Pepper Plants Dropping Leaves And New Growth Leaves Are Small And Spindly

Question

I have several pepper plants that were healthy and producing. Nice green leaves and my Sadabahar was producing really well. I also have Fatalii, Carolina Reaper, Jolokia. Recently the leaves have started turning yellow and dropping. Production has stopped on all the plants. New growth is small spindly leaves. Attached are photos. What could be the issue? All the plants are looking this way. Regards,

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Answer 1

This appears to be a bacterial infection from standing water. This can happen when water pools in the bottom of the container or saucer, or if the soil does not have adequate time to dry out between waterings.

From here, it will be quicker to start over with fresh soil, but you can attempt to correct the issue. Generally, it will take longer for correction than it will for a small plant to grow back to a comparable size.

Treat with a fungicide, first. This article will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm

It is good to keep an eye on pH, nutrient content, and moisture throughout the growing process. This is especially important in container. Here are some articles to help with this:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm

This article will help you with general care of peppers in container:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/growing-peppers-container.htm