i am havinh a issue similar to teh above. I got my seeds at wal mart. first thing i want to say is these are really difficult plants to grow. they take forever to germinate and are easily stunted by the harsh new england weather. so despite thier dificulty to grow i am determined to get a good harvest out of a bell pepper plant. i germinated a couple seeds. the dog ripped one out of the pot and i put the pother inside a small grow box with the lights on 12/12 (first mistake) after doing a bit of reading i switched the light schedule to 18/6 and now the leaves are falling off. I believe it may be overwatering though i havent been watering much and they are in well drained soil, above mentioned light green leaves (which mine are turning light green) and then falling off, they are all sitting right in the bucket. i do know i have a couple fungus gnaats kicking around and i spray a pesticide to kill them but it is rated for vegatable plants. it is called Eight insect control, and says trusted by bonide since 1987 (or something like that). my pepper plants are starting to blossom at a mere 8 inces tall. i think the plant is short because of the 12/12 light schedule i had it on in the begining wich forced it to stop vertical growth and begin its flowering period. (i am assuming bell pepper plants are a photoperiod plant) so the question is, is it bad genetics? is it overwatering? is it the change in light schedule and the plant reverting back to a vegatative growth stage? is it insect damage (i really dont think it is) just figured i would put my 2 cents in maybe it will help someone else along the way :) any responses will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Matt

Re houseplants: most spoiled foliage is caused by physiological issues, over/under-watering, oedema, nutritional toxicities/ deficiencies, light levels, ...... with subsequent populations of fungi acting as opportunists as opposed to acting as causal agents. In this thread, oedema, a physiological disorder, is the main actor. Dead animals don't cause vultures, but they do provide a reason for vultures to congregate. IOW, lesions caused by physiological disorder often provide the consistently moist conditions for a period lasting long enough to ensure incubation and germination of fungal spores. This isn't to say that fungal conditions do not commonly appear in plants as pioneer pathogens, only that evidence of physiological disorder is far more common than direct evidence of pioneer populations of fungi. Plant pathologists often describe the disease process using a 4-sided figure called the disease tetrahedron (think “pyramid – 3 sides + the bottom/ base”). Each side of the tetrahedron represents an essential part of the infection process. There must simultaneously be a virulent pathogen (capable of infecting the plant) that is genetically capable of recognizing its host. Either the environment must be conducive to the development of the pathogen, or the pathogen must be able to stress/weaken the plant. The 4th requirement is the time required for diseases to develop and spread. Whenever conditions are such that any one (or more) of the 4 requirements is missing from the equation, there is no immediate threat. Since the best medicines are prophylactic, the grower who makes sure plants are healthy and not stressed is ahead of the game. Biotic diseases are better able to overcome the natural defenses of plants weakened by stress that occurs when the plant is forced to deal with cultural conditions near, at, or beyond the limits the plant is genetically programmed to deal with. Al

Is there a possibility that it might be scale? Your description of round object full of sap and ants feeding on them sounds familiar. Ants feed on the "honeydew" of certain insects like aphids and scales. Do the objects you found resemble anything in the following sites? Soft Shell Scale Insect on Wild Cherry Tree Weird Little Parasite On Cherry Tree

This would be normal in the fall, but not now. The leaves of most deciduous azaleas turn various shades of red, yellow or orange before dropping. It is possible, even likely, that dryness triggered premature coloration. Once that process starts, it can't be reversed by more watering. Soil requirements for azaleas and rhododendrons are pretty much the same. Deciduous azaleas need a good deal more sun than broad leaved rhododendrons, however. 'Exbury', btw, indicates a general class of azaleas. Within that class are many different varieties with different flower colors, growth patterns, etc. Knowing which variety you have will tell you a good deal about ultimate size and other important characteristics. As for what to do now, your instinct to move the plant to a sunnier place is accurate. After that, if you choose to do it, treat as you would any new planting, but be prepared for an early dormancy. It's also quite possible that it will put out additional growth of the normal green color.