I am very new to gardening. I bought jalapeno and pablano starter plants a few weeks back. Replanted them at home, added small amount of fertilizer, and have been watering daily (when it doesn't rain). It seems the new leaves are a bit wrinckled and I am unsure why, or if this will effect the harvest. I am located in Miami and it is very hot here in the summer. See pic below. Thanks in advanced!  |
| From the photo it appears you are growing these behind glass on some kind of balcony? First of all, clean away the dead leaves; don't leave them on the surface of the soil. Leaves curl for several reasons: Insect pests such as aphids, mites, whiteflies (I don't see that in your photo). Virus diseases. Some diseases are spread by insects, some by the soil and some just blow in on the wind, and some diseases are present when we buy the plants or seeds. Environmental stress (I think that may be your problem here). On hot days leaves will curl up to conserve moisture, they are basically protecting themselves from the extreme heat and sun. If you could move the plants away from the extreme rays of the sun it might help or you could add some shade cloth to cut down the amount of sunlight the plants receive. Also, is there a fan in the area of the plants? A fan would help to circulate the air and keep the plants just a bit cooler. I'm not sure if the soil is being overwatered. Maybe stick your finger or a pencil into the soil to see if it is too wet. Hope this helps. |
| Thank you! Yes it's being grown on a balcony. I didn't want to move the plant into the shade because I know it needs 6 hrs of sun per day. It might be getting a bit less as it is, but 6 hours of Florida sun might be more than sufficient. Would 3-4 hours of sun be okay If placed in a shadier area? |
| I had this look on peppers a few years ago and was told by a local nursery owner it was a mosaic virus. I was told to destroy the plants. |
| There are several different types of mosaic virus that can affect peppers. Two that come to mind are the Cucumber Mosaic and the Tobacco Mosaic and the leaves to not look like either of those two. Since the plants are on a balcony and probably cannot spread to other plants, maybe let them be and try moving the plants out of the intense direct sunlight for a while and see if the plants improve. The plants can always be destroyed later. |
| Possible fert.burn. To much water. But ! I really think, burn from window. Windows intensifies heat and sun. Break them in slowly to direct sun. They need to be outside anyways if you want peppers. They need to be pollinated. 😎😎😎 |
