HELP MY ORANGE BELL PEPPERS ARE ACTING WERD....I MOVED AND ALL MY PLANTS SPENT 2 HOUR IN A UHAUL...EVERTHING WAS A LITTLE SHOCKED BUT MY BELLS LOOK WORST AND WORST I PICKED THE TWO BELLS THAT WERE READY TO BE PICKED

How long has it been since you moved them, and have you given them a chance to recover in a sheltered area?

Maybe mist them every hour or two?

Certainly give them shade and shelter from wind until they perk up.

If they are wilting, maybe trim off a few leaves to reduce transpiration, but I would only do that with diseased, yellow or curling leaves.

If the potting mix drains well, maybe flush with warm water to reduce salts and fertilizer, then give them only water or dilute fertilizer until they recover from the stress of the move.

(I assume it was really hot in the U-Haul, but they did not dry out.)

P.S. I am NO expert on peppers, so take these suggestions with some skepticism.

Especially if the soil is loose, all that bouncing around in the uhaul would have broken a good portion of the root hairs, the tiny roots that do the job of water and nutrient absorption. Add to that the probable high temps inside the truck box, and you have a recipe for major plant shock. Of course, anything that is brown will never turn green again, but the best thing you can do is put them in the shade, out of wind, and water as needed. They will have to come out of it on their own, and don't expect them to look very presentable anymore, even when they are healthy and back to normalcy.

They definitely look stressed.

wow I no idea the bouncing around could be bad thanks .....this site it by far the best thing I ever did for my garden

So glad you found your way here. There is so much to share and learn here at ATP. With lots of people that love doing just that.

I forgot to say: Welcome, Ken!

>> Especially if the soil is loose, all that bouncing around in the uhaul would have broken a good portion of the root hairs,

I had never thought about that either, only the risk of branches breaking off or pot tipping over. It's a really good point.

What do you think: would shipping them moist, or dry, protect the root hairs better?
Or would that depend on the type of soil mix?

RickCorey said:I had never thought about that either, only the risk of branches breaking off or pot tipping over....

If you train your mind to always be looking at the whole picture, as well as the individual parts, you will go far. Apply this practice in all you do, see, hear, read.... everything. It's a basic principle of clear thinking that unfortunately, not many people truly grasp.
- Gosh, that sounds like something Master Po would say on the Kung Fu TV series! Honestly though, if you do this, you will begin to notice a difference in yourself.

What do you think: would shipping them moist, or dry, protect the root hairs better?

I suppose that if one could time the plant's watering just right, so roots would be just ever so slightly dehydrated, that would give them more flexibility. Thus, less damage would occur. The concept is sometimes employed for shipping flowers that otherwise might snap during the journey. But for roots, I would wager that it would be virtually impossible to regulate the water content, so the answer is "moist". One would never want wet soil; the constant bouncing and vibration would compact the soil, and remove a lot of the tiny air spaces that are critical to plant and soil health.

I have them is Kellogg's patio mis...:......I trimed most of the lower leaves

>> I trimed most of the lower leaves
>> slightly dehydrated, that would give them more flexibility.
>> One would never want wet soil; the constant bouncing and vibration would compact the soil,
>> looking at the whole picture, as well as the individual parts,

I agree with all of the above.

When debugging software, or designing a system, I call that avoiding tunnel vision, thinking outside the box, or keeping an open mind. It's surprisingly hard. Almost any good idea I've had or heard at work or in the garden was accompanied by a head-smack and "DUHH! That's obvious NOW. Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

Thinking new thoughts is hard.