Bell pepper proper problems!

Hi all!

First time poster here, so I thought I'd introduce myself before piling my woes on you all!

My names Mike and I like plants. I'm not much of a gardener but I do try! I have a garden full of hardy plants which mainly look after themselves (good ole plants )! I've had the odd pot plant over the years but as I have moved about a fair bit I've never consistently been able to bring them all with me!

I have been looking after some plants for my girlfriend (and I can guess you know this isn't going to work out for the plants at this point!) and they're really not doing so well!!

They're a pair of bell pepper plants, re-potted into sizeable pots about a month ago (maybe slightly more). We had a problem with little slugs, but re-potting and vigilance seemed to fix the problem. For the last two and a bit weeks I have been looking after them while my gf is away in Indonesia (lucky her!).

Mysteriously while the plants seemed to still be getting munched! Panicking that the plants were going to be eaten and similarly that I was going to get my head bitten off on my ladies return, I sought a fix. I bought some "natural" insecticide from my local B&Q and gave the plant a light spray (after obviously reading the instructions and doing a tester on a leaf and leaving for a day or so). All seemed well for a bit, no fresh munch marks! Success!...or not

The leaves started to drop off! I obviously automatically believed myself to have sprayed too much of the chemicals on and killed the poor blighters. I pluck off the leaves that are dying, give it a quick wash to get rid of any excess chemicals and hope for the best. Then the brown spots start. Being a novice, can you tell me whether new leaves should be "inheriting" brown spots which I believed to be chemical burn from the insecticide? It seems to be producing leaves but they gain brown spots. The other alternative is that they have gain a bacterial infection but it seems such a coincidence from spraying them and the droppage.

Here's a look and any help from the wise community here would be amazing! Thanks!!

 

At this point you would do best pricing a couple replacements. I have no idea what the problem is but I garden pretty seriously and lose plants to every kind of reason and sometimes things just do not work out for them.

Never having grown peppers inside, in pots, I will guess and say they are over watered and not enough air - not enough light too. Outside in dry weather they could perk up, in full sun.

 

Hiya.
The brown spots may be nothing more than a bit of sun scorch caused by water on the leaves. A bit more concerning is that one of the leaves looks a bit distorted. I'm thinking Red Spider Mite? Off-hand I can't remember a good remedy, but it needs sorting. For now, I would keep it out of direct sunlight, but keep misting the leaves, which will help deter the RSM. Hopefully, others can advise further

 

AGT...you could try a few drops of Lavender oil in a spray bottle and give it a squirt,it's my cure all

 

There you go Green T, two diametrically opposite solutions. Then spray with lavender oil.

Gardening by committee is great - I say hold them upside down and hose them with a mild dishwashing soap and garlic/cayenne solution. Then put in full sun and give them a couple whacks with a rolled up newspaper when they are dry to get the juices flowing. Can't fail.

 

Thanks for the replies guys and gals, it does sound like a bit of a mystery. I often have a look for bugs and never really find them (pretty stupid of me to use the bug killer on it!).

Would that be broadsheet or tabloid paper colne?

 

RSM is notoriously difficult to spot. Look for little webs under the leaves...

 

I think its insect attack, but not sure what, the attack took place when the leaves were smaller, just forming, they then grow deformed, often by then the culprit has moved on or your spaying might have killed it.
I'd wait and hope for better leaves to come, they are certainly not finished as we have all the summer to go.

 

Would it be worth spreading some diatomaceous earth about in the pots? I hear it's good for getting rid of bugs (in case there are any left!)

 

There will always be bugs about, its a matter of controlling them to a point where the damage is not a problem.
Dont think I've ever come across diatomaceous earth, is it expensive.

 

£2 or so for 250g. Just sprinkle it on the soil (or so I'm lead to believe). It's meant to pierce the bugs shell and dehydrate them. I think it's also used for poultry and livestock for getting rid of mites and fleas etc. Seems legit

 

Sounds like 'Snake Oil'

 

It was being sold by a top hat wearing guy from the back of a covered wagon

 

Use any bit of newspaper which contains the words 'diatomaceous earth' or has a picture of Putin hunting elk with a crossbow. Nature is a great wheel and it all is interconnected.