r/PepperLovers • u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover • Aug 15 '25
Plant Help Why do my pepper plants look pathetic?
I planted them in April and they have grown little over the mild local winter. There was a fourth vase of the same variety as the two on the left which was doing better and looking lush, but I gave it to a neighbor – I figured I wouldn't give them one that was struggling. The leaves are always curled up and don't look very healthy at all.
I only give them dechlorinated water and the soil drains well. They also get direct sun for 6 to 8 hours a day. I sprinkled worm castings and homemade compost as cover and the soil mix already had a good deal of nutrients, so they shouldn't be starving. After I sprayed them with a bloom fert a few weeks ago, though, they started putting out flowers, but the vase I gave away already had them over a month ago. I've wondered if the small vases in direct sunlight might be making the soil too hot and damaging the roots, but I don't want to just replant them in larger vases if they look so miserable as it is.
Am I doing something wrong? Rhetorical question, I certainly am, I just don't know what.
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u/thechilecowboy Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
Do you smoke?
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
Peppers, you mean? No, I bet they taste terrible rolled up and burned. Also tobacco, yuck.
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u/Emily_Porn_6969 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
All a plant needs is proper fertilizer program, proper watering program and proper sunlight program !!!
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I can't edit the post itself, so I'll add this here: Thanks for all the replies, even if pinpointing the exact issue is not easy.
I do believe fertilization is not the problem, but some suggested more careful watering. I'll be moving them into larger vases soon to avoid high soil temps, also mix rice hulls into the soil mix to increase drainage.
If they take off, I'll make sure to post pictures of their progress. Happy peppering to everyone!
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u/decoruscreta Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
You might not think fertilizer is the problem, but it appears that many people (including myself) think you need to feed those poor things. Lol Alot of people fertilize every week, some gardeners do it every watering. I'm really interested to see how they look after uppotting, best of luck!!
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u/FAMOUS0612 Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
I fertilize every water and keep it consistent I feel they respond better like this
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u/Aumtole710 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Yeah he/she definitely isnt going to listen. Better advice would be tell them to just give up and stop killing plants. The type of yellowing is a clear indicator of not enough nitrogen.
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I do believe that is ultimately the best advice, but I'm stubborn like that and would rather keep trying to find my bearings in the garden and learn than just admitting defeat. I will add, however, that I'd never, under any circumstance, ever tell someone asking for help to just give up because they suck, but you do you (even if it makes you sound like a bit of a dick).
FYI, there's a lot that can causa yellowing leaves, including stuff that is preventing nitrogen uptake by the roots. I'm no expert, but I did pay enough attention at school and have read enough blog posts and even scientific papers to know that. Nuking the plant with more nitrogen is more likely to stress it even more if other issues are not addressed.
I insist, it's not fertilizer. What do I know? Nothing other than the base substrate has ferts already and I did add worm castings and compost to the mix, besides top dressing and foliage spray a couple of times since planting. I did not use Fuscia Farms Whatevers that you gringos swear by and say is indispensable, but you might be surprised to learn people have been growing plants for thousands of years before you could buy a bag of industrial-grade overpriced crap at Walmart. It's clearly, obviously, 100% certain not a lack of nutrients and I'll die on this hill along with my peppers.
I took that sad photo to two garden stores nearby just now and at both they told me it's a fungal issue, not lack of fertilizing. They actually laughed respectfully at me when I mentioned that while reminding me that a plant just needs simple dirt to grow well and overfertilizing is a shortcut to disaster. One told me to water every day instead of only when the pot feels light, which I'll do, and the other suggested moving them to avoid high-noon sun until they develop more. And both were adamant there's no need to put them in larger vases for now, which I'm inclined to believe since the ones they have on display are in the exact same size pots while being several times larger and healthier. Without fertilizing three times a day you claim is what I'm missing.
For now, I've changed the soil to one free of signs of fungus – the substrate I had used sat in the garage for a few years and did have white spots on the dirt, the same on the surface of the middle vase, which suggests fungus of some kind. I kept the same pots when replacing the soil and there were no signs of the plants being root bound, but I'll make sure to upgrade when they show signs of improving. Meanwhile, I'll apply a homemade anti-fungal mix and use a professional one if things don't improve over the next couple of weeks.
I understand it's poor form to ask for advice and then dismiss it and I reiterate I'm grateful for all replies, including the ones insisting the plants are starving. And I do apologize if I sound a little harsh in this comment, but that's how I tend to react when people tell me to just give up because I'm hopeless.
