health What's wrong with my chilis?

[nauti]

Just like last year I have a problem with yellowing leaves on my chilli plants. Then the leaves and flowers fell off. Last year I had two types of chillis with this problem. This year I have the same problem with yellowing leaves of both of the old ones and two new kinds. The two from last year is grown in soil, and the new ones for this year is grown in coco coir. All of them grown indoor.

Last year, I assumed that it was for large temperature differences and irregular irrigation. It can not be that problem this time. Those who are indoors are in a fairly constant temperature, the soil is watered when necessary and in coco coir I water three times a day. Nitrogen deficiency, could be excluded since the ones in soil are recently repotted in new fresh soil. Those in coco coir get three waterings a day with nutrient solution. They get the same water as other more nutrient demanding plants. Another reason is that it's mostly affects old growth but the new one is affected as well and of course the flowers.

For a while, I had alot of thrips, which I still have but I can keep them under control and I don't think the leaves would yellow and fall of due to thrips. If it were the thrips I think it would show more clearly. In addition, I have not seen any pests on the ones standing in the window. I also have spider mites(or something very similar), but I can't see any nets or damages made by them on some of the leaves falling off. On some leaves I can see damages done by pests, but some just fall off, for what to me seems to be for no reason at all. Can it be some type of fungus infection or some other disease that I don't know of?

Does anyone know or can figure out what the problem with my chillis are? I would be grateful for tips on what the problem might be and how to correct it. I've tried to get some help at a Swedish gardening forum, but no one seems to know what it can be. So I'll ask on this forum, where there's more knowledge about chili.

Yellow leave on my 'Hungarian yellow hot wax':

Yellow leave on my 'Corbaci' that has already fallen off:

Yellow leaves on my habanero. It fell off when I touched it afterwards:

 

[nauti]

Here's some other pictures:

 

[nauti]

 

[nauti]

 

[RichardK]

If it's only the older leaves at the bottom, as your pics show, thats not a problem and is quite normal.

Older leaves get yellow or pale, and fall off. If the new growth is yellow, or the growth in the middle between old and new, that would probably be Nitrogen or Magnesium.

If you are not already, give them some epsom salt, either a pinch sprinkled on the soil, or a Tablespoon in one gallon of distilled water, sprayed on the leaves (both sides) in the morning or at night, no sooner than every two weeks.

Make sure the Epsom Salt doesnt have a colorant or a fragrence, just pure magnesium sulfate.

What fertilizer are you using? If nothing, you should fertilizer them every two weeks or so if you want a decent harvest.

 

[nauti]

If it's only the older leaves at the bottom, as your pics show, thats not a problem and is quite normal.

Older leaves get yellow or pale, and fall off. If the new growth is yellow, or the growth in the middle between old and new, that would probably be Nitrogen or Magnesium.

If you are not already, give them some epsom salt, either a pinch sprinkled on the soil, or a Tablespoon in one gallon of distilled water, sprayed on the leaves (both sides) in the morning or at night, no sooner than every two weeks.

Make sure the Epsom Salt doesnt have a colorant or a fragrence, just pure magnesium sulfate.

What fertilizer are you using? If nothing, you should fertilizer them every two weeks or so if you want a decent harvest.

But now they've only got leaves in the top and they got a 600W HPS burning above them and the light reaches every leaf there is on the plant. So they shouldn't drop the bottom leaves like that I think. Also, as you can see in one of the last three pictures. It's not just limited to old leaves. The flowers and the new leaves fall of as well

As I said I very much doubt that it would be a deficiency since they've got everything they need in the coco specific nutrients I feed them with. So there should be no need to give them anything extra. If chili doesn't have a abnormal need for magnesium. Because I know it's not a nitrogen deficiency.

