I was having the same problem and someone on here suggested it was a nitrogen deficiency. I couldn't care less about being organic, so I bought some Nitro Phos "flower and vegetable" 12-24-12 for them. It says once every 6-8 weeks, but I find I have to use it about ever 5 weeks in the growing season or they start yellowing again. Other than Sevin, it's all I use.

Also, check the Ph of your soil. Ph out of range will prevent nutrient uptake.

You can test your soil to see, not only if the ph is right, but if the mix is right. Do a jar test and get back to us with the results:
http://www.rain.org/global-garden/soil-types-and-testing.htm

Do the leaves fall off easily when you touch them? How healthy is the plant otherwise? Is it producing any new growth? How tall are they? Where exactly do you live and what type of soil do you have?

Your soil may be holding too much water - be careful not too overwater, in fact depending on the rainfall there you may not need to water much at all. Take a lump of soil in your hand and squeeze it, it should not squeeze out like a sponge. Check a little deeper as well, to be sure your peppers don't have wet feet. Some of zone 7 has clay soil which needs to be amended, otherwise it acts like a bathtub, holding water. It may be that you need to raise the bed and add your own soil to it.

Another possibility is whitefly, which will cause yellow leaves, and leaf drop. Take a close look at the undersides of the leaves and you will see if you have mites or flies.

Also, peppers don't like to be fertilized much, so that is not likely to be your issue (though I may be wrong on that). Nitrogen will encourage leaf growth but too much will discourage fruit production.

If you can answer those questions it will help us to narrow it down for you.

Blessings,

Valerie, in Michigan

thanks all for the many replies. i'm growing my peppers in containers/ pots. hence my soil is an all purpose mix with mushroom compost and added perlite for drainage (i dare not add my peppers to my acidic clay soil). my container mix's ph test at 7.0. and yes i do have new leaves with unfortunately some leaf drop at the lightest touch. my plants are relatively young, most are 7- 12 inches (minus the pot). the sun wilt the leaves daily, hence i spend the better part of the day re-hydrating them. i've since added some lime and it seems to have help a little. but i seem to lack a nice consistent green. perhaps i am over watering or over fertilizing. i hear that a tomato fertilizer might help. haven't tried this as yet.

i'm curious. aside from the yellow leaves, why would the leaves fall at the slightest touch from what healthy plants i have left?

sandpebbles said:

"...some reacted to the addition of bone meal applied on top of soil..."
"...i'm also using less watering..."
"...and applied lime..."
"...the fish/ kelp fertilizer has temporary results..."
"...i spend the better part of the day re-hydrating them..."
"...i've since added some lime..."
"...perhaps i am over watering or over fertilizing..."
"...i hear that a tomato fertilizer might help..."

Good googa-mooga! The phrase "killing them with kindness" comes to mind LOL.

Growing peppers isn't all that hard or complicated. Here's a few suggestions:

- Quit watering so much. Let the soil dry almost completely between each watering. If the soil is drying out daily, your pots are too small. 3-gallon size is a good minimum. Personally, I use 7-gallon.

- Quit adding "stuff" to the soil. Check the mix you're using and see if there's any fertilizer in it. A lot of mixes come this way. If so, you're good to go for at least three months. If not, you can add a fertilizer, BUT NOT YET! You need to wait two-three weeks after planting in the pot. That gives the plant time to recover from transplant shock and the roots a chance to establish themselves. Then, add a tablespoon of a balanced fertilizer to each pot. I use Tomato-Tone. Repeat every 4 weeks.

- At 7 - 12 inches tall, your plants are on the young/small side. Even after hardening off (I assume you did that, right?), protecting from intense afternoon sun for the first few weeks might be advised. As they get taller, more direct sun can be tolerated. By the way, pepper plants will "wilt" when in direct hot sunlight, even if the soil is damp. This is normal. Once shade arrives, they will straighten back up.

So, there's a few thoughts/opinions/suggestions. Hope they help a little. And don't worry. Peppers are pretty tough plants. They want to grow for ya'.

Good luck.

Rick

lol...thanks rick for your suggestions. you may have guessed that i'm new to this. i very much appreciate the advise. i've achieved a less than 40% rate on germinating my pepper seeds so i resorted to purchasing plants. of which i lost my bhut jolokia (my prize). since then, i have to admit i've been all over the place. obsessive...lol, to be exact. just trying to stay ahead. i have noticed that if i get to busy, my plants seem do better (and the additional rain hasn't hurt). i am starting to see flowers and what looks like the begining of peppers. i pray that the peppers hold (they are relatively young plants). wish me luck. and you're right. i need to lay back a bit. thanks again.