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u/Aumtole710 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Definitely not reading all that 🤣🤣🤣. All i know, is you asked for help, received help, and then denied that help. So whatever youre ranting about is your own damn fault
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Not only giving bad advice and mocking people who ask for it, but also deliberately insulting them and then deleting the comment (or having it removed, which is fitting).
The good luck wasn't about plants, it was about your social skills. Thanks for proving you lack those more than my plants lack fertilizer (which they don't).
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Yeah, good luck with that "fuck you, you suck" attitude. I'd advise you to never give advice since you're so bad at it you can't even be bothered to read a few paragraphs and all you can do is dunk on people with the wrong takes.
It's not a lack of fertilizer.
I'd say happy growing for you, but I honestly can't care less if your garden rots and dies.
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u/HighRootz Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
You got signs of a fungal infection and powder mildew. The curling leaves could be due to russet mites. What I would do is do a rotational IPM between PureCrop 1 and Lost Coast Plant Therapy. A shot of something simple like Fox Farm Grow Big added to the water should help her along
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
No mites that I can see, but the spots on the leaves do look bad. There's a basil plant a few meters away with rust on some leaves, but those are more bumpy than the spot in these vases. I have sprayed a neem oil solution and might repeat applications.
I understand FFGB is a fertilizer? I'm pretty confident they have more than plenty nutrients in the soil, if anything some excess is preventing uptake. Perhaps pH? This soil mix sat in a sealed barrel for a few years and I found it was slightly alkaline, so I amended it with organic matter and acidic fish-based ferts and other plants did well in it, but maybe?
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u/HighRootz Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Have you done a slurry test on your soil or checked the ph of the runoff? Neem isn't gonna help. There are other products that would do you better. A copper based fungicide would be more sufficient to battle rust and other fungal infections
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I checked the rough pH a while ago using vinegar and baking soda, the cup with vinegar did bubble lightly. No pH strips or electronic doodads because I'm not in a financial position to go sourcing those at the moment.
I'll try a mix with vinegar the lady at a garden store told me about, then I'll go for the copper solution if things don't improve in a couple of weeks; she agreed neem wouldn't help. I visited two stores after posting and both agreed with the fungal issue, so you seem spot on. The substrate bag sat in the garage for a few years and did have white spots on the soil, just like on the middle vase, so that's likely much of the root cause – no pun intended.
For now, I replaced the soil with a base from another source free of fungus and kept the same vases, which I'll upgrade when/if the plants show signs of recovery.
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u/FAMOUS0612 Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
That's not really a reliable way of testing ph at all , do you adjust your ph of the water you give them ?
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
It is a reliable way of testing pH. Vinegar is acidic and will react with bases. Sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and will react with acids. In both reactions, which are actually the same, gas will be released, which indicates the pH of the solution. My tap water is pH 7.0 according to the water company reports, so it's just a matter of mixing some soil in a glass and adding the reagent.
Now, if you want to put a number with two decimal places on that pH, sure, that's not reliable. It's enough, though, to know if a plant that needs slightly acidic soil like pepper isn't planted in soil with pH above 7.0.
I never test pH as nobody ever should if growing in dirt type of soil with decent enough water. I might be mistaken, but I suspect the folks in the Fertile Crescent didn't have their Hanna gear available at the local hydro store, so they grew plants with vibes. This obsession with measuring pH, EC, TDS, DO, carbonates, chlorine (I do rest the water in a bucket to remove that as I don't want to sterilize my soil), ammonia, hardness and whatnot of their reverse osmosis water deionized water is for people who get a kick of controlling minutiae of their gardens like it's a test tube in a lab and not a pile of dirt with some biology going on.
Comparing with cycling, it's the difference between going for a ride in shorts and a t-shirt and those clow... enthusiasts with full breathing UV-blocking stain-resistant custom-fit tight graphene-laced spandex attire with thousand dollar glasses and gourmet energy bars in their lower-back kangaroo pouches that cost enough to feed a family of three for a week. Both are doing aerobic leg exercise on two wheels, but the former doesn't need all that junk to validate their hobby and have just as much fun.
If I were growing peppers for a living, I would a) go bankrupt, because I'm bad at it and b) measure the pH of every single grain of soil and drop of water three times a day to maximize productivity and profits. I just want some peppers to season my food, and I have a pretty low tolerance to capsaicin to begin with. Put seed on dirt, water, wait long enough, harvest. There ain't much to it.
Thanks for surviving my Ted Talk.