I use Hesi's coco specifik one-component nutrient together with supervit, pk 13/14 and powerzyme. They are fed with nutrient solution three times a day so there's no chance that there should be a deficiency

The two planted in soil should have no problems either since they've just been repotted. But I focus on the ones in coco coir since they're the biggest ones and with the kinds I'm going to eat. The ones in soil are just alive because I don't have the heart to kill them

 

[RichardK]

But now they've only got leaves in the top and they got a 600W HPS burning above them and the light reaches every leaf there is on the plant. So they shouldn't drop the bottom leaves like that I think. Also, as you can see in one of the last three pictures. It's not just limited to old leaves. The flowers and the new leaves fall of as well

As I said I very much doubt that it would be a deficiency since they've got everything they need in the coco specific nutrients I feed them with. So there should be no need to give them anything extra. If chili doesn't have a abnormal need for magnesium. Because I know it's not a nitrogen deficiency.

I use Hesi's coco specifik one-component nutrient together with supervit, pk 13/14 and powerzyme. They are fed with nutrient solution three times a day so there's no chance that there should be a deficiency

The two planted in soil should have no problems either since they've just been repotted. But I focus on the ones in coco coir since they're the biggest ones and with the kinds I'm going to eat. The ones in soil are just alive because I don't have the heart to kill them

If new leaves are falling, then give them Epsom Salt and some Nitrogen right away. Could be a pH problem as well, if the soil is too acidic, add some lime or crushed egg shells, if its too alkaline, water them with a small amount of Vinegar disolved in with it (1 Tbspoon-US Gallon).

 

[POTAWIE]

Are you testing your pH and ppms? Fertilizing 3 times a day sounds excessive, you shouldn't even have to water nearly that often with coir. Are they all on a drip system?
It looks like the leaves are wet too, are you spraying them when the lights are on?

 

[nauti]

If new leaves are falling, then give them Epsom Salt and some Nitrogen right away. Could be a pH problem as well, if the soil is too acidic, add some lime or crushed egg shells, if its too alkaline, water them with a small amount of Vinegar disolved in with it (1 Tbspoon-US Gallon).

They got both nitrogen and magnesium in the nutrient mix I give them. And it only happens to a few leaves.

The pH in the coco coir is 5.8, and besides that I always pH-correct the nutrient solution to about 5.8 which is fine.

And I'm not growing in soil so I can't just mix anything into the medium, since coco coir does not work at all like soil.

 

[Wildfire Chilli Australia]

Hi Nauti, I am Candices partner and have just read your querie.

Why do you water the plants 3 times a day?
Is your set-up run to waste as it should be with coco coir?
Are the feeds controlled, ie times and volume?
Do you correct the ph and ec levels in your nutrient tank?
Do you run an aerator in the nutrient tank?
Do you or have you checked ec.
Are you using the correct grow/bloom nutrients at the right times?
Is your coco pre-buffered?

Have you checked the roots of the plants? If they are brown it could be from Pythium,phytophthora or most likely oxygen starvation which is generally the most common cause.

These may seem silly questions but any one or all of these could be contributors to the problem. I would be more inclined to go with checking the root system first.

Hope this helps and please keep me informed. Good luck.

 

[nauti]

Are you testing your pH and ppms? Fertilizing 3 times a day sounds excessive, you shouldn't even have to water nearly that often with coir. Are they all on a drip system?
It looks like the leaves are wet too, are you spraying them when the lights are on?

2-3 times is recommended from what I've read. Yes, it's a drip irrigation-system.

Sometimes I spray the plants when the lights are on, could that be a serious problem?

 

[nauti]

Hi Nauti, I am Candices partner and have just read your querie.

Why do you water the plants 3 times a day?
Is your set-up run to waste as it should be with coco coir?
Are the feeds controlled, ie times and volume?
Do you correct the ph and ec levels in your nutrient tank?
Do you run an aerator in the nutrient tank?
Do you or have you checked ec.
Are you using the correct grow/bloom nutrients at the right times?
Is your coco pre-buffered?

Have you checked the roots of the plants? If they are brown it could be from Pythium,phytophthora or most likely oxygen starvation which is generally the most common cause.

These may seem silly questions but any one or all of these could be contributors to the problem.

Hope this helps and please keep me informed. Good luck.

I do not run run-to-waste since I think the nutrients are way to expensive And I've seen successful grows in recirculating systems, so I thought it'd be fine.

They are time controlled but not volume. Since that doesn't really matter in coco coir when the excess water just runs right through.

