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Vegetable Gardening

New leaves on bell pepper plant are yellow...

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

This plant was doing so well that it looked fake. I cut the top of the plant to promote side growth. It really worked. But now the center leaves are yellow.... Is it just really needing to be transplanted out? It's currently in a 4 inch pot and was started by seed 2/22...so yes, quite a while ago. Or is this overwatering, lack of nutrients, or other?

I was going to give this to someone because it has looked so strong...Don't want it to be yellow when I hand it over. Thanks.

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Comments (4)

digdirt2
7 years ago
Well I'd sure dispute any benefit to topping peppers plants but since you already did it then yellow new growth is usually either over-water or nutrient related. In this case the plant could easily be root bound in such a small pot and that would lead to both water and nutrient problems because it can't retain either.

About all you can do is transplant it to a bigger pot and give it a weak dose of fertilizer. You'll know as soon as you pull it out of this pot if it is root bound or not.

Dave
Peter (6b SE NY)
7 years ago
Those leaves are very dark, if anything the plant is getting too much nitrogen. If there is a deficiency it is micronutrient. I think you might be looking a little too hard, I am not seeing any yellow, at least on my phone.
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I hope you shaded it after transplanting. For the winter inside it lost it's hardness. 18 inches tall and wide doesn't sound too big. My peppers by the end of the season are usually at least 2' high, may be more, and at least 20 inches wide (more, if I let them be.) you can trim it a little, I guess. But not the branch that is producing. Support that branch, tie it somewhere, it can easy snap under wind. Other than that, nothing at least 2 weeks after transplanting, then you can start fertilizing...
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hairmetal4ever
7 years ago
Looks fine to me
Patches
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm not an expert but the plant looks healthy to me. The only leaf that seems to be yellowish is the very bottom leaf. It may be low on nitrogen but I've had plants where the bottom leaf has been lighter and the health of the rest of the plant hasn't been affected. If the yellowing starts to affect the rest of the plant you might consider potting up to a larger pot as suggested by someone else.

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