What's wrong with my yummy bell?

aflatea · April 2, 2014

This is my first year container gardening. I have a Yummy Bell (mini orange bell) in a 5 gallon pot with a mix of 80% Jungle Growth Flower and Vegetable Mix and 20% organic manure compost. I also have 2 inches of marble sized gravel in the bottom for drainage. It is in full sun (sunrise until about 3pm when the sun moves) in Florida in Zone 9a (the west coast of florida about halfway between Tampa bay and the panhandle). When I water, I make sure it's soaked enough that water runs out. I only water when it feels dry up to my first knuckle. I pinched off the entire first crop of buds

I read somewhere to do that so it grows bigger first. I also treat it every 3 days with a ready-mixed organic insecticide and haven't found any insects early in the morning at all.

The plant had dark purple in the crotch of the branches and now the purple is creeping up the stems. The leaves are also greenish/yellowish and curling upwards. I've been dragging all my containers up against the house under the porch for a windbreak/so they don't get overwatered.

I attached a picture. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

yummybell.jpg

Sun City Linda · April 2, 2014

I've seen that same dark coloring on the stems before and chalked it off as some type of normal or perhaps environmental reaction. Hopefully, somebody will have an answer!

Doug9345 · April 2, 2014

What's the temperatures there? The plant may just tend to have some purple in it or the plant may be stressed. Over all it doesn't look bad to me. I just checked your weather forecast. Lows in the 50s aren't going to make peppers happy.

drew51 · April 2, 2014

Cold temps (below 60 degrees) or too much water. As Doug said, it is a sign of stress.
If temps, bring it in at night till temps reach 60 at night.

April 2, 2014	#1
aflatea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Homosassa, Florida Posts: 12	What's wrong with my yummy bell? This is my first year container gardening. I have a Yummy Bell (mini orange bell) in a 5 gallon pot with a mix of 80% Jungle Growth Flower and Vegetable Mix and 20% organic manure compost. I also have 2 inches of marble sized gravel in the bottom for drainage. It is in full sun (sunrise until about 3pm when the sun moves) in Florida in Zone 9a (the west coast of florida about halfway between Tampa bay and the panhandle). When I water, I make sure it's soaked enough that water runs out. I only water when it feels dry up to my first knuckle. I pinched off the entire first crop of buds I read somewhere to do that so it grows bigger first. I also treat it every 3 days with a ready-mixed organic insecticide and haven't found any insects early in the morning at all. The plant had dark purple in the crotch of the branches and now the purple is creeping up the stems. The leaves are also greenish/yellowish and curling upwards. I've been dragging all my containers up against the house under the porch for a windbreak/so they don't get overwatered. I attached a picture. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? yummybell.jpg

April 2, 2014	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I've seen that same dark coloring on the stems before and chalked it off as some type of normal or perhaps environmental reaction. Hopefully, somebody will have an answer!

April 2, 2014	#3
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	What's the temperatures there? The plant may just tend to have some purple in it or the plant may be stressed. Over all it doesn't look bad to me. I just checked your weather forecast. Lows in the 50s aren't going to make peppers happy.

April 2, 2014	#4
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Cold temps (below 60 degrees) or too much water. As Doug said, it is a sign of stress. If temps, bring it in at night till temps reach 60 at night.