What is going ON with this pepper?

Coup

Coup

Hey guys!
 
I've got this Pakistani green chili pepper I've been trying to grow, and I am running into this bizarre issue.
 
The new growth is tiny, shriveled and dying. Old growth looks great, but I fear the plant isn't going to last in this condition. Here's some pictures:
 
jAhVYfs.jpg

 
4tuED1p.jpg

 
I've given it a dose of fertilizer and beneficial microbes, the same I used when the growth was lush and green. What do you guys think is going on?
 
WinnieTheComrade said:
Had the same problem in the past. I guess you got aphids under those young new growth. You could try cutting off some new growth and check it under a magnifying glass if aphids or not.
Click to expand...
 
You nailed it. I actually looked under my old growth, and sure enough saw an aphid crawling on the underside of the leaf. No doubt they are all over the plant. 
 
I went ahead and hosed it down with some anti-aphid insecticide. Hopefully that takes care of the problemo.
 
I hit em' with the miticide but it doesn't seem to be killing them, even with a strong concentration. What do you guys recommend?
 
I take them to the sink or shower and use a spray head on the plant to spray it thoroughly with neutral temp water from all angles (from above, below, the sides, down into the new growth, etc.), while being careful not to dump the dirt out, of course.  I will typically do it once, leave the plant for anywhere from a few minutes to hours (just whenever I get back to it) then inspect the plant and focus on any areas I missed and spray those bugs off.  Then I'll repeat the treatment a couple or few more times over the course of perhaps two weeks.  I've constantly had very good results with this method. This also has the benefit of removing many of the shucks and much of the sticky honeydew, but mostly I find it very effective.
 
Dr Bronners liquid Castile soap. I use .5 TBSP per 1 quart of water. Spray the hell out of the plant. Make sure you get the entire plant. I use unscented but many others use peppermint.

The fatty acids in the liquid Castile soap break down the exoskeleton of the aphids.

I literally use this anytime I have aphids.

I've used so much other stuff before I was turned on to Dr Bronners.
 
sirex said:
Dr Bronners liquid Castile soap. I use .5 TBSP per 1 quart of water. Spray the hell out of the plant. Make sure you get the entire plant. I use unscented but many others use peppermint.

The fatty acids in the liquid Castile soap break down the exoskeleton of the aphids.

I literally use this anytime I have aphids.

I've used so much other stuff before I was turned on to Dr Bronners.
Click to expand...
 
Well I'm glad that there a few of us that found this out! A couple of my notes on this......
 
As noted by Sirex above, it is the fatty acids in animal fat or vegetable oil that make up soap -not Dishwashing liquid
 
Dish_Liquid2.jpg

 
Dish_Liquid3.jpg

 
_
 
So after getting rid of the aphids, I still can't seem to get this thing to bounce back. Take a look at how she looks now after a month of being aphid free:
 
hDEAhlO.jpg

 
8KNRIZi.jpg

 
What is happening here?
 
The new growth looks alright, but I'm guessing the plant is still stressed and stunted. If you don't have really good lighting it may take a while to fully recover. Make sure you keep the soil moist but not wet and it should recover - but it may not be beautiful until next season  :rolleyes:
 
What treatment did you use to kill the aphids?  Some of the treatments can be hard on plant and cause necrosis and/or growth stall.
 
Myself, I would prune back the main stem to the node of the highest lateral that shows good strong healthy growth.  My thinking is that this allows the plant focus it's limited resources of energy, hormones, etc. on the healthier growth and on a smaller growth area, thus you'll typically see larger leaves, sooner.  It also it decreases the risk of an an adverse condition, such as pests or pathogens gaining access via unhealthy/damaged tissue.  I can't see the plant perfectly in the photo, but I would probably cut immediately below the first large lateral branch sticking out on the right side.
 
Other than that, yeah, good general lighting, water, etc. and don't be tempted to "help" it with compensatory fertilizer applications right away.  If you feel it needs fertilizer, keep whatever you do apply on the light side until it's showing good renewed vigor.
 
CaneDog said:
What treatment did you use to kill the aphids?  Some of the treatments can be hard on plant and cause necrosis and/or growth stall.
 
Myself, I would prune back the main stem to the node of the highest lateral that shows good strong healthy growth.  My thinking is that this allows the plant focus it's limited resources of energy, hormones, etc. on the healthier growth and on a smaller growth area, thus you'll typically see larger leaves, sooner.  It also it decreases the risk of an an adverse condition, such as pests or pathogens gaining access via unhealthy/damaged tissue.  I can't see the plant perfectly in the photo, but I would probably cut immediately below the first large lateral branch sticking out on the right side.
 
Other than that, yeah, good general lighting, water, etc. and don't be tempted to "help" it with compensatory fertilizer applications right away.  If you feel it needs fertilizer, keep whatever you do apply on the light side until it's showing good renewed vigor.
Click to expand...
 
I used the recommendation above for Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. I've checked the leaves and don't see anything left on them, so I know they're gone.
 
I went ahead and cut the stem down like you said. I'm hoping for this plant to turn into a long-lasting indoor plant, but at the rate things are going it almost feels like I should just start over. It's been lagging in growth for ages, but I'll see if it recovers quicker now that I've given it a buzz cut.
 
Concentrate on the new growth and how that looks.

When the insects suck the insides out of the leaves, those leaves are goners. Meaning they won't look the same again. So look at the new growth. Is that healthy? If yes, you're good to go.

I have the same problem when I get mites. The old growth looks absolutely atrocious. Even when Mite free.
 
Coup said:
I used the recommendation above for Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. I've checked the leaves and don't see anything left on them, so I know they're gone.
 
I went ahead and cut the stem down like you said. I'm hoping for this plant to turn into a long-lasting indoor plant, but at the rate things are going it almost feels like I should just start over. It's been lagging in growth for ages, but I'll see if it recovers quicker now that I've given it a buzz cut.
Click to expand...
 
Yep, the Bronner's shouldn't cause problems.  It's a pretty gentle treatment.  Glad to hear they're gone.  I don't see anything about that plant that doesn't suggest it can be a good performer with good treatment, but it's always a possibility, if unlikely, that something odd has happened.  Hope it gets growing quickly again.
 
EDIT:  Sirex slipped that post in while I was typing, but I want to say I totally agree.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top