help! pepper leaves tuning purple

shoofly22 · March 5, 2009

does anyone know what causes this i started the seeds about a month ago and haven't used fertilizer yet , do you think i need to fertilize the plants are about 4" tall ? or maybe transplant them they are still in the seed starting cubes .
jim

newatthiskat · March 6, 2009

Have you put themout in the sun yet? Mine have gotten darker out in the sun. Also look to check and make sure that your pepper leaves are supposed to be purple or green. It is possible that it could be a cross if they are supposed to be green..

Kat

shoofly22 · March 6, 2009

no, they haven't been out in the sun yet . the first true sets of leaves turned purple and are slightly curled , the newer leaves look ok , i transplanted all of them into 4" pots last night . do you think that t-5 lights could be burning them , because they do look like they were exposed to too much sun ?
jim

newatthiskat · March 6, 2009

What kind of pepper plants are they? Any way you can upload a picture of them?

Kat

shoofly22 · March 6, 2009

they are sweet bell peppers, i'll see if my son can post a picture after work .
jim

WVTomatoMan · March 9, 2009

Leaves turning purple is generally due to stress. Nutrient deficiency can cause purpling leaves and it is a stress, but I don't think that's the cause. So, at this point I don't think you need to fertilize. You can if you want to, but I don't think it will have much affect on this issue. Most of the time cool temperatures is the problem. If it isn't cool then look for other stresses. A picture would help to determine if they needed to be transplanted.

I suspect they'll grow out of it and be just fine so not to worry.

Good luck.

Randy

shoofly22 · March 9, 2009

i transplanted them from the seed starting cubes 1.5x 1.5" to 4x4" , i also brought one in to a garden supply store and they told me it could be that it's a chocolate pepper the stems are purple too, they were pretty root bound when i transplanted them . my camera doesn't work or i would have posted a picture .
jim

newatthiskat · March 9, 2009

http://www.bcfarm.com/chocolate-beauty-p-117.html
I was looking for pis of plants of this pepper and with a quick glance this is what I found. The leaves on it are green. Not sure if it is the same one that you have?
Kat

shoofly22 · March 10, 2009

kat , peppers i got were from bakers creek they are sweet chocolate , i never thought of googling them , thanks
jim

WVTomatoMan · March 10, 2009

If the plants are supposed to have purple leaves it should have been in the description. You got your seeds from Baker Creek and I doubt that Gere would have left that out.

BTW, purple in the stems or purple in green fruit is a different issue.

I suspect the leaves are supposed to be green. I further suspect that the plant or plants will grow out of it. Could you report back with an update in a few weeks? Thanks, and good luck.

Randy

svalli · March 12, 2009

Years ago I ordered a lot of pepper seeds form Baker Creek and many of the varieties grew totally different peppers what I had ordered. There were even some which supposed to be sweet peppers, but half of the plants from same package were hot cherry peppers. Because I eat hot peppers it did not bother me too much and those cherries ended up being so good that I saved seeds from them. One which should have been ornamental purple leaved pepper grew mostly green leaves and strawberry looking hot peppers. The plant was more prolific and bigger than the true looking purple leaved ones, so I again saved seeds. Next year I grew three plants from the saved seeds and got three different looking plants. One of them grew green leaves with a hint of purple and bell pepper shape hot peppers. I saved seeds from that to, but have not yet grown it again.

With this story I try to point out that, it can very well be that there is nothing wrong with the purple leaved plant. There can be a mix up in seeds or it could be that you have got crossed seeds.

Sari

PS. Wisconsin is great place to grow peppers and tomatoes!

shoofly22 · March 14, 2009

i thought i would update , the leaves on the peppers uncurled and the purple is starting to fade , i don't know if it was the transplanting them that gave the roots more room or if it was the fertilizer that the nursery gave me it had a real high middle number of 59. or a combination of the two , i think they will make it now , they are looking a lot better

March 5, 2009	#1
shoofly22 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: wisconsin Posts: 14	help! pepper leaves tuning purple does anyone know what causes this i started the seeds about a month ago and haven't used fertilizer yet , do you think i need to fertilize the plants are about 4" tall ? or maybe transplant them they are still in the seed starting cubes . jim

March 6, 2009	#2
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply Have you put themout in the sun yet? Mine have gotten darker out in the sun. Also look to check and make sure that your pepper leaves are supposed to be purple or green. It is possible that it could be a cross if they are supposed to be green.. Kat

March 6, 2009	#4
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply What kind of pepper plants are they? Any way you can upload a picture of them? Kat

March 9, 2009	#8
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply http://www.bcfarm.com/chocolate-beauty-p-117.html I was looking for pis of plants of this pepper and with a quick glance this is what I found. The leaves on it are green. Not sure if it is the same one that you have? Kat

March 12, 2009	#11
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	Years ago I ordered a lot of pepper seeds form Baker Creek and many of the varieties grew totally different peppers what I had ordered. There were even some which supposed to be sweet peppers, but half of the plants from same package were hot cherry peppers. Because I eat hot peppers it did not bother me too much and those cherries ended up being so good that I saved seeds from them. One which should have been ornamental purple leaved pepper grew mostly green leaves and strawberry looking hot peppers. The plant was more prolific and bigger than the true looking purple leaved ones, so I again saved seeds. Next year I grew three plants from the saved seeds and got three different looking plants. One of them grew green leaves with a hint of purple and bell pepper shape hot peppers. I saved seeds from that to, but have not yet grown it again. With this story I try to point out that, it can very well be that there is nothing wrong with the purple leaved plant. There can be a mix up in seeds or it could be that you have got crossed seeds. Sari PS. Wisconsin is great place to grow peppers and tomatoes! __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

March 9, 2009	#6
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	Leaves turning purple is generally due to stress. Nutrient deficiency can cause purpling leaves and it is a stress, but I don't think that's the cause. So, at this point I don't think you need to fertilize. You can if you want to, but I don't think it will have much affect on this issue. Most of the time cool temperatures is the problem. If it isn't cool then look for other stresses. A picture would help to determine if they needed to be transplanted. I suspect they'll grow out of it and be just fine so not to worry. Good luck. Randy

March 10, 2009	#9
shoofly22 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: wisconsin Posts: 14	kat , peppers i got were from bakers creek they are sweet chocolate , i never thought of googling them , thanks jim

March 14, 2009	#12
shoofly22 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: wisconsin Posts: 14	i thought i would update , the leaves on the peppers uncurled and the purple is starting to fade , i don't know if it was the transplanting them that gave the roots more room or if it was the fertilizer that the nursery gave me it had a real high middle number of 59. or a combination of the two , i think they will make it now , they are looking a lot better