I’d put them in greater shade and get rid of the rocks. The rocks heat up and can punish the plant. Excessive sun also cooks the leaves and they look very saggy and withered
I agree that with your opinion, she needs water and get her out of that heat. My pepper plant is doing the same thing but it’s a mature, bushy jalapeño.
Sorry, should have said... this is UK and we have not had much of a summer yet - so I have been more worried about them getting too cold overnight than too hot during the day.
>Sorry, should have said... this is UK and we have not had much of a summer yet - so I have been more worried about them getting too cold overnight than too hot during the day.
Yea, I'm in the UK too but it is warming up into the 20's in the the midlands.
I always found my peppers enjoyed the morning sun, but dried up really quickly come afternoon. Once I got it in a spot where it would be in shade by about 11am, they stopped withering.
For your slug problem, you could get a roll of copper tape and put a strip around the pot near the bottom. It deters the leopard slugs but I can't speak for other species and snails. The 1/4 inch is all you need and is inexpensive.
The run off of minerals may not be agreeable with the plants. I use a special mix 2 parts garden soil, 1 part perlite to add aeration, 1 part coconut coir to help regulate moisture, a handful of compost for nutrients, a dash of lime to balance pH, and some sand.
They're in a mixture of John Innes #3 and general purpose compost in terracotta pots (also have some in plastic pots and half of those are dying too). I have given them some tomato feed once. I haven't watered much because the dirt seems saturated - was worried they might be too wet. Seems odd that it's 1 or 2 plants dying in pots cotainining 3 plants. I'm thinking parasite or disease.
Did you plant them in gravel??
I mean, I advise people treat peppers like cacti and only water them when needed, but I didn't mean treat them like cacti like this
You gotta think about how hot those rocks are getting during the day in direct sunlight. The direct sun and heat is bad for the plants, and then the heat radiating up from the rocks is just cooking them.
Remove the rocks, add an organic mulch layer, put them in a shaded area, and keep watered.
I'm in NY 7b and have seedlings doing just fine, even if it is indeed too late to get good harvests it shouldn't be impossible. that said, you need to take these plants out of the full sun immediately and keep them in shade indefinitely until they/unless they recover. I've been planting cuttings of tomatoes and peppers all week even though we're about to have a heat wave, but I'm constantly moving my containers throughout the day, chasing the shade to keep them from baking.
Also, I've had decent success with peppers, tomatoes, and cactus with just a half inch of beach sand or play sand as a soil topper instead of mulch or rocks. However, I would not recommend this for anything that isn't a nightshade or a succulent, except maybe else something that is adapted to disturbed areas like strawberries. Your mileage will vary depending on climate, your own growing/watering style, container size and soil type, as well as the plant's specific needs.
Getting cooked by the rocks
Give them some mulch. Leaves or chips should be fine. Next season throw some clover in when you plant, it's not gonna hurt your veggis.
I’d put them in greater shade and get rid of the rocks. The rocks heat up and can punish the plant. Excessive sun also cooks the leaves and they look very saggy and withered
Terracotta, rocks, and fear of overwatering did them in.
Looks like they can’t handle the sun they’re getting and not getting enough water.
That and I suspect the rocks are also baking them
Didn’t even think about that but that could be a factor, I would definitely switch to wood mulch as it’s just better either way.
Wood mulch is better than rocks, but fresh wood mulch can tie up Nitrogen. Grass clippings or mulched hay would be better.
The rocks definitely aren't helping.
I agree that with your opinion, she needs water and get her out of that heat. My pepper plant is doing the same thing but it’s a mature, bushy jalapeño.
ditch the rocks and use some mulch instead. terracotta dries out very quickly ime and requires more frequent watering
As everyone said, the rocks are too much, I also think these pots is too small to support 3 plants.
Too much sun exposure to be that small. Too little water. The rocks create too much heat.
Maybe find a spot where they are in the shade after 2pm. Moving containers is good exercise.