I correct pH to 5.8 but not the EC-level. That's not really needed since I follow the dosage recommendations on the bottle and change the water pretty often.

I do run an aerator in my nutrient tank when I'm using larger water volymes(when I'm going away for example). At the moment I'm not using any.

I'm using an one-component nutrient and yes, I follow the dosage recommendations.

The coco coir is pre-buffered to 5.8pH and the EC is

 

[POTAWIE]

I'd check your EC/PPM, you can't rely on recommended dosage when you don't know the EC/PPM of your source water, and the nutrient manufacturers most always recommend high doses. Also stop spraying plants when the lights are on as this can burn them

 

[nauti]

I'd check your EC/PPM, you can't rely on recommended dosage when you don't know the EC/PPM of your source water, and the nutrient manufacturers most always recommend high doses. Also stop spraying plants when the lights are on as this can burn them

The EC-value of the source water is 16.4mS/m and I know some manudacturers do.

I'll stop spraying them with water, but that can't possibly be the cause of my problems, can it?

 

[nauti]

Just checked the roots. There's nothing wrong with them. They're really white and healthy.

 

[Wildfire Chilli Australia]

If you are not recycling the water then it is run to waste. Coc coir is not recomended for recycling systems. If the nutrients are way too expensive then there is a good chance they are getting too much at feed times,hence suffocation of the root system.Make sure the pots drain readily after watering so as not to saturate the roots. Yes coco does have the best oxygen supply but not if it cannot drain freely.
Do you use tap water, R/O or rain water?
You need to have a salts/Ec meter to check your nutrient strength before the plants recieve it, this is very important and a worthwhile investment. The bottle is a guide and the type of water you are using will affect the EC.
Example 1;
Nutrient requirements for most other mediums are
Grow: 1.8
Grow/Bloom: 2.2
Bloom: 2.8

Example 2
In Coco Coir

Grow: 1.0(R/O) - 1.4 mains
Grow/Bloom: 1.8(R/O)- 2.0 mains
Bloom: 2.0(R/O) - 2.4 mains

You use less nutrient for reverse osmosis and rain water therefore saving you money on buying nutrients.
A guide for the water volume is 10% run off,ie 1 litre feed ='s 10ml waste. More than this you will start to saturate the medium and could drown the root system.

Heat is another possibilty. Good intake/exhaust is a must. Stale hot air can cause the problems you are experiencing. Have you got good ventilation and an oscillating fan in the room can help move the air around the plants.

 

[nauti]

If you are not recycling the water then it is run to waste. Coc coir is not recomended for recycling systems. If the nutrients are way too expensive then there is a good chance they are getting too much at feed times,hence suffocation of the root system.Make sure the pots drain readily after watering so as not to saturate the roots. Yes coco does have the best oxygen supply but not if it cannot drain freely.
Do you use tap water, R/O or rain water?
You need to have a salts/Ec meter to check your nutrient strength before the plants recieve it, this is very important and a worthwhile investment. The bottle is a guide and the type of water you are using will affect the EC.
Example 1;
Nutrient requirements for most other mediums are
Grow: 1.8
Grow/Bloom: 2.2
Bloom: 2.8

Example 2
In Coco Coir

Grow: 1.0(R/O) - 1.4 mains
Grow/Bloom: 1.8(R/O)- 2.0 mains
Bloom: 2.0(R/O) - 2.4 mains

You use less nutrient for reverse osmosis and rain water therefore saving you money on buying nutrients.
A guide for the water volume is 10% run off,ie 1 litre feed ='s 10ml waste. More than this you will start to saturate the medium and could drown the root system.

Heat is another possibilty. Good intake/exhaust is a must. Stale hot air can cause the problems you are experiencing. Have you got good ventilation and an oscillating fan in the room can help move the air around the plants.

I use a recirculating system if I didn't point that out.

I use tap water because we have really good water quality here. It's so good they basically pump it here right from the lake

I have no EC-meter and from what I've heard it's a good thing to have but not necessary if you just follow the dosage recommendations. But I guess it's another thing in a recirculating system though.

