Whats wrong with my peppers?

11 years ago

This is my first time growing peppers. My pepper plants are under two T-12 lights. The soil is 1/4 sand 1/4 seed starting mix and 2/4 potting soil. I water every 4-5 days. I spray the leaves with water mixed with Epson salt (one tsp to every 36 oz spray bottle). I fertilize every 2 weeks with Osmocote "Flower and Vegetable" 14-14-14. The first time I fertilized my plants I used the Osmocote and a miracle grow blue water mix, I think I over fertilized because the leaves started to become deformed (but the leaves didnt curl) and the became stunted and stopped growing for about a week, after that I stopped fertilizing for 3 weeks to let them bounce back.

I think there is a Calcium deficiency because some of the plant leaves are starting to curl and become bumpy. I think that there might be a nitrogen deficiency because the leaves are also turning yellow. The newest growth is looking a little burnt like a blackish color. I don't know if the plants are like this because Calcium, Nitrogen, fungus gnats, fertilizer, a virus, or maybe the soap spray I made for fungus gnats?

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Comments (5)

maple_grove_gw
11 years ago
It does look like there's a nutrient deficiency of some sort, could be related to any of a number of things.. You may have hit them too hard with the Osmacote/MG, but I don't think that's the problem. In future, use a low dose of fertilizer for seedlings, like 1/4 the recommended strength or so but more routinely (Iike at every watering). Make sure the soil doesn't remain wet all the time. Also, do you know what your water pH is?
joshdean46 thanked maple_grove_gw
theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
11 years ago
My initial thought was that you're watering too often. Could be the cause of the bumpy leaves (edema), the leaf curl, as well as the pale coloring.

Rodney
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joshdean46
Original Author
11 years ago
If its not over watering, then could the leaves look this way because of to much Epson salt?
joshdean46
Original Author
11 years ago
My water pH is 7
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
11 years ago
PH of 7 is a bit on the high side, IMO. Most garden veggies thrive best at slightly acid soil, 6.8 being near ideal. But peppers like tomatoes can do fine with pH range of 5.8 to 7..2(slightly alkaline) . I have read some suggestion that peppers can benefit from a little Sulfur. Sulfur lowers pH.

Yellow leaves on seedlings is often due to too much water, which dilutes Nitrogen. and maybe also Mag. JMO

Seysonn
joshdean46 thanked Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7