this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2024
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Poisoned Pepper Plants? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world to c/gardening@lemmy.world
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Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some input on my pepper plants. Last year all my vegetable plants were explosive in growth and produce. This year they've been a bit stressed by the early heat we've had (southern Ontario) but otherwise doing well. Everything from cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, garlic, and onions are doing well.

My pepper plants, on the other hand, look terrible.

Initially I thought they were just extremely stressed from the heat, but I noticed a few of them (not pictured) are doing fine. What clicked in my head today is that the ones that are doing ok I grew from seed, and the rest are from garden centres (a semi-private one and a commercial one).

From my zero-level knowledge and subsequent Googling the answer is:

  • Too much heat
  • Too much water
  • Too little water
  • Exposure to herbicide

It's the last one that really raised my eyebrows, and seems to fit based on photos.

Anyone have any insight on this? Thanks in advance.

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[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So...this is going to be lengthy, but it could be a few things from my experience with a large number of pepper plants this year, and dealing with higher than average heat.

  • Don't water them at night, only in the morning BEFORE the heat kicks up.
  • If they're getting constant sun from sun up to down, try shielding a few them from the afternoon sun to get a bit of rest
  • try diluting a few tablespoons of Epsom Salt in a few gallons of water, and water around a few plants. This will help rule out magnesium deficiency, and not harm the plants much at this concentration.
  • did you amend the soil before you planted these? This could just be an all around nutrient deficiency if last years were doing well, and this years aren't
  • for the ones that's are doing well, are they more shaded? In looser soil? Any other obvious differences you can tell?
[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So we have been watering the entire garden at night when we do so. And they are getting most of the sun throughout the day. We have some really tall trees on the east side of the garden that block the sun until about 10am-ish. But the rest of the day is full sun.

did you amend the soil before you planted these?

We tilled before planting anything and then my wife put stuff into the soil as we did the transplant. I don't know what exactly, but she's pretty knowledgeable in the mineral/fertilizer side of things.

for the ones that's are doing well, are they more shaded? In looser soil? Any other obvious differences you can tell?

Nope, they're even right next to each other. Aside from how they were started (my own seeds vs seedlings from a garden centre) everything about the environment is identical.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Try switching to watering in the morning, but for some of these plants it may be a bit late for some of the plants. Watering at night usually leaves plants open to root rot, which this could possibly be. I'd also try the Epsom Salt, but limit it to just a few plants.

[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thanks, I might give the Epson salt a try. How close is too close? I have about 2-3 feet between each row.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

That should be fine. You want it to seep towards the root ball spread, not soak the roots in the mixture. It will slowly seep into the soil over a few days if you're doing top down watering, and you should see some quick improvements if that was an issue.