skip to main content

Need help growing Peri Peri, Capsicum Frutescens, pepper plants

8 years ago

I have two Peri Peri pepper plants growing that I bought as tiny plants. They are in two different parts of my yard but on the same soaker hose circuit as all my other pepper plants and same watering schedule. While all my other pepper plants are growing well in general these two seem to be dying. They had taken off extremely well and I was impressed. Now, the leaves are yellowing and falling off, tens and tens of pods that had formed are drying and falling off, the stems are drying. Whatever leaves are left are not the glossy green that I remember from when the plants were healthy. I know these will fall off as well. I think the two plants are going to die.

But what could it be? Over watering? Maybe these peppers want less water? Is there something special to growing these peppers? I just want to know there is not something generic and wrong that I am doing that will eventually catch up with all my peppers.

the remaining leaves, stems, buds, pods don't look good:

Here is the second plant which is following suit:

Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Thank you so much,

K.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Pumpkin (zone 10A)
8 years ago
It looks kinda hungry. Have you fed it lately with something that has decent nitrogen and all the other minerals?

Did you ever figure out what was rampaging through your garden? Did they do something to these plants (even just sneakily pee on them)?
katyajini thanked Pumpkin (zone 10A)
katyajini
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi Marianne,

The plants do look like they are starving and thirsty don't they? But here is the thing there is plenty moisture and nutrients in the soil and I have been giving them fertilizer just like my other pepper plants and watering them the same. But the leaves are dry and crisp and showing deficiencies. I think that the roots are hurting from over watering and cannot absorb water or nutrients. It is something particular to this variety of peppers I think as two plants in two widely separated parts of the garden are doing exactly the same, drying out and dying when well fed and watered while all the other peppers are doing well on the same regimen.

I wish I knew what to do. How can I even feed them if I can't even water them? I am losing too many plants.

My partner caught 4 raccoons and two opossums and had them removed. But last night an animal or animals came again and broke the top off (no leaves left, just a few inches of lower stem) of two pepper plants and 2/3s of the branches of another plant. It broke off peppers from other plants and mauled them but did not eat any greens or peppers. And this is after it had all the food and water I put out. There is at least one animal left. The mind of this animal befuddles me. In general animal do not walk around destroying their food source or damaging plants without a clear intention. Its messed up! And very smart, it can cleanly break off branches and tops of plants like it has fingers and pruners but for no understandable reason.....Its depressing. I have no problem with having animals in my yard or them taking some of the food I am growing but this animal is a crazy, violent, lunatic that just destroys. Do I sound pathetic?

Thanks

K.
Related Discussions
Part III pepper plants still not flowering
Q
Comments (20)
my peppers were about a ft tall and looked awesome when i planted them. and I have great soil. everything else is huge. what i am thinking and i could be wrong is that i overlaid the entire garden (all raised beds) with well aged dairy compost. i do not till it in because i do not want to harm all the beneficial worms. maybe the peppers do not like the compost. i've done this for years and the peppers are the only thing i have problems with. about 5 yrs ago i had peppers coming out my ears!!! I put the compost on all my flower beds also but in the particular flower bed i put the other peppers it did not get quite as much cuz i ran out of compost. i had already put down 16 yrds of compost and just couldnt get any more. anyway, that is just a theory of course. i am not going to give up on them quite yet. thanks for the input! Tanya
...See More
hot pepper plants... is it normal?
Q
Comments (28)
The actual EC value of your solution - as you point out - does not tell you anything about the total composition. Since different ions have different conductivities even very bad nutrient solutions which are not balanced adequately can give you good EC readings. Having the right EC number does not have any meaning regarding nutrient formula quality and - as you also say - it is merely a guideline to determine the strength of a given nutrient formulation that you know is well balanced. Regarding the measurement of specific ion concentrations in solutions I have done a fair amount of experimenting with ion selective electrodes and I have been quite successful with the measurement of nitrate, potassium and iron in solution. Phosphorous is a little bit more complex since the large number of different species within the solution - due to the pH we work at - makes measurement a little bit difficult and I need to take a sample and adjust it to another pH before I get any decent reading. I have not tried any other elements, mainly due to the fact that ion selective electrodes are expensive and often very sensitive to interference when the difference in concentration is so large (for example when determining Cu, the fact that other metals are tens to thousands of times more concentrated would pose a problem). I understand that ion selective electrodes are not for everyone and I would agree that they are just not necessary to have a successful hydroponic crop and merely interesting if you want to follow the evolution of particular nutrients through your crop or if you are very interested in accurate nutrient control through prolonged periods of time. For example, I can replace my nitrogen and potassium levels knowing exactly how much of each nutrient is missing. EC reading are a good guidance but they depende a lot on the quality of the nutrient formulation which needs to be good to begin with. I always encourage people to prepare their own solutions, a simple process I think anyone can do. As you know I wrote a free ebook which describes how to do this. I hope this answers your questions :o) Daniel Here is a link that might be useful: Everything Hydroponics
...See More
Does anybody know this pepper?
Q
Comments (8)
The variety goes by many names... Balloon, Pimenta Cambuci, Campane, Peri Peri, Ubatuba Cambuci, Nepalese bell, Aji Flor, Orchid and Bishops Hat, Bishops Crown, Christmas Bell, Uba Tuba to name a few! It's a Capsicum baccatum variety. This post was edited by ottawapepper on Thu, Aug 21, 14 at 20:16
...See More
Peri - Peri Hybrid?
Q
Comments (5)
actually the term "Piri Piri" is a term used for a few different pepper most of which are of Portuguese influence Fidalga Vermelha (red) Fidalga Larangha (orange) Fidalga Amarelia (yellow) all are larger than the common African birds eye or "African Devil" as it is also called, but are all still called "Piri Piri" because they are used in traditional Piri Piri sauces of which there are a few ethnic types there are a few other of which i do not know there other names but they are also called Piri Piri throughout Africa,Brazil,Portugal, and any other Portuguese influenced country hope this helps thanks your friend Ajijoe
...See More
T S
8 years ago
I agree they look starving. If they had been started in peat pellets I would guess root rot. My reasoning for this is rotten roots can start showing nutrition problems. If animals are over fertilizing them there are products that keep wild game away. It could also be that the place you bought the plants from may have had some sort of mold or other disease that had spread on them. I would pull the soaker away from the plants up hill if possible kind of indirect watering. Maybe water with a hydrogen peroxide mix and see if that starts to show some improvement.
katyajini thanked T S
katyajini
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you T S. I held back the watering by moving the soaker hoses away, and maybe, just maybe they are doing a little better. I have to wait and see. I will try the hydrogen peroxide. These are two plants that got my hobby for pepper plants started. :)
Pumpkin (zone 10A)
8 years ago
Sorry you're still having creature problems, even after removing a bunch. Hope it gets better!
katyajini thanked Pumpkin (zone 10A)

0

Sponsored

Remodel Repair Construction

9 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Westerville