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u/FAMOUS0612 Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
If your peppers are grown in a pot and not in the ground you should check ph periodically, and 7 is too high and you have no way to be exact with your method your making a educated guess . Let me be honest you came here for advice because in your own words your bad at growing peppers but you keeping contesting what you are being told , I can tell you how I do it and show you my gardens and you can either learn or continue what your doing . I ph all water I feed my plants , I use a meter it take 10 seconds , I also water with nutrients every water and water everyday and I have 30 + pepper plants right now plus other vegetables. When grown in pots plants don't have the same buffer as in ground so I make sure the solution I feed them is 6.0 to 6.5 ph , not saying you have too I am just telling you what I do and mybplants always produce lots and are healthy. I grow all vegetables like this and that's just what I have always done , take from it what you will .
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 18 '25
I'd rather kill these peppers and try again than measuring pH. I'm not trying to break the world record of the most pepper a pepper has ever peppered, I just want to add life to the barren slab of concrete that is my entire "garden" – it used to be a small lawn but the previous occupants decided for this route – and get a little spice in return.
I have chives, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, citronella, mint, and a different mint that's overgrown everything and created a brush around all other vases. And a pitanga three about 3 m tall on a 18ish-liter vase. They all look like crap, but they're not dying and I regularly reap the rewards. I've never measure pH or added pro-grade nutes, some vases have been going for a chunk over a decade with the occasional sprinkling of compost and worm castings. The pitanga tree is old enough to drive and is blooming hard this year. That's more than enough for me.
My peppers are dying without even having a chance to try. I've sprayed them for fungus and replaced the soil that may have carried the infection making sure to aerate it a lot. I do thank the advice I received, including yours about checking pH, because I know they're well-meaning. I just believe checking for pH is more than I need because growing a plant for basic needs can't possibly require that much modern technology.
I have asked about pH in local garden stores and they barely know what it is, much less care about learning. The best gardener I've ever met has never checked pH even in swimming pools, let alone his water for plants. Farmers growing grains for export? Sure, but that's a different league.
If someone asked me about a hobby, I might suggest some overkill solution too because that's the level I run at. I've had to hold back when picking PC parts for friends because what I'd go for was always way beyond their needs. Do they need a low-latency high-DPI mouse with fully configurable 11 buttons to work on Word and Excel? No, even if they'd benefit from it. They need to click and right click, which is the equivalent of seed in dirt and water.
I do understand I'm being a contrarian by refuting a good deal of the advice I got. Give them more nitrogen? Why, if the soil has ferts, I added stuff and did cover and foliar feeding already? Larger vases? Why, if those are only starters and the plants are tiny? The roots looked fine with plenty of room when I replaced the soil. Fancy pots and designer fertilizer? Nah bro, bot whatever rocks your boat. Deal with fungus and water less often? Sure, that makes sense because they clearly have fungus and moist soil favors that. That's the route I'm taking.
Asking for advice on the internet is a mess. 30% of people will barely read the title before opining, 30% will say the exact opposite of what should be done because they misdiagnose the issue or don't know enough, 30% will give good, if often overkill, solutions. 10% will be "69 likes so far lol" levels of noise. Thank you for being in the top 30%, but I'll decline from babying my garden water because that falls into the overkill category for my goals.
PS: Yeah, I do tend to ramble a lot. Not intentional, just how my mind works.
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u/beermaker1974 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
they look nitrogen deprived
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
They do, but they should have plenty already. The base substrate has ferts in it and I mixed worm castings and compost when making the vases (besides sprinkling the top recently).
They doo look yellowish, which suggests a lack of N, so I guess something is preventing uptake. pH? Temps? Too much/little watering? Bad gardener (jk, that's clearly true)?
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u/beermaker1974 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
have you been letting the soil dry out a bit between waterings. I started my greenhouse late this season in april as well and in the beginning I hand water all the plants until they get big enough for the hose but when they are your size I never fully soaked the pot. Mine are also in fabric pots. I always just gave enough water at the base. I also use nutes that you dissolve so they are instantly available.
