17 Common Pepper/Chili Plant Problems: How to Fix Them, Solutions, and Treatment

17 Common Pepper/Chili Plant Problems: How to Fix Them, Solutions, and Treatment

Peppers are some of the most popular vegetables in the world. Varieties like Bell Pepper (also known as Capsicum) are beloved by hobby gardeners worldwide, and spicy varieties like Jalapeno and Habanero are grown by more adventurous people. However, some problems may arise when growing your Peppers. Let’s check out 17 common Pepper/Chili plant problems below.

Common problems of Pepper plants include yellow leaves, damage from various pests, viral and fungal diseases, inadequate nutrients, and water-related problems. Providing the right amount of heat, light, and nutritious soil is key for healthy Peppers. It’s great fun to grow Peppers, but it doesn’t always work completely. Some years, it significantly reduces crops due to unexpected diseases or problems with Pepper plants. Being prepared to face issues that come your way is important for any gardener.

By knowing new techniques to keep your plants healthy, you will be able to produce a rich crop with more Peppers than you can’t imagine. In addition, you can learn preventive measures such as removing garden debris, allowing air circulation, and rotating crops to help prevent pests and diseases from finding your garden. 

17 common Pepper/Chili plant problems

The seed of the Pepper plant is not going to grow

Depending on your location, you may be out of season unless you see that the germination has not taken place. So, you need to wait until next season to grow your Pepper plants. The most common reason why Pepper seeds are not growing is soil temperature. Pepper plants can survive in soil warmer than 26°C.

Solution – Keeping soil above 26°C can be challenging in most climates, so it is recommended to start growing indoors. This process takes about a week, but some varieties may take too long.

Pepper plants are bending/falling

Bending is usually caused by overheating. When Pepper plants are exposed to extreme heat and are not given the right amount of shade and water, they are prone to wilting and dehydration.

Solution – When dealing with bent plants overheating, you have a couple of options. The first option is for gardeners to use moving pots for their plants or a movable garden bed. If you can move your plants to a different part of your home, bring them to a shady area and make sure to water them more fully. To meet the needs of the bending plants, you need to put more water in the plants. Instead of just adding more water to plants, you should increase the intervals you water them.

Your Pepper plants have stopped growing

If you are growing Pepper plants in pots in which you have acquired them as seedlings, you do not see much growth after some time as the roots are likely tied inside the pot, and the plant has potentially sapped the soil of all nutrients.

Solution – To solve this problem, you must re-pot your Pepper. First, you have to pull the plant out of the pot and gently loosen the root structure, getting rid of some extra old soil. Then place the plant in a half-filled pot with new soil or manure. Next, fill the surrounding saplings with more soil or manure and give them good water. It will help your plant grow better by giving more space to the roots to breathe and more nutrients to absorb the plant.

Instead of moving or replanting your Peppers, you should gently mix the soil around the Pepper plant to solve this problem. Then you should add a small layer of compost or manure around the plants. Then water the plants and make sure that the soil does not soak too much. Giving more water can also be a problem as too much water will freeze in the ground, causing bacteria and fungi to accumulate and grow.

Pepper plant turning yellow

Pepper plants usually cause yellowing or deformities due to hydration or lack of nutrients in the soil. 

Solution – If you believe soil is a problem, find a pH-neutral compound that contains nutrients specifically for plant growth. The loamy soil, made of sand, and a little soil, is the perfect soil for Pepper plants. Usually, yellow is on the leaves, so you can always pinch the leaves in question if it’s just one or two. You should act quickly to save it when the discoloration has spread to other parts of the plant.

Pepper plant dropping buds

Pepper plants can often drop buds when getting inappropriate amounts of water. Pepper plants will drop buds with more water and less water than other water-related issues. Fluctuations in the amount of water provided to the plant can emphasize it, causing buds to fall before they bloom correctly.

Solution – To avoid this, the water is only a few inches above the soil, about 2 to 3 inches every week. 

Pepper plant dropping its flowers

Pepper plants can drop flowers if there are no pollinated insects or a distinct lack of air circulation. This problem often occurs when Pepper plants are grown indoors. When they are not being pollinated, Pepper plants drop flowers. 

Solution – Pepper plants are somewhat self-sustaining and do not need pests; instead, they can pollinate themselves and require a small functionality to transfer pollen from one flower to another. It is often done by air, but if plants are kept indoors, or there is not enough airflow, you may need to help a little. A small soft paintbrush carried in flowers to spread pollen in the air should trick.

Pests 

Aphids

Aphids are small, soft-bodied pests that like to stick to the bottom of leaves and plant trunks. The aphids are usually green or yellow, but some are red, pink, brown, or black. They like to suck the juice from plants that attract ants and cotton mold.

Solution – Small aphids’ infections are rarely an issue, but significant infections can cause serious problems. Prune parts of the plant with most of the aphid and use neem oil to spray leaves and any growing fruit. You can also remove these pests from your plants with strong water jets.

Flea beetles

Flea beetles make small holes or pits in the leaves, making them look like Swiss cheese. Young plants and seedlings are likely to suffer damage from flea beetles, reducing or preventing plant growth.

Solution – A floating row cover placed on your weak plants is an excellent place to start covering. If you put a cover on your garden beds as soon as you plant the seedlings, they will be able to set up before the beetles become a serious problem. Some of the applications of diatomaceous earth effectively take care of these pests with neem oil. If you are not an organic gardener, consider using pesticides, including carbaryl, spinosad, bifenthrin, and permethrin.