Hot Peppers Dropping Leaves

[natural]

Hi all,

I have very little experience growing hot peppers.

Things started well with good early fruitset. Suddenly, many of the plants are dropping all of their leaves. Most of the leaves are still green when they drop.

The peppers are in 5 gal plastic bags or pots. The plants are in full sun all day with 90+ degree temps. I have tried to let the plants stay on the rather dry side. I probably give the plants a little water every other day (the bags do dry out a lot in this heat). Also, some but not all the plants dropping leafs have some leaf spots (septoria that blew over from the tomatoes).

Any ideas as to the cause? Thanks, Bill

[RayR]

Probably a little too dry. When they wilt like that at the bottom in the first picture they need water in my garden.
I'm not sure why you're getting all that leaf drop in the second photo, if they are getting spots first before the leaf drop, maybe you could post a closeup picture of a leaf with the spots. Spots and defoliation can be caused by fungal or bacterial pathogens, somebody may recognize the cause.

[natural]

thanks Ray. I think it may be a combination of stress from heat/dryness and the leaf spot issue on many of the plants. I plan top start micro feeding the plants again to aid in their re-growth. I may also shade them as I have read a few articles regarding productivity improvements when using shade cloth.

[hoefarmer]

My varieties (pequin,jalapeno, and gypsy) in the self watering buckets did this 2 weeks ago. I gave them a light prune and moved them into the shade. All are releafing out nicely. None of the plants in the garden exhibited this problem.

[efisakov]

Can you take closer picture of the leaf spots?

[Gerardo]

I've noticed a little shade really helps 'em get through the hot days.

Kelp meal is good chicKen soup for them too.

[natural]

thanks all. I plan to apply some shade and give them some ferts to help them leaf out again, that is if I ever get caught up with the tomatoes.
Bill

[b54red]

Originally Posted by natural

thanks all. I plan to apply some shade and give them some ferts to help them leaf out again, that is if I ever get caught up with the tomatoes.
Bill

If you have any Texas Tomato Food give the bags a thorough drench at the recommended rate about once a week and water in between if necessary. I treat my peppers just like my tomatoes and they have been producing an over abundance all summer. I used to only feed them once a month or so and didn't get much if anything off them during the hottest months of midsummer. Now I can't give them away fast enough. As long as peppers are in a bed or pot that drains well they can take much more water than you might think however if they are allowed to grow in constantly over wet soil they will do terrible.


Bill

[natural]

thanks Bill.

I have 1 half gallon of the Urban Farms Liquid Vegetable food and 2 gallons of the TTF left at this time.

I've started feeding them with Urban Farms Liquid Vegetable once a week. I plan to do this until my last half gallon jug is empty. By then, I should have a new set of foliage and will switch to the TTF for the remainder of the season.

Also, I have my helper pulling up dead tomato plants (in bags) that were under shade cloth. I will then move all of my bagged peppers ( around 100 or so) to occupy the empty tomato bag garden under shade. I think moving the pepper bags to the shade will also help.

Bill

[BigVanVader]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

I've noticed a little shade really helps 'em get through the hot days.

Kelp meal is good chicKen soup for them too.

Ditto on the shade, heat stress can cause a lot of issues in my experience.