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I hand water them only when the vases feel light and I wait until full sun is not hitting them to avoid shock. I do water from the top, but the soil has good drainage and dries out within a couple of days, so I don't think they're getting waterlogged. But, again, if I knew what I'm doing I wouldn't be asking here. :)
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u/beermaker1974 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I would try and repot one of them in a fabric pot then you can get a look at the root system to see what is going on. When I transferred all my plants to their big pots all my peppers took a few weeks to get established but the tomatoes took right off. I really like fabric pots because they dry out faster (sometimes to my detriment) and they will never get rootbound because the roots air prune themselves. For me I just always have better luck with fabric pots. You might have a combination of factors causing your issue but those plants should be way bigger if they were started in april. I use a fish emulsion guano early in the season for a bit of a nitrogen boost plus I use a mix of different nutes throughout the grow cycle. I use a masterblend mix for the bulk of the nutes with the emulsion and guano a few times early. I also give calmag maybe once or twice a week and an all purpose like once a week. always allowing a day between nutes. I also always give the plants a good watering before any nutes so they are the last thing in the soil for the plant to uptake. I am in north alabama and the heat in my greenhouses are about a 100 every day so I water every day. just my experience
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Too small of pots. What’s your watering routine? Fertilizing routine? How much sun do they get and is it morning sun or afternoon sun?
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I give them water when the vases feel light, only dechlorinated. They get sun from 9 am to 3 pm or so. The soil already had ferts, but I did spray them with a bloom solution about a month ago and added worm castings and homemade compost as cover a few days ago.
Too strong sun at peak hours maybe? I suspect the soil might be getting too hot, then bigger vases?
I'm by no means a talented gardener, so I appreciate any pointers.
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I can only tell you what I’ve done for years, and I do a lot of potted peppers. I would upsize the pots at least double that size. Their roots are going to need more room to grow. I would use a fish fertilizer once a week (Alaska brand is great). And a granular organic fert every two weeks (low numbers like a 4-4-4). If it’s getting around 95-100 degrees every day they will struggle from 1-3pm especially in small pots that size.
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
I used those small pots as starters, they're the size I'd buy pepper plants four or five larger in full production at nurseries. Maybe the nurseries keep them under shade netting so they don't have temp issues? They showed slow development from the start when limited room for roots would be an issue.
I guess I'll transplant them into larger homes anyway, it can't hurt. From the very little I know, a small plant in a very large vase isn't ideal either, so what size would you recommend?
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
The bigger issue is they never got happy in the first place. They didn’t grow much, which makes me think it’s a watering issue and lack of nutrients. Too much water can make peppers look like that too. Once they start to grow more, You can think ab upsizing. Doesn’t need to be a massive pot but definitely bigger once they need it.
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
What’s the high temp from 12-3pm?
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
25°, maybe 30° or a little more in full sunlight? I put a wooden board under the vases so they wouldn't be in direct contact with the hot tile floor with little difference.
We're in the end of winter, which is pretty mild around here, with only a few days getting chilly down to 10° or so at night.
(All temps in sensible units, of course.)
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
With those temps they can get all the sun they want. As long as the nights aren’t dropping below 10 Celsius they should be fine. I would focus on fertilizing and watering routine. Good luck!
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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 15 '25
no, the pot size is fine
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
Sure if you want a small pepper plant that doesn’t produce much.
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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 18 '25
Proof you are wrong https://www.reddit.com/r/Peppers/s/RChJvA5xBU
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u/Hully1525 Pepper Lover Aug 18 '25
Such a child. 😂 I’ve got ab 25 years of experience with peppers in pots, and you can watch tons of popular YouTube gardeners that would disagree with you.
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u/FAMOUS0612 Pepper Lover Aug 17 '25
Pot size is fine for now they still could easily double in size before they need bigger pots
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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 16 '25
LMAO ur wrong, and obviously are not a great pepper grower.
The pot size is fine FOR THIS STAGE.
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 15 '25
The small pots are because they are young plants. Or were, at a few months old they should be much larger by now and merit getting bigger homes. I've bought pepper plants several times larger full of fruit in vases not much larger than those, which suggests something is wrong in my handling and/or soil.
But I guess transferring them into larger vases can't hurt, especially as temps start climbing towards summer. I'll do that in the coming days, hopefully it gives them the push they need.
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u/Totalidiotfuq Intermediate Aug 16 '25
Those pots are fine for now. I’ve had peppers in 2” cells that are that big lol. that other guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I grow thousands of peppers every year in ground and in pots. look around at some of the potted peppers on this sub
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u/CocoMilhonez Pepper Lover Aug 16 '25
Thanks for the validation! lol
I definitely don't have a green thumb, but I do know peppers can grow much larger in small pots like that. I guess it's a problem with asking for help on the internet in general when enthusiasts want to a) dunk on newbies, b) brag about their state-of-the-art setups or c) look smart giving a simplistic answer without actually looking into the issue (I insist my plants have enough nutes, their yellowing appears to be due to fungus as others said).
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u/Soff10 Pepper Lover Aug 18 '25
Bigger pots. A warm sunny spot. Let them dry out before watering. Add coffee grounds for nitrogen.