Pepper plants are failing - Ask Extension
I just can't seem to grow good pepper plants. Leaf cutters and wilting. Yellowing leaves. By the time I got peppers last season, They were small and d...
Knowledgebase
Pepper plants are failing #870294
Asked May 27, 2024, 3:39 PM EDT
I just can't seem to grow good pepper plants. Leaf cutters and wilting. Yellowing leaves. By the time I got peppers last season, They were small and deformed. Good taste but ugly.
Does the Master Gardener Lady in Colchester do house calls? I am in a wheel chair with container gardens.
Chittenden County Vermont
Expert Response
Hello Jeff, and thank you for contacting us at the UVM Extension Master Gardener program with your question.
How frustrating to put in those pepper plants and have such small and poor results in the past. (Glad to know the not-so-pretty peppers still tasted good!) Our research finds that frost and late night chills can damage or kill flowers on peppers and result in stunted or deformed fruit or reduced yield. Temperatures should be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the day, and above 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night (60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal) for the most successful transplants.
Given last year's hard frost in May, conditions might have been less than ideal for your raised beds last year.
Thank you for including both the questionnaire and the 2024 photos with your question. They are very helpful.
This year's early growing season has been the opposite of 2023, with warm temperatures turning quickly to hot (above 80 degrees). This too is challenging for plants, especially tender starts. Already our helpline has seen many questions about plants that are having a tough time with the "instant summer" weather. Sun scald, wind damage, and even too much fertilizer early in the season can be tough on young plants.
Before you put these peppers into the raised beds, were you able to "harden them off"? This is a technique to gradually introduce the plants to the conditions outdoors and in your garden, a process that generally takes at least a week or two for plants that have been previously grown only indoors. It might be helpful to provide additional shade for the next week or two so that these plants have more time to adjust to life outdoors before experiencing the usual full days of sunshine and strong winds.
I've included a couple of links below to provide additional information on planting a vegetable garden, preparing the soil for raised beds, and one focused just on the joys and challenges of peppers.
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/planting-vegetable-garden#transplanting-1975661
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-peppers-home-garden/
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1618
While we Extension Master Gardeners cannot do house calls, we welcome any follow up questions that you might have. : )
I wish you a more successful season with your pepper plants!
How frustrating to put in those pepper plants and have such small and poor results in the past. (Glad to know the not-so-pretty peppers still tasted good!) Our research finds that frost and late night chills can damage or kill flowers on peppers and result in stunted or deformed fruit or reduced yield. Temperatures should be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the day, and above 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night (60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal) for the most successful transplants.
Given last year's hard frost in May, conditions might have been less than ideal for your raised beds last year.
Thank you for including both the questionnaire and the 2024 photos with your question. They are very helpful.
This year's early growing season has been the opposite of 2023, with warm temperatures turning quickly to hot (above 80 degrees). This too is challenging for plants, especially tender starts. Already our helpline has seen many questions about plants that are having a tough time with the "instant summer" weather. Sun scald, wind damage, and even too much fertilizer early in the season can be tough on young plants.
Before you put these peppers into the raised beds, were you able to "harden them off"? This is a technique to gradually introduce the plants to the conditions outdoors and in your garden, a process that generally takes at least a week or two for plants that have been previously grown only indoors. It might be helpful to provide additional shade for the next week or two so that these plants have more time to adjust to life outdoors before experiencing the usual full days of sunshine and strong winds.
I've included a couple of links below to provide additional information on planting a vegetable garden, preparing the soil for raised beds, and one focused just on the joys and challenges of peppers.
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/planting-vegetable-garden#transplanting-1975661
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-peppers-home-garden/
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1618
While we Extension Master Gardeners cannot do house calls, we welcome any follow up questions that you might have. : )
I wish you a more successful season with your pepper plants!
