Why do the leaves of pepper seedlings curl on the windowsill?

The main reasons for leaf curling in pepper seedlings

To understand why the leaves of pepper seedlings curl, it is necessary to analyze the most common causes of this phenomenon.

Nutrient deficiency

Plants receive nutrients from the soil; their deficiency has a depressing effect on the development of green mass.

• For example, if a pepper bush does not receive enough magnesium, it will weaken the seedlings and lower its immunity. As a result, plant diseases and a low number of fruits.
• You can notice a potassium deficiency by changing the shape of all the leaves on the bush. At the first signs of potassium deficiency, its amount in the soil should be replenished.

Uneven growth

When growing seedlings in an apartment, they may not have enough light. Trying to reach the sunlight, the seedlings stretch out and the leaves begin to twist. The leaf plate does not have time to develop behind the rapidly growing vein, which leads to a change in the shape of the leaf; it becomes, as it were, corrugated. In this case, various defects appear only on young foliage, already grown leaves remain unchanged.

On a note! This deformation does not affect the fruiting of peppers.

To avoid damage to the leaves from lack of light, seedlings should be placed on a windowsill on the south side or phytolamps should be used.

Violation of agricultural technology

Pepper is a capricious crop. Any disturbance in the microclimate may cause the leaves to curl or even begin to fall off. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor:

• soil moisture;
• temperature conditions;
• the presence of drafts.

Deviation from the norm on any of these points will result in a change in the shape of the leaf plate. Therefore, you should carefully study all the requirements for growing pepper seedlings and strictly follow them.

Pest infestation (aphids, spider mites)

When the seedlings become covered with holes, turn yellow, and a white coating, pimples or even cobwebs appear on it, the plant has been attacked by a spider mite or aphid. In this case, delay in treating pests can be disastrous for the entire seedling.

Aphid on pepper

The soil was not treated properly

If soil containing eggs of harmful insects was used for seedlings, then in the absence of disinfection, larvae hatch from them. Young seedlings are the best treat for them. This can damage both the tender roots of plants and young shoots.

To prevent the death of seedlings, the soil must first be calcined in the oven or treated with disinfectant solutions, for example, potassium permanganate.

Apical rot

Viral diseases can also damage crops. Curling of leaves is the first sign of the appearance of a disease such as blossom end rot. If plants are not treated in a timely manner, the disease will later manifest itself on the fruits in the form of rotting of the upper part.

What to do?

If the problem is in the conditions of detention, they need to be corrected and compensated for as soon as possible, and then the pepper will recover on its own. But in some cases it will not cope without feeding or additional processing!

Treatment against diseases and pests

Fungicides in the form of sprays and soil additives help against fungal diseases. But if the problem is a viral disease, it will not be possible to save the plant, and you need to protect the rest of the seedlings from it as soon as possible.

If pests are detected, seedlings need to be treated as quickly as possible. Aphids and mites can completely destroy young plants, and adult peppers will then have to take longer to recover. And don’t forget about scheduled seasonal treatment, even if there are no pests yet.

Photo: ogorodovedenie.ru

What to feed

Most often, pepper leaves suffer due to a lack of nitrogen or potassium. Nitrogen is needed for the growth of healthy foliage in general, and potassium affects immunity. But it is better to use complex fertilizers, because it almost certainly lacks other useful substances.

Photo: botanichka.ru

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Treatment nuances depending on the type of twisting

If the leaves of pepper seedlings begin to curl, you should carefully examine which parts of the leaf are damaged and how. Correct diagnosis of the causes of the disease will allow you to take measures to correct the situation as soon as possible.

Curled leaves of pepper seedlings

boat

When the shape of young leaves becomes boat-like, this may indicate uneven growth of different parts of the leaf. In most cases, this problem affects only the upper leaves and is associated with insufficient lighting.

When curling is a natural process of vegetation

Young leaves curled upward will be observed in pepper seedlings when there is a lot of nutrients in the soil, but not enough heat and sunlight. As a result, the plants begin to stretch, and the biochemical processes of the delicate leaves slow down.

