Hot pepper plants looking sick

12 years ago

I decided to start my own hot pepper plants this year. I have about 20 plants of 5 different varieties and some are beginning to look sick. They are growing in 4" pots with a soil-less growing medium under two shop lights with cool and warm bulbs in each. I water a couple times a week and have fed twice with plant starter fertilizer and have some tomato fertilizer to give them soon. They are about a month and change old now and some are getting quite big. I've been noticing that some leaves are starting to curl at the edges and blister like damage is appearing between the veins. The blister turns to yellow after time and then to brown as seen in photo below. Can anyone tell me what is causing this? Does the plant need more nutrients? I need help! Thanks everyone

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
how do you apply the fert???

how far are the lights from the plant ...

how much fert you using ... full strength???

is the media all peat .. are you concerned about it being too acidic.. i dont know offhand if peppers like such ...

has it crossed your mind.. you are peaking a bit early on size ... as i am thinking z5 ontario ... which means they wont go outside until mid to late may.. or this winter.. maybe never.. lol

the hardest part of planting seed.. is timing it out.. in my experience ... if you do it again next year.. and never do give up ... start them a few weeks later ...

when is the last time.. they were repotted???

is there enough humidity in the house.. now that they have outgrown the edge of the pots.. which may have been creating a humidity microclimate????

ken
coley510
Original Author
12 years ago
Hey ken,
I use plant prod water soluble fertilizer mixed between 50 and 75% strength and applied over top out of a water bottle.

Lights are about 2 inches off the top of the plants

The medium is miracle grow seed starter (bags gone can't tell you specifics)

It had crossed my mind. I have 4 or 5 plants that are double the size of most others. Some of the varieties I've chosen say 10 - 12 weeks before last frost but in the future I'll probably stick closer to the 8 - 10. I was aiming for hardening off last two weeks of May weather permitting but given the winter we may still have snow.

They have not been repotted. I think I may of been over watering a little as well recently started withholding water waiting for them to start to wilt before I water again
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DMForcier
12 years ago
Sick?? I think they look great.

I'd back off a bit on the ferts and start thinking about re-potting. That plant is starting to feel cramped feet, I'd wager.

Dennis
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
when i did seeds indoors .. i used 1/4 strength... and i watered it into the soil ...

if .. in fact there is leaf damage... it might be from salt buildup ...

who knows..

i agree on some level.. based on this one pic.. you doth complain too much..

ken
coley510
Original Author
12 years ago
Not complaining I think the plants look great. I was just curious about the cause of the spots. If it was a sickness or something that I was doing. Better to know than not know