What is wrong with my peppers and cukes?

[Crunchie]

I have the worst luck with peppers. I thought these were doing OK, but then a few developed some spotty looking leaves (first pic). Then another is just...droopy? For no apparant reason (pic 2). And my cucumbers have some browning/yellowing on the edges of some of the leaves (pic 3).

Does anyone have any ideas what is going on and what I can do about it? Thanks! :coolsun

 

[Grow 4 Food]

Hard to tell but from the looks of the soil they might be getting a little to much water. Them will cause that problem especially with the cukes. Try letting things dry a little (if you have that option) and see if that doesn't help. Also remember that those peppers aren't a big fan of sweet soil (miracle grow). They then to need a little more acidic enviornment. This will really start to show when they start producing blooms. All the blooms will fall off it that is the cause and then you will have to adjust your pH and treat your plant (sounds a lot worse than it is). I would cut back on the water a little and see if that helps and then we can go from there. Good Luck

Hobby

 

[Crunchie]

Thanks! I had just watered when I took those photos--they do dry out quite a bit between waterings (sometimes to the point of wilting a bit, and the soil is dry to the touch if you poke around the plants) so I often have to water in the morning and in the evening. It's been hot and dry here, with the exception of the occasional afternoon thunderstorm. I don't use miracle grow, but I did just put a little organic fertilizer on everything. I wonder if that wasn't a good thing?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

My initial though maybe a disease (downy mildew or the like) at least for the cucumbers. I think the leaves on the peppers might just be due to the heat. It happens sometimes.

You say you're watering in the morning and the evening? Are you water deep enough and when you do water is it over head? Also, were the pepper just transplanted?

I would remove the lower leaves from the cucumbers and get rid of them to avoid the spread of any disease if it does exist. Avoid splashing soil onto the leaves when you do water and try watering deeper and less often (even using mulches might help) since this could help prevent disease for cucumbers. Also, spraying the cucumbers with a solution of 1 part milk to 3 parts water will help prevent against mildew.

As for the peppers, I think they'll be okay. Sprinkle a little crushed eggshell and epsom salt at their base to help them along.

The plants actually look really good overall. A nice dark green foliage and no signs of any really bad problems!

 

[Crunchie]

I try not to water overhead, but I am using just a regular garden hose so sometimes when I get in a hurry everything gets "sprinkled". Yes, I did just transplant these (I am waaaayyyyy late getting started this year!! But better a few late peppers than none, right?) so that might be part of it. I did sprinkle some epsom salt on them yesterday, I'll have to save up some eggshells and add those in, too.

Thanks!

 

[bills]

Hmm, I have heard of using epson salts to green up a plant. Does it acidify the soil as well?

How soon does the calcium from crushed eggs shells actually affect the plant? I would have thought just top dressing them, would take for ever to actually get calcium to the root system.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Hmm, I have heard of using epson salts to green up a plant. Does it acidify the soil as well?

How soon does the calcium from crushed eggs shells actually affect the plant? I would have thought just top dressing them, would take for ever to actually get calcium to the root system.

Epsom salts will help increase magnesium in the soil which will prevent against necrosis which can lead to bigger problems (like defoliation). Magnesium is also required to allow the root systems to properly take water and complete the photosynthesis process as well. Although epsom salts do contain sulfur as well (which acidifies soil) when used correctly (1tbsp per gallon of water) and used only once or twice per season, it has a low acidic affect on soils.

Egg shells breakdown very quickly and very quickly start putting calcium into the soils. True, should you dig them into the soil a bit they will work a little faster but I've never had any problems with lack of calcium in my soil and this is the method I used. We have tested calcium levels in soils and we started seeing an increase of calcium (from top dressing with egg shells) by day 6 at a 4 inch depth and by day 10 there were increased levels at 8 inches. How much of an increase is debatable because our testing wasn't the most accurate but an increase was registered. I think now that I've got a hang of testing we should try it again.

The affect of calcium on plants for the most part is that it help with fruit formation and the formation of new growth. Calcium is an essential nutrient in the formation of cells and by adding calcium to the soils this helps with new plant growth and uniform and correct formation of the cells that create new fruit.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

I have never heard of putting the salts in the soil. With that said I used to be a major miracle grow applier. I learned my lesson when I had a 3 foot tall (not exagerating) bell pepper plant without getting a single pepper. I was told by grand father that if I mixed the salt just as you said 1 tbl to a gallon and sprayed it on the plants that it would stop burrnig off the blooms. It did make the plant start producing. I just figured salt - plant = dead plant. Wrong again, should teach us all the listen to our elders!

 

[Crunchie]

Well, just to let y'all know, I did put a bit of epsom salt on my plants a couple days ago (though I didn't know how much to use, and so just sprinkled a little bit around the base of the plant). My droopy pepper plants are now lively and happy. And full of little flower buds! One of those itt-bitty cucumber plants has some fruit on it, as well!