When there is an excess of nitrogen, the midrib of the leaf quickly increases in length, and the cells of the leaf plate do not have time to divide quickly due to lack of light. This causes a strong tension in the fabric, causing twisting. After some time, the cells of the leaf plate become active, begin to divide normally and form a full-fledged leaf, which will straighten and acquire a characteristic density and shine.

To solve the problem, you need to thin out the thickened plantings. This will increase access to sunlight. If the temperature drops significantly at night, the seedlings are insulated in the evening by covering them with some material that retains heat. If you started growing seedlings early, placing them on a window with wooden frames that let in cold air, you can cover the window with a layer of polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect.

Problems with leaves in open ground

When growing sweet peppers outdoors, curling of the leaves is as common as yellowing of the foliage.

Soil waterlogging

If there is stagnation of water in a bed of peppers, you should simply hill it up and create a slight slope to drain the moisture. You can also build a small canopy that will protect the peppers from excess moisture during rainy summers.

Heatwave

Strong sun over a long period of time causes the leaf blade to curl in a boat. Without shading, the plant will suffer greatly. And this will negatively affect the harvest.

Lack of moisture

To relieve peppers from lack of moisture, watering should be adjusted. In hot weather it has to be done every other day. Drip irrigation systems, which can be adjusted according to weather conditions, also performed well.

Possible causes of foliage deformation

There are several reasons why pepper leaves lose their usual shape and color. These are care errors, pests and diseases.

Deformed leaves are a serious problem that can lead to complete loss of yield and plant death.

Uneven growth of the leaf plate

The leaf blade becomes deformed when the lateral veins form more slowly than the central one. Uneven leaf development is temporary. It can occur during sudden cold snaps, when the normal nutrition of peppers is disrupted. Foliar feeding quickly solves the problem.

See also

20 best varieties of thick-walled sweet peppers for open ground

Read

Deficiency of essential elements in the soil

For normal development, peppers need different nutrients. Their deficiency in the soil affects the condition of the aboveground part of the plant.

How to save pepper seedlings and what means to use

If the leaves of pepper seedlings curl, what should I do? Is there one recipe to correct the situation? No. You should carefully examine the seedlings, determine the cause of this situation, and only after that take measures to improve the health of the plant. Sometimes this may simply require moving it out of the bright sun.

If the leaves curl like a boat

When the leaves of pepper seedlings curl into a boat, you can quickly solve this problem. To do this you will need:

• Move the seedlings to a more illuminated place.
• Install additional lighting at a distance of 0.5 meters.
• Use special phytolamps for plants.

The edges curl up and do not change color

Pepper leaves are susceptible to this deformation due to a lack of potassium. The situation can be corrected by adding 2-3 tablespoons of dry wood ash under each plant. After this, the soil is slightly moistened with a spray bottle.

If ash is not on hand, you can use a solution of potassium sulfur in a proportion of 2 tablespoons per bucket of water.

On a note! Fertilizer is applied to already moist soil.

The amount of feeding depends on the size of the plant, but you should start with small doses, increasing them later.

Potassium deficiency

Leaves curl down

The main reason for this curling will be blossom end rot. For this disease, the bushes are treated with special preparations, and in addition, the acidity of the soil is reduced with dolomite flour or wood ash.

If the edges of the leaves not only droop down, but also begin to curl into a tube, you should treat them against parasites such as garden mites and aphids. If the planting area is small, insects can be removed using a cotton pad and soap solution.

Treatment against parasites using an infusion of onion peels has proven itself well. To do this, pour a glass of husk into a liter of boiling water and leave for one day. Next, the bushes are processed on all sides approximately once every five days. It is also advisable to treat the adjacent soil.

If this method is not effective enough, you can resort to chemical agents.

Important! It is advisable to rid the plant of fluctuations in soil moisture, ideally by mulching with sawdust or a special covering material.

