there used to be a very active pepper forum ...

you set them out how??? ... were they hardened off to full blistering sun??

were they also just potted up??.. if so.. that is two significant shocks

ken

They weren't hardened off; set them out in the sunlight's beaming reach from the protected shelter of my house. They were recently potted into bigger pots from small pots. There is also a big greenfly/aphid invasion and they keep coming back after killing them.

Is this a fungus?

Thanks.

Environmental damage from sun and/or excessive drying -- low humidity; windy; and/or low moisture at roots.. The problem is that they weren't hardened off.

it never fails to amaze me.. how the bugs find the severely stressed plants ...

look to the growth points.. if it can survive for another week or two ... the new leaves should be acclimated to the situation ... and perhaps you can go from there ...

ken

I'll see how they'll get on over the next week.

Thank you both.