What to do if pepper leaves curl, proper care and treatment

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.

Why do pepper leaves curl up and down?

Peppers are heat- and light-loving crops, so any changes in conditions affect their development and appearance. The reasons leading to external changes in peppers in open and protected ground are different due to differences in care, agricultural technology, and environment.

Reasons for changes in greenhouse peppers

The greenhouse creates its own microclimate, the soil is not always fertilized and renewed, and structures are not disinfected, so unfavorable conditions for the normal development of the crop may arise.

Factors influencing the condition of leaves:

• lack of potassium leads to upward curling in the shape of a boat, the edge then dries out and crumbles;
• with a lack of phosphorus, the green plate becomes dark purple, takes on the shape of a boat with edges curled upward, sometimes rises and seems to press against the stem;
• excess potassium + lack of magnesium (if there is a lot of potassium in the soil, then magnesium is almost not absorbed) - the spaces between the veins become brownish-yellow or dark, the entire leaf curls and dries;
• if there is very little calcium in the soil, then the edges rise, the surface becomes lumpy, yellow-brown spots of a watery structure gradually appear, then drying out begins;
• at high temperatures, to reduce evaporation, all leaves take the shape of a tube or boat.

Problems in the open ground

Sometimes the foliage of peppers suffers due to improper use of herbicides - they are sprayed on the neighboring territory without taking measures to protect the cultivated plants. A similar situation arises when using mulch and compost, the components