If the upper leaves curl

When curling of the upper leaves begins due to direct sunlight, the pepper needs to be shaded or removed from the window from the hot sun. If the leaves begin to curl due to increased dryness of the air, then it is not difficult to deal with it; just spray it with water from a spray bottle.

Quality seeds

Types of sheet plate deformation

The leaves of a healthy bell pepper are tender, juicy, bright green, and shiny. Their deformation occurs due to exposure to adverse weather factors, poor care, and insect infestation. The leaves curl on both sweet and bitter peppers.



Roll up like a boat

The leaves resemble a boat. Their edges are curved upward parallel to the central vein. The reason lies in poor nutrition or viral infection. The presence of a pathogen (tobacco mosaic virus) is indicated by the following symptoms:

• yellow border;
• spotted color.

Curl up

Leaves curled upward are a symptom of disease (phytoplasmosis) or potassium deficiency. If there is a lack of nutrients, yellow leaves appear in the lower part of the bush, the plant lags behind in development, and there are few or no ovaries.

Other symptoms of phytoplasmosis (stolbur):

• First of all, young leaves on the crown are deformed;
• later the lower tiers suffer, the leaves are bent upward, dry out, and fall off;
• The fruits are small, gnarled, and turn red early.

Stolbur is caused by microorganisms. They are spread by sap-sucking insects.

Are curled down

There are 3 possible reasons: sucking insects, lack of moisture, fungal disease (apex rot). Pests are identified by inspecting the bush. The lack of moisture is assessed by the condition of the soil. The disease is treated if there are no insects, watering regularly.

The upper leaves curl

The top leaves of seedlings curl if the room is cool, there is little sunlight, there are few nutrients in the soil, and fertilizing is not carried out. In the garden and greenhouse, pepper leaves wrinkle in the heat. This is how plants reduce moisture evaporation.

Cotyledons

Do not worry when the cotyledon leaves of the pepper turn out and fall off. This is a natural process. The plant sheds them after it grows enough real leaves for full photosynthesis.

The leaves curled into a pimply puff

Pimples can be seen on pepper seedlings. The problem is not terrible; it is related to the physiology of seedling development. Leaf cells do not have time to absorb the moisture that comes inside. This causes swelling. Peppers need help:

• reduce watering or reduce its volume;
• transfer the seedlings to a warm room where the roots are warm;
• provide lighting;
• reduce the number of seedlings per unit area.

They dry out and fall off

Leaves fall for many reasons. Often inexperienced gardeners water peppers with cold water. In cold soil, roots stop absorbing nutrients. The leaves dry out and fall off. In hot weather, such watering is especially destructive.

Preventive measures

Proper agricultural technology and careful attention to the choice of soil and seeds will avoid many problems in the further cultivation of seedlings.

Basic recommendations for preventing curling of pepper leaves can be summarized as follows:

• Soil for seedlings, for prevention, is placed inside the stove and calcined, treated with potassium permanganate or poured with boiling water. This will destroy the eggs and larvae of pests.
• Containers for seedlings and tools are treated with alcohol or another disinfectant solution.
• Seed material is purchased from trusted suppliers. When purchasing seeds from your own hands, there is no guarantee that there will be no fungal or bacterial infections.
• You should choose disease-resistant pepper varieties.
• Compliance with the required temperature and humidity conditions will avoid many problems when growing seedlings.

If you follow these simple rules, you can get strong and healthy seedlings. And this is the key to the full development of an adult plant, a guarantee of a bountiful harvest of bell pepper.

Violation of the rules of care

Both experienced and novice gardeners know that pepper is a rather demanding crop. If growing conditions are not very favorable, the leaves may curl into a boat. This is usually due to the following factors:

• night temperatures drop below +13°C;
• during the day the temperature often rises above +35°C;
• sudden temperature changes during the day;
• strong drafts;
• insufficient or excessive watering.

Since in many Russian regions the climate is unpredictable even in summer, it is recommended to grow peppers in a greenhouse, with the exception of the southern regions. In addition, it is necessary to observe the norm of watering, avoiding drying out and waterlogging of the soil.

