It's interesting. I am having somewhat of the same problem. I got some Hot Thai seeds last year. I planted 5 of them. They were all thriving in the Miracle Grow and were very green and happy. I had some seeds left over that I planted this year. They germinated just fine and seemingly were totally ok. However, 3 or 4 of them have turned yellowish just like your plant. I got 6 different peppers and none of the other ones has turned yellow. I have lost a couple of leaves too. I just transplanted them from Styrofoam cups into 8 inch pots instead. It's easier to control the water that way. I don't have any clue to what it could be. Maybe the seeds have just become old and stored in sub-optimal conditions (I would think dark cupboard in kitchen, no moisture would be good, but...).

Now, I do remeber one thing from this particular type last year. They shed all the leaves that did not get full light and concentrated on the others. Maybe the ones this year have had a year to think about it and remembered to take the Chloroform out before dropping the leaves :)

Anyway, sorry to not being able to fill in any blanks.

Wow im suprised there has not been more replies.....

Bump :)

To me it really looks like one of three problems. I don't know how much help I will be though as far as fixing problems...:)

1.overwatering----I know you are very careful and even though the tops of the soil are drying out, there could still be considerable moisture in the bottom half of the pot. I would stop watering let the plants dry out to the point where the plant is slightly drooping from lack of water then rewater. I wait to water peppers till they are starting to droop from the lack of water. They will spring back very quickly once watered. Or, you could, gently tip one over one cup that you think is dried out and see if the soil in the bottom of the pot is still wet, if so then you know that you need to wait even longer to water.

2.lights---but I have the same setup you do and don't have that problem. the overall chlorosis/yellowing in those leaves reminds me heavily of over watering or over fertilizing .

3.fertilizer---you said you used a potting mix with a "fertilizer". Is that fertilizer temperature or moisture released? Is it possible that they are getting too much fertilizer at this stage in their lives.

I will tell you the first year I used a timed release fertlizer on chili plants was a horrible year. Most are released based on moisture levels in soil and if your soil is more moist or it rains more or whatever, you get a much much faster rate of release of fertilizer. Enough that it can overdose your plants very quickly. I had small yellowed stunted plants the whole first year I used a long release fertilizer and it took quite a bit of research to determine that the moisture (lots of rain that year) in the soil was causing the fertilizer to dump to quickly and overdosing the plants.

hope some of this helps.
kendra

ncage,

I saw your post but did not have an answer so I didnÂt respond.

I think kendraÂs point 1 is the problem. I read a few other posts that alluded to over watering pepper seedling leading to yellowing leaves.

Look familiar?

{{gwi:1160230}}

This little one looked worse before I cut back on watering.

Best of luck,

Bill

Ditto Kendra.

pH might be the problem.

Thanks guys/gals for wonderful post. I still don't think its overwatering. I have even dug down into the soil with my finger when i watered and it was quite dry. I also tried to turn the plant upside down to see if any water came out and nope. Well its confirmed now: it affected both the new mexican peppers (joe parker) and cherry peppers. Everything up to this point (knock on wood) seems unaffected. I wouldn't think it would be ph because this is new potting soil. The only thing i think it could possibly be is the slow release fertilizer. I don't know if its because i used the generic "expert gardner" stuff at walmart or if any potting soil with the slow release stuff would do the same but thats the ONLY thing i think it could be. I have a ph meter that i could use to test the ph. Ive used this potting soil outside before when i got in plants from the chile woman, on herbs, and tomatoes and never had a problem but these young plants are probably a lot more delicate.

Ncage

Well ncage, it doesn't sound like water or ph? I'm sorry I don't have any other input. My peppers are under a 400W MH and I strongly suspect I overwatered a few. That explains my problem but not yours.

I'll be watching your thread to see how things turn out for you.

Best of luck,

Bill

Every time I use the stuff from wal-mart I have the same problem.
But I have seen the same problem when my peppers get too cold or wet feet.

Well everyone i am pretty sure the culprit was the potting soil. I really thought all potting soil was pretty much the same peat moss, perelite, and mild fertilizer but apparently not. Either they did not balance the ph like they should have or the fertilizer was burning the peppers. Unfortunatly i can not find ProMix around here. I have searched walmart, lowes, Menards, and a couple of local farm & home type places and non of them had it. Menards had schultz and so far so good. This is the brand i will probably stick with from now. Either that or miracle grow. My peppers are ready to go in the ground. I think the weather is warm enough around here that i do not have to worry. I usually wait for mothers day but i think i will be fine this year. If not i have backups anyways. The tomato plants are still quite small and i think i will wait until June 1 to put them out.

Ncage

Hey Ncage,

I've still got a few with yellow leaves. Wondering how you made out after you got yours outside. Did things clear up? I've got two weeks to go before I get mine out. Just wondering if there's any hope for my jaundice ones.

Bill

I put them in the garden last Sunday. They never really snapped out of it. They didn't die but the yellowing continued. I am pretty sure they will be ok though since i have them in the garden now. Like i said the only thing it could be is the weak fertilizer in the potting soil. Potting soil is ph balanced so ph should not be an issue. I am 100% sure it wasn't overwatering. In fact sometimes some of the plants would be drooping from lack of water before i watered the next time. When i put them in the garden i looked at the potting soil moisture content and it was very low. This kind of sucks because i will have the same exact issue next year unless the schultz potting soil i got worked better (it still has weak fertilizer though). I tried to find potting soil without fertilizer with no luck. I also tried to find ProMix which everyone around here says is so great with no luck. Really don't know what else to do.

Ncage

Hey ncage i had a similar issue and it looks like it was lack of nitrogen, when i added 10-10-10 they are now looking better, there is a thread about it....

Most likly a nutrient deficiency, on your next watering put a tblspoon of vinegar disolved into the water and feed them with some fertilizer... It's ok to give them higher nitrogen when they are seedlings, just back off the Nitrogen when the stem starts forking.

For the Yellowing, get some Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) at your local drug store (make sure it has no additaves like fragrance or colorant) and disolve 1 to 2 Table Spoons in 1 Gallon of water and Spray the Leaves, this is called folier feeding and most plants are better at absorbing nutrients through their leaves than through the roots.

In 48 Hours you should notice some changes.

If you have hard water then the vinegar will help lower the soil pH (Peppers love acidic soil) but DONT OVER DO IT!

Also, over time salts in the tap water build up in the bottom of the soil, so every once and a while water the plants so much that water leaches out the bottom.

try using orchid mix or a course organic potting soil next time. Peppers and peat don't get along and most of these retail potting mixes are largely peat. I think it just holds too much water. I use exclusively orchid mix and my peppers thrive...until I over care for them. I am guilty of that often.

Hi guys. I grow over 30 types of pepper from the world record holding big Jim to the hot Trinidad scorpion. 1st thing is they hate any time release fertilized soil but it seems to me it is a simple case of to much water. We have had the wetness June July for 120 years here in Britain so I planted half this years crop into perlite & pea shingle no soil at all the water runs strait through this way I can water every day & have no water sitting in the pots. This has worked very well for me with the plants in these pots are green & lush were as the ones in the normal soil pots are looking yellowish. Just remember to feed 1/4 strength tomato feed ones a week in the perlite pots when the fruit has set as this does not hold any nutrients