# What is wrong with my pepper plants?



## isucyclone (Jul 16, 2014)

Overall my garden has done well this year. Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are doing well. We have gotten a great green bean crop. Dug the first hill of potatoes the other day and they were great.....The peppers on the other hand...I can't figure out what is going on with them.  They have looked like this the whole summer. Holes in leaves, leaves fall off the plant (at the stem), the plants develop flowers but they fall off before fruit develops.  Now I am seeing a raised squiggly line along the center vein of the bell pepper plants.  I live in central Iowa and we have had well above-average rain this summer, however the water has not affected the rest of the garden.  My garden is 2x6 boxes so that helps with drainage.

Thanks for any suggestions! Hopefully I can salvage something out of these, I was really looking forward to a crop of peppers.













2014-07-16 07.57.29.jpg



__ isucyclone
__ Jul 16, 2014






Jalapeno plant. I have gotten a few peppers off 2/4 plants. The rest have no fruit. Overall, the Jalapeno's look better than the Bells or the Pablano's.

You can see one jalapeno on the plant in the background.













2014-07-16 07.57.13.jpg



__ isucyclone
__ Jul 16, 2014






Bell pepper plant. See the raised squiggly center vein and rough edges on the leaves?













2014-07-16 07.57.06.jpg



__ isucyclone
__ Jul 16, 2014






Another shot of a bell pepper plant.













2014-07-16 07.56.55.jpg



__ isucyclone
__ Jul 16, 2014






Row of bell pepper plants.


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## kc5tpy (Jul 16, 2014)

Hello.  I have not seen this before but,  I do know 2 things about pepper plants that might help you figure things out.  Peppers don't like sweet soil.  I used to put 4-6 book matches ( just the matches, not the book ) in the bottom of the hole, cover with a little soil and then transplant the seedling.  Also peppers like magnesium.  Easy to apply, 1 tsp. of epsom salts in a quart spray bottle and fill with water.  Just gve them a spritz around blooming time, then the recommended is 10 days later.  I usually gave them 2 more at 5 day intervals.  This same mixture also works insted of buying expensive bloom set for tomatoes.  Just what little knowledge I possess.  Hope this points you in the right direction.

Danny


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## flash (Jul 17, 2014)

Remember also they do not like water ever day.


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## isucyclone (Jul 21, 2014)

Thanks for the advice! They seem to have set some flowers and have kept them so far.  I gave them a fertilizer with Mg/Ca yesterday. I will have to pick up some epsom salts and try that.


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## padronman (Jul 23, 2014)

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/curling-leaves-on-peppers.htm

Here is some good info.  I suspect bugs.  I have seen this on peach trees (called peach leaf curl) and it's treated with insecticidal soap.    Read about the virus's and get rid of those plants or you won't be able to stop it from spreading. 

Scott


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## bluewhisper (Jul 23, 2014)

Your first and second pics resemble tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) similar to this













Tobacco_Fig01.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Jul 23, 2014


















HotPepperTMV.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Jul 23, 2014






But the leaf curl appears to be a separate issue, maybe over-watering.


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## padronman (Jul 24, 2014)

BlueWhisper said:


> Your first and second pics resemble tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) similar to this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you indeed have a virus.....which appears you do you have to get rid of those plants or all your other plants will get it by virtue of bugs spreading it from plant to plant.


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## isucyclone (Jul 30, 2014)

I was concerned about a viral disease as well however they seem to be coming out of whatever it was!  It has really dried up here over the past few weeks which has resulted in significant improvement in the plants so I think it was largely due to the wet conditions we had through early July.  All of the peppers have now set fruit and new leaves are developing and look healthy.  Maybe I will get a pepper crop this year after all!


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