How to avoid seedling diseases

Most of the disgrace listed above can be avoided at the stage of preparation for sowing seedlings. Yes, this is exactly how, by following simple rules, you can protect your crops from most problems.

So, the main methods of prevention that you must use before planting any seedlings are in this list:

• buy proven, high-quality seeds and treat them in a fungicide solution before planting
• if you take a used container for seedlings, pre-treat it (wash, scald with boiling water or a strong infusion of hot potassium permanganate, wipe with alcohol
• always disinfect the soil, both purchased and your own (this can be done by calcining it in the oven, steaming it in the microwave for 20 minutes, or pouring it with a hot dark solution of potassium permanganate)
• After heat treatment of the soil, in order to return beneficial microorganisms to the soil, water it with the biological preparation Baikal and just leave it to stand for a week
• the soil for seedlings should be loose, with a high content of peat, coconut substrate or perlite, this is necessary to avoid its compaction, which entails stagnation of water
• It is necessary to additionally illuminate the seedlings, if you have a shady side and planting is done in February-March, this contributes to good plant immunity
• do not thicken the plantings, try to avoid crowding. Pick up small seeds immediately, without waiting for real leaves, or immediately thin out the plantings after germination
• do not expose the seedlings to drafts and direct flows of cold air when ventilating; a damp earth ball freezes very quickly and negatively affects the development of roots
• ensure good drainage and regulate watering
• To be on the safe side, you can spill the soil with Fitosporin, the Healthy Soil preparation, or put Glyocladin tablets in it to prevent fungal diseases

These apply to absolutely any seedlings. Follow these simple rules and your peppers will delight you with their health and wonderful harvest!

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How to grow healthy pepper seedlings: advice from gardeners

Pepper will produce tasty, healthy fruits if each seedling is given maximum attention at all stages of the growing season. Experienced gardeners advise:

1. seeds begin to be sown no earlier than February 15th. The exact date is calculated by knowing the characteristics of the variety. It is taken into account that the seeds of the crop germinate from 5 to 15 days.
2. The seeds are placed in a common container at a distance of 20 - 25 mm from each other, so as not to damage the delicate roots when picking.
3. The peppers are planted according to a pattern so that the grown seedlings do not have to compete with each other for resources - food, light, water.
4. When the seeds germinate, the seedling boxes are transferred to a warm, well-lit place, protected from drafts.
5. Until the second decade of March, additional lighting is turned on for 10–12 hours a day, then they are guided by the weather and the condition of the bushes.
6. Monitor the regularity and abundance of watering, temperature and humidity in the room.

Liquid complex fertilizers completely saturate plants with nutrients. Solutions are prepared according to the instructions, strictly observing the proportions.

Beginning gardeners should not be upset when they notice that the foliage on young pepper bushes has begun to curl. The problem is common and occurs among experienced vegetable growers. Healthy seedlings confidently resist deformation and curling of edges. To grow strong plants, follow preventive measures and crop care rules. A detailed analysis of mistakes made when caring for seedlings and quick actions will help strengthen the seedlings’ immunity and get a good harvest in the fall.

Prevention

Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology is the best preventive measure to prevent the leaves of pepper seedlings from curling.

Preventive methods include:

• pre-sowing preparation and dressing of seeds, seedling containers, substrate;
• treating the soil in a greenhouse and in an open garden bed to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and pests that cause leaf curling - with insecticides and fungicides according to the instructions;
• creating optimal conditions for the development of seedlings - 14-hour daylight, air temperature +25 °C, regular watering at least 2 times a week;
• providing plants with a sufficient amount of potassium by balancing the soil and fertilizing with appropriate fertilizers and wood ash.

Young pepper seedlings react by curling their leaves to various irritants, most often caused by errors in care. Having found out what exactly caused the deformation, you can easily eliminate the problem without harming the seedlings. And preventive measures will eliminate the risk of damage to peppers.