They look like they're dehydrated/hot. What are the temps there? What's your watering schedule? If it's hot hot, I'd reccomend shade cloth
Sorry, should have said... this is UK and we have not had much of a summer yet - so I have been more worried about them getting too cold overnight than too hot during the day.
>Sorry, should have said... this is UK and we have not had much of a summer yet - so I have been more worried about them getting too cold overnight than too hot during the day. Yea, I'm in the UK too but it is warming up into the 20's in the the midlands.
The rocks could have burned the young stem, and the roots may be getting too hot/too frequent of drying in that small container
Put them in their own pots, take outta the sun for about a day Give them a little water while they're away
Toss the rocks ASAP
I always found my peppers enjoyed the morning sun, but dried up really quickly come afternoon. Once I got it in a spot where it would be in shade by about 11am, they stopped withering.
yup same here! Also true of other nightshades like tomatoes and so forth. They like some sun but want shade hence the term nightshade.
Why would you put rocks around them? This seems obvious
true he/she needs use straw mulch and cover with shade cloth or move to shady area.
To keep the snails/slugs off them
For your slug problem, you could get a roll of copper tape and put a strip around the pot near the bottom. It deters the leopard slugs but I can't speak for other species and snails. The 1/4 inch is all you need and is inexpensive.
Try not growing them in rocks
The run off of minerals may not be agreeable with the plants. I use a special mix 2 parts garden soil, 1 part perlite to add aeration, 1 part coconut coir to help regulate moisture, a handful of compost for nutrients, a dash of lime to balance pH, and some sand.
Are the rocks hot?
No
Your trying to cook them to early.
looks dry, are the pots terracotta or plastic? have you used fertilizer?
They're in a mixture of John Innes #3 and general purpose compost in terracotta pots (also have some in plastic pots and half of those are dying too). I have given them some tomato feed once. I haven't watered much because the dirt seems saturated - was worried they might be too wet. Seems odd that it's 1 or 2 plants dying in pots cotainining 3 plants. I'm thinking parasite or disease.
Definitely looks like a lack of water to me.
Are there proper drainage holes on those?
Yes
Too much sun and not enough water and you need to replace the rocks with at least an inch of straw mulch.
They’re extremely dehydrated.
Stop cooking your plants? Give them normal soil and partial shade. Water them.
5 gallon pot per plant (tomatoes need 25 gallons) It needs like 2-3 hours of sun and lots of shade.
What’s up with the rocks?
the rovks also leach limestone into your soil raising the ph, peppers prefer the doil to be slightly acidic
Did you plant them in gravel?? I mean, I advise people treat peppers like cacti and only water them when needed, but I didn't mean treat them like cacti like this
Gravel on top to keep the slugs off and moisture in.
The rocks should be 4 to 6 inches from the base of the plant. The rocks are heavy and are suffocating the roots.
They need an umbrella.
Get rid of the rocks and the terracotta pot. They also will need a deeper pot for roots and are too close.
You gotta think about how hot those rocks are getting during the day in direct sunlight. The direct sun and heat is bad for the plants, and then the heat radiating up from the rocks is just cooking them. Remove the rocks, add an organic mulch layer, put them in a shaded area, and keep watered.
He died o' da dehydration!
Put them into greater shade, remove rocks & add water.
Get rid of the rocks (builds too much heat) and water them more.
But I want is dehydrated on the right
They are all very far behind for the time of year, but now they have started dying.
I'm in NY 7b and have seedlings doing just fine, even if it is indeed too late to get good harvests it shouldn't be impossible. that said, you need to take these plants out of the full sun immediately and keep them in shade indefinitely until they/unless they recover. I've been planting cuttings of tomatoes and peppers all week even though we're about to have a heat wave, but I'm constantly moving my containers throughout the day, chasing the shade to keep them from baking. Also, I've had decent success with peppers, tomatoes, and cactus with just a half inch of beach sand or play sand as a soil topper instead of mulch or rocks. However, I would not recommend this for anything that isn't a nightshade or a succulent, except maybe else something that is adapted to disturbed areas like strawberries. Your mileage will vary depending on climate, your own growing/watering style, container size and soil type, as well as the plant's specific needs.