Don't know what causes. Try spraying until dripping with one heaping teaspoon of epsom salts per quart of warm water...works for me every time and prompts dark green color, lots of blossoms and fruit.

Hey there, Sorry for the late late response, cant seem to figure out how to get the email alerts for replies to my messages...Hmmmm....I just upload my images to the site "Photobucket.com" and post the link for people to copy n paste into their address bar =/ works unless there are tons of photos to post, lol. I did the same and they're turning out alright, glad you figured it out too! Only problem are the slugs n snails, and the chickens, but thats a whole other story... I just got done spreading chili pepper powder around my few tomato plants to keep the slugs n snails off of them, seems to have worked so far, but its going to be a constant battle Im sure. Between killing them myself, all the toads and chickens around here(they both love the slugs), and the chili powder, I think I have them beat..for now. I grow pretty much anything I can find actually! I have some venus flytraps, the tomatoes, strawberries, a small bonsai or two, a bunch of shell and vertical ginger, 3 or 4 kinds of cannas(Indian Shot(red orange and yellow versions) and large Canna Lillies, Cooks Pine, hibiscus of all kinds, trying to find more contantly, working on different color plumeria trimmings, mountain apples, a few different ferns(Staghorns, Luau, working on Tree ferns, etc.) heliconia of all kinds, have the red and yellow hanging, a few vertical species, pink, orange, etc. Im pretty much just gathering all that I can, lol! We have yardsales up here in the wailua homesteads, and I put the plants out all the time, in the last 6 weeks Ive made about 180 or so in plants alone XD People really like the ginger and stuff, I put good plants out super cheap, do it mostly just to fund my gathering, lol. Im working on Tahitian Jasmine and Gardenia cuttings right now, have about 10 or so of each, and will be trading some with the neighbor for some various rose cuttings. Constantly gathering orchids, though I only have about 4 kinds, could get expensive if I decide to go all out =p If you're on Kauai n are interested in any of it, lemme know either on here or email me, and we can do some trades or something, take it light til I talk to ya next! Aloha, ~Dave P.S. If anyone reads this, Im looking for the following plants, trimmings/rhizomes preferred if not an already started one; Puakenikeni, ANY Heliconia or Cannas, Wild Plantain, any color, have yet to obtain some! and pretty much any other interesting plants, lemme know what you have and Ill let ya know what I currently have, we can throw up a trade or Ill just buy a few trimmings if not crazy expensive! =p Mahalo!

I don't know about the shredding but the leaf down near the soil surface really looks like a leafminer has set up camp. They have to come out of the leaf sometime, maybe shredding then results. Don't know. My experience with leafminers hasn't been on peppers. Spinach, beets and chard are sometimes plagued ... I just take the leaves off and grind them underfoot. Here's something from from the U of Minnesota on this idea. LINK They list peppers. Steve

isgen: Yes, that nick is a reference to Pike Fishing. I use a close version of the 5-1-1 mix that has been discussed many time on this forum. It sounds like what you are using is close to that as well. But the mix should be heavy on the bark part. I made up a bunch of the 5-1-1 mix a few years ago and am running out of it now. I don't know what I will do in the coming years. The only source I can find for bark is a very mixed size so I have to put it through two different sized sieves to sort out the pieces that are too big and too small. My back just can't handle that any more. But it is good stuff for growing peppers. I see you in the same growing season as me. I think your problem with getting pods was a result of our short growing season and you should probably be starting seeds indoors prior to March first in order to have plants that are mature enough to put out in late may so that you time to get them to production by the end of the growing season up north. I start mine in mid February.