I have good ventilations and the temperature usually lies about 27 degrees. I also have a couple of computer fans too that circulates the air.

 

[Wildfire Chilli Australia]

Something else for you to read through

There are 9 possible reasons why
your plant's leaves are turning yellow

1. The "Good News" reason is that leaves naturally turn from green to yellow then brownish and dry and shriveled

All plants?

Yes



2. Sudden unexpected cold

If a plant is used to suitable conditions then cold comes in, leaf yellowing and leaf drop is common

What to do?

Usually nothing, except with potted plants. If you expect more cold, shelter your plant indoors in a warm, bright area where people are comfortable



3. Heat

Many plants comfortable in moderate temperature conditions can "complain" by dropping leaves with ongoing excess heat. The time from green to yellow to drop can be very fast

What to do?

Consider if a better location is possible for this plant. For example, rather than a full sun location, a spot with afternoon shade could be your permanent solution

3. Too wet

Too much water chokes roots and very often causes leaf yellowing

In the case of potted plants, you control the water



4. Too dry

If water is needed and not available, a plant can not "hold" all its leaves. In defense plants shed leaves. In this case the green to yellow to drop process can be very fast

What plants want is consistent water for best growth and daily happiness. Of course, that amount varies by the variety of plant





5. Your new plant suddenly is getting sick fast. Yellow leaves are developing rapidly and leaf drop is scary

This situation is very common. We call this "decline" and yellow leaves are the first symptom. We have a separate article on this subject

6. A change of location

Virtually 100% of the time, if you move a plant to a new location, you will see leaf yellowing. Unless the new location is more suitable than the old location, your plant needs to adjust/adapt to the new location so leaf yellowing is part of the process

For example, if you move a plant into more sun, the leaves may be stressed. The plant "knows" the current leaves can't withstand the increase in sun sun and so, in defense, grows new leaves that can handle the new exposure

Moving to a location with less light//sun/hours/intensity, the plant can no longer "hold" the same amount of leaves so starts to shed leaves trying to balance light and leaf quantity

7. Fertilizer, especially liquid chemical fertilizers

Folks tend to use fertilizers in excess. Too much fertilizer, especially liquid chemical fertilizers, create a toxic situation and rapid leaf yellowing (burn) is the result

Fertilization is a very important subject and so we have a separate article on fertilization

8. Disease

There is virtually no technology for plant diseases. Scientists study causes but the "cures" side of the equation is almost zero

Your best defense is promoting plant health especially with proper feeding

9. Damage

Improper maintenance, often via your lawn man, can cause plant damage, like when using a weed whacker. You may not see (because you don't look closely) where equipment may have hurt your plants. Be sure you know how to manage your lawn man for starters

Damaged plants may be able to heal themselves. You may be able to do some pruning to assist. The main point is to avoid the damage in the first place

 

[Wildfire Chilli Australia]

Sorry my bad on the recycling system. When recycling you must check the EC each day as the plant takes what it needs and returns to the tank any excess. The nutrient solution will be all over the place. This needs to be controlled. Do you dump the solution or just top it up. Other than this I don't have any other possibilities but please don't rely on what you are being told about ec and ph levels without checking them.Just following recomendations will not give the correct EC in any system. If all else fails go to your local hydroponics store.: )

 

[nauti]

Sorry my bad on the recycling system. When recycling you must check the EC each day as the plant takes what it needs and returns to the tank any excess. The nutrient solution will be all over the place. This needs to be controlled. Do you dump the solution or just top it up. Other than this I don't have any other possibilities but please don't rely on what you are being told about ec and ph levels without checking them.Just following recomendations will not give the correct EC in any system. If all else fails go to your local hydroponics store.: )

I'll consider buying an EC-meter, but at the moment that's out of question due to an empty wallet

I usually let half of the water I put into the tank get used up, then I empty it and water other plants with it and fill it up with water from my aquarium.

I live in Sweden there's about two stores in the whole country that sells hydroponic equipment :/ Guess there's not enough cannabis growers in Sweden to keep stores like that open

Thank you for all your help. I still don't know exactly what's wrong with my plants but I feel I've gotten a bit closer to the answer at least