#1: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-03 21:24:54 by Pennyaline

I've grown bell peppers for years and haven't seen a problem like this
one before:

It is a Blushing Beauty, planted in a container as a seedling purchased
from a local nursery (and not Home Depot or other big box store... I
can't make that clear enough!). In its infancy it looked just like any
other pepper, but as time has gone on it has changed appearance.

It has not developed the lush, broad deep green leaves that peppers
have. The leaves are narrow. They are uniformly more yellow than green,
and they are also uniformly creased deeply along the central vein
although not outright folded. I can't detect any new growth on the plant.

I have never grown this variety before, but I can't imagine that it
would be significantly different from other peppers.

They nursery people have no idea what could be happening to the pepper.
They even had me bring the container to them, so that they could have a
look at it (wisely, they made me keep the container in the car and they
came out and look at the plant rather than have me carry it and whatever
its problem is into the nursery environment).

I have dealt with TMV and the other ordinary afflictions of peppers
before, and this is not any of those. I've looked it over for
infestation, and have found nothing. I may just be overstressed from one
source or another, and I may have to give up on the plant and hope for
better luck next year, but before I heft it into the bin I figured I'd
ask you guys first. Wish I could provide a picture, but my camera has
shrugged off this coil.

Any ideas?

TIA

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#2: Re: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-03 21:40:01 by JoeSpareBedroom

"Pennyaline" <candyapple@caramel.corn> wrote in message
news:knlgg.20$c37.1721@news.uswest.net...
> I've grown bell peppers for years and haven't seen a problem like this one
> before:
>
> It is a Blushing Beauty, planted in a container as a seedling purchased
> from a local nursery (and not Home Depot or other big box store... I can't
> make that clear enough!). In its infancy it looked just like any other
> pepper, but as time has gone on it has changed appearance.
>
> It has not developed the lush, broad deep green leaves that peppers have.
> The leaves are narrow. They are uniformly more yellow than green, and they
> are also uniformly creased deeply along the central vein although not
> outright folded. I can't detect any new growth on the plant.
>
> I have never grown this variety before, but I can't imagine that it would
> be significantly different from other peppers.
>
> They nursery people have no idea what could be happening to the pepper.
> They even had me bring the container to them, so that they could have a
> look at it (wisely, they made me keep the container in the car and they
> came out and look at the plant rather than have me carry it and whatever
> its problem is into the nursery environment).
>
> I have dealt with TMV and the other ordinary afflictions of peppers
> before, and this is not any of those. I've looked it over for infestation,
> and have found nothing. I may just be overstressed from one source or
> another, and I may have to give up on the plant and hope for better luck
> next year, but before I heft it into the bin I figured I'd ask you guys
> first. Wish I could provide a picture, but my camera has shrugged off this
> coil.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> TIA

Sounds like you're experienced enough to not use any sort of risky soil, so
maybe we can rule that out. How about keeping it in shade for a week or two
and seeing if that helps? Although peppers theoretically like sun, they also
seem to do better (for me, at least) in cooler temperatures. It sounds
mutually exclusive, but not necessarily. Give it a rest from the sun and see
what happens.

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#3: Re: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-06 02:23:08 by Jim Marrs

It sounds like you may have over fertilized the plant. Using too much
nitrogen based fertilizer will caust the plants to become stunted as well as
develop the deformed leaves. I grow the Blush variety each year and the
plants you describe are defininely not normal. If you suspect fertilizer may
be the problem, the cure may be a drastic replanting in new potting soil.
Wash the roots with water and completely repot and hope for the best.. It
may be better to just start over with new plants.

Good Luck.

Jim
"Pennyaline" <candyapple@caramel.corn> wrote in message
news:knlgg.20$c37.1721@news.uswest.net...
> I've grown bell peppers for years and haven't seen a problem like this one
> before:
>
> It is a Blushing Beauty, planted in a container as a seedling purchased
> from a local nursery (and not Home Depot or other big box store... I can't
> make that clear enough!). In its infancy it looked just like any other
> pepper, but as time has gone on it has changed appearance.
>
> It has not developed the lush, broad deep green leaves that peppers have.
> The leaves are narrow. They are uniformly more yellow than green, and they
> are also uniformly creased deeply along the central vein although not
> outright folded. I can't detect any new growth on the plant.
>
> I have never grown this variety before, but I can't imagine that it would
> be significantly different from other peppers.
>
> They nursery people have no idea what could be happening to the pepper.
> They even had me bring the container to them, so that they could have a
> look at it (wisely, they made me keep the container in the car and they
> came out and look at the plant rather than have me carry it and whatever
> its problem is into the nursery environment).
>
> I have dealt with TMV and the other ordinary afflictions of peppers
> before, and this is not any of those. I've looked it over for infestation,
> and have found nothing. I may just be overstressed from one source or
> another, and I may have to give up on the plant and hope for better luck
> next year, but before I heft it into the bin I figured I'd ask you guys
> first. Wish I could provide a picture, but my camera has shrugged off this
> coil.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> TIA

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#4: Re: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-06 04:55:42 by Pennyaline

Jim Marrs wrote:
> It sounds like you may have over fertilized the plant. Using too much
> nitrogen based fertilizer will caust the plants to become stunted as well as
> develop the deformed leaves. I grow the Blush variety each year and the
> plants you describe are defininely not normal. If you suspect fertilizer may
> be the problem, the cure may be a drastic replanting in new potting soil.
> Wash the roots with water and completely repot and hope for the best.. It
> may be better to just start over with new plants.

I don't add fertilizer to newly-placed young plants, and this one is no
exception. I appreciate your suggestion, though!

The nursery has offered to replace the plant with a more mature one
nearer to blossom, gratis of course. Their only regret is they may not
be able to get me a Blushing Beauty. But that's all right with me, and
I'm going to take them up on it. Such nice people, with a healthy belief
in good business and good will.

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#5: Re: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-06 06:32:09 by JoeSpareBedroom

"Pennyaline" <candyapple@caramel.corn> wrote in message
news:ba6hg.42$Y21.2196@news.uswest.net...
> Jim Marrs wrote:
>> It sounds like you may have over fertilized the plant. Using too much
>> nitrogen based fertilizer will caust the plants to become stunted as well
>> as develop the deformed leaves. I grow the Blush variety each year and
>> the plants you describe are defininely not normal. If you suspect
>> fertilizer may be the problem, the cure may be a drastic replanting in
>> new potting soil. Wash the roots with water and completely repot and hope
>> for the best.. It may be better to just start over with new plants.
>
> I don't add fertilizer to newly-placed young plants, and this one is no
> exception. I appreciate your suggestion, though!
>
> The nursery has offered to replace the plant with a more mature one nearer
> to blossom, gratis of course. Their only regret is they may not be able to
> get me a Blushing Beauty. But that's all right with me, and I'm going to
> take them up on it. Such nice people, with a healthy belief in good
> business and good will.

I was thinking you should bring those people some flowers, but they already
have enough. Maybe some cookies. :-)

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#6: Re: Bell pepper problem

Posted on 2006-06-12 01:55:14 by Pennyaline

Pennyaline wrote:
> I've grown bell peppers for years and haven't seen a problem like
this one before:

<snip>

It seems that the problem has been solved without destruction of the plant!

A few days after I posted this, the nursery asked to see the plant
again. They had heard some other complaints about pepper plants failing
in the same manner and wanted to see again if mine was a true match. It was.

It seems that all of the plants had buds formed when they were purchased
and transplanted, and the purchasers (myself included) were advised to
pinch the buds off. All of the purchasers with complaints of failed or
failing plants had gotten the same advice and consequently pinched away.

The nursery now believes that they were wrong to recommend pinching the
buds, and feel that the pinch back in tandem with removal from the
controlled nursery environment and transplantation probably caused
setback. One buyer saw his plants through using only enough time to
allow the plant to recover. As the nursery talked to more of their
buyers, it happened that nearly all of the plants recovered and began to
put out new growth.

After I heard about that, I babied my little Beauty and watched it for
progress. Within a couple more days, the plant gave me a flush of deep
green growth.

The nursery still offered to replace it, if I wanted. But I'll hold out
and pull for this little one. It may even have time to ripen fruit.

<It's not dead quite dead. It's feeling better.>

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