most of the ones in the light boxes were fine, and I've heard being in the window sill depletes them of water much faster than being in the light box.

Before I leave for Haiti, I'm hoping the Chicago weather will cooperate and I can move them outside by then. When I move them outside I will pot them up into their final, much larger containers (right now they are just in 18 oz. party cups).

I'm hoping the much larger containers and soil volume will also help to protect against such rapid depletion of their water supply.
 
I was quite confused until I saw the 18oz cup thing. In a proper pot I have no idea why five days would be a problem. Chicago can't be that hot.
 
Here is a picture of the batch that was generally affected:

pRcYb.jpg


Here are some specifically damaged plants (upper right and lower left):

JDBaU.jpg


And perhaps of most concerned.. it seems like some of my slightly bigger, slightly healthier plants started expressing what looks to me like primordial buds. I'm guessing this was their stressed "Oh shit! We are dying!" reaction... do something now before it is too late sort of reaction:

g8Pd5.jpg


Prognosis?

What should I do about these?
 
Don't worry and keep moving on. They will survive and thrive. Next time when you water them before you leave, put them in a small amount of standing water. That way they can get extra water for another day or two.
 
millworkman said:
Don't worry and keep moving on. They will survive and thrive. Next time when you water them before you leave, put them in a small amount of standing water. That way they can get extra water for another day or two.
Click to expand...

Very sound advice. Thank you.

Do you agree with nipping the little stress buds off?
 
Pepper plants produce flowers at every node. Sometimes they get aborted very early on but often they produce pods. Your plant didn't freak out and start producing flowers it just was ready. If you are planning on putting these in the ground later then I would pinch the buds off. If you are just trying for pods inside on your window sill then let them be. They most likely will not take anyway.
 
millworkman said:
Pepper plants produce flowers at every node. Sometimes they get aborted very early on but often they produce pods. Your plant didn't freak out and start producing flowers it just was ready. If you are planning on putting these in the ground later then I would pinch the buds off. If you are just trying for pods inside on your window sill then let them be. They most likely will not take anyway.
Click to expand...


I'm in the inner-city.. they won't go in the ground.

Currently: In the window sill in 18oz. party cups

As soon as the weather allows, will go outside in 3-5 gallon buckets.
 
What would you do with this gangly, ackward youngster?

rGHh0.jpg


It lost a few levels of lower leaves due to the dehydration, but was apparently strong enough it didn't start producing stress buds.

Allow the sprouts in the lower level nodes to produce leaves, or just re-plant and bury it up to the lowest level of existing leaves?

In case the picture doesn't give the perspective justice.. it's got some real nice new growth up top, but is about 12" tall, and the lower 6" of stem is barren (about 2 or 3 nodes of lower leaves fell off)
 
That one is ready for a bigger pot now. They will grow bigger in the larger pots for sure. I pinch the buds off until they get at least 3+ ft tall. Keep in mind that most of mine grow to 4-5 ft tall anyways, but I have the yard to do it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top