Q.Carolina Reapers leaves colour don’t look right
I have a couple of Carolina Reapers I’m growing hydroponically but the big one’s leaves look I think the wrong colour.. Is this the correct colour? If not what do I need to do to rectify it? I’ve included the smaller one for reference as it looks the correct colour… Note the big one has chillies on it.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Three things that you will constantly run into with hydroponics and peppers...
Calcium deficiency, Magnesium deficiency, pH imbalances.
This looks to be Magnesium related, as they are turning color from the bottom up.
If it were turning colors from top down, you could assume either calcium, or nitrogen is lacking.
What I would do is check the pH every day. Make sure that your water level remains constant. If your water evaporates, then you will be left with salty water, since nutrients do not evaporate. This will throw off your pH.
Make sure that you are supplementing with extra calcium and magnesium. There are countless formulas for hydroponics.
And feed a balanced fertilizer by changing the water once or twice per month, and adding liquid feed. Once you see peppers forming, you will want to bump up your phosphorus and potassium.
Keep your pH as close to between 6 and 6.5 as possible, using appropriate products.
