what is wrong with this pepper ?

4season · August 22, 2016

These are yellow hots but this happens on other hot and bell peppers planted in the same soil and side by side. Sometimes the leaves look like they have iron chlorosis.

4season · August 22, 2016

I should have said the peppers on affected plants are smaller and shorter than they should be.

MarianneW · August 22, 2016

To me they just look hungry. Iron chlorosis looks whiter. Give some chelate if you want, it won't make it worse (provided you follow the bottle instructions). I suggest a shot of nitrogen fertilizer too.

chlorophile · August 23, 2016

I agree with Marianne; that plant is just hungry and needs a boost.

4season · August 23, 2016

OK, I will go out in the rain (light sprinkle we can use) and side dress a few and put soluble stuff on others. I have seen results from "if some is good more is better" so I am over cautious. Thanks

dmforcier · August 23, 2016

At this point, with a relatively long season, you might want to consider snipping those branchlets and observing the new growth.

Hellmanns · August 23, 2016

Any dark colored girdling of the stem at the soil line?

4season · August 27, 2016

No dark colored girdling at the soil line. Had the idea that these plants were where there was a root knot nematode problem a few years back. Dug up one stunted plant, Roots look fine except there were not as many as I expected. OK it an hour later and with the magnifying glass I looked at the roots, no nematode galls noted but the ends of the fine roots looked dead and shrunken. Like going abruptly from a pencil line to fine thread. I will dig another to look at later.

dmforcier · August 27, 2016

I've been having similar problems, and I'm in pots. Luxury potting mix. Plant doesn't do well, or does well then sort of fades away. Root autopsy shows nothing like RKN. Generally white roots, but there just aren't many of them. At this point I'm at a loss, so I remain interested in what you discover.

4season · August 31, 2016

I am still looking for the cause. I showed the comparison picture to a person at the nursery and was told genetics or fertilizer needed, I don't think he was correct. The rootlet in the center shows how some rootlets neck down suddenly. Lousy picture but as close as I could get.

Hellmanns · August 31, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4season

I am still looking for the cause. I showed the comparison picture to a person at the nursery and was told genetics or fertilizer needed, I don't think he was correct. The rootlet in the center shows how some rootlets neck down suddenly. Lousy picture but as close as I could get.

I would very highly suspect pythium. The plant looked classic for it, even without the girdling at the soil line.

4season · September 2, 2016

At one of the New Mexico Organic Conferences I went to they mentioned isothiocyanites for fumigating soils. http://journal.ashspublications.org/...24/5/462.short That link is to a short note on a study about using Brassica species for fumigation(pythium control) because of their iso.... content. Looking at the pepper patches, hot and bell, the affected peppers have an irregular distribution which is consistent with an infectious agent of some sort. I should remember this stuff when I am in the garden.

August 23, 2016	#6
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	At this point, with a relatively long season, you might want to consider snipping those branchlets and observing the new growth. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

August 27, 2016	#8
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	No dark colored girdling at the soil line. Had the idea that these plants were where there was a root knot nematode problem a few years back. Dug up one stunted plant, Roots look fine except there were not as many as I expected. OK it an hour later and with the magnifying glass I looked at the roots, no nematode galls noted but the ends of the fine roots looked dead and shrunken. Like going abruptly from a pencil line to fine thread. I will dig another to look at later. Last edited by 4season; August 27, 2016 at 01:58 PM. Reason: add info

August 27, 2016	#9
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	I've been having similar problems, and I'm in pots. Luxury potting mix. Plant doesn't do well, or does well then sort of fades away. Root autopsy shows nothing like RKN. Generally white roots, but there just aren't many of them. At this point I'm at a loss, so I remain interested in what you discover. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

August 22, 2016	#2
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	I should have said the peppers on affected plants are smaller and shorter than they should be.

August 22, 2016	#3
MarianneW Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Arizona Posts: 153	To me they just look hungry. Iron chlorosis looks whiter. Give some chelate if you want, it won't make it worse (provided you follow the bottle instructions). I suggest a shot of nitrogen fertilizer too.

August 23, 2016	#4
chlorophile Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: westbrook ct Posts: 28	I agree with Marianne; that plant is just hungry and needs a boost.

August 23, 2016	#7
Hellmanns Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,116	Any dark colored girdling of the stem at the soil line?

September 2, 2016	#12
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	At one of the New Mexico Organic Conferences I went to they mentioned isothiocyanites for fumigating soils. http://journal.ashspublications.org/...24/5/462.short That link is to a short note on a study about using Brassica species for fumigation(pythium control) because of their iso.... content. Looking at the pepper patches, hot and bell, the affected peppers have an irregular distribution which is consistent with an infectious agent of some sort. I should remember this stuff when I am in the garden.