Peppers Yellowing and Leaves Curling

[OaklandCityFarmer]

So I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the leaves on my peppers were starting to curl. Checked for obvious signs of pests or disease and couldn't find any.

I'm not exactly sure what's happening. Any suggestions?

I've though it might be a lack of magnesium? What does anyone else think?

Thanks in advanced.

Carlos

 

[papadekaitlyn]

I am new here an unfamiliar with your methods, but it sounds like over fertilization to me.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Welcome to The Easy Garden!

I doubt it is over fertilizing because we don't use chemical fertilizers and strictly use compost and like organic soil conditioners.

I guess I should test the soil and get some more results.

 

[papadekaitlyn]

Even compost can be too hot for the plants... (by hot I mean too much nitrogen mainly)

The only other things I have seen that curled my leaves was nematodes once, and another time I got some kind of bugs in the ground that fed on the roots of the plant and the leaves curled and it just seemed to die from the inside out.

After the third plant dies I just pulled the next one up when the leaves started curling and there were little bugs all on the roots and in the soil where I pulled the plant from.

I hope you will find out what is happening, I have suscribed to the thread as I always like to keep my ear out for diagnosing problems with my plants...

 

[patandchickens]

Probably a stupid question, but you've ruled out over/underwatering, have you?


Pat

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Even compost can be too hot for the plants... (by hot I mean too much nitrogen mainly)

The only other things I have seen that curled my leaves was nematodes once, and another time I got some kind of bugs in the ground that fed on the roots of the plant and the leaves curled and it just seemed to die from the inside out.

I'm going to check out about nematodes that may be a problem. We normally keep the garden planted with marigolds to prevent against them but who knows.

Probably a stupid question, but you've ruled out over/underwatering, have you?

I thought the same thing Pat, especially with our clay soils, so I checked the water levels, they were a little damp, and let them dry out before the next watering but that didn't seem to help. If it was over/underwatering how long would it take for them to green up again?

Confused

 

[mooman]

How long have they been in the ground? Mine always do that during that time before they settle in and actually start growing (actually doing it right now). I've read that it can be caused by "physiological stress" aka transplaning into alien soil and erratic outdoor temps as opposed to the controled environment they were grown in. Mine just snap out of it.

 

[papadekaitlyn]

That is a good point... Plants that haven't been hardened off properly would struggle upon transplantaition....

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

They were grown from seed in our greenhouse then hardened off and now transplanted. We did let them harden off for a little longer than expected actually because we were hitting some strange low temps and I didn't want to transplant then. They've been in the ground for about a month now.

erratic outdoor temps

This might be the problem since the week they were transplanted the temps were raising and lowering about 40 degrees difference each day.

 

[patandchickens]

was the ground warm enough that they were transplanted into?

(too lazy to go back and fix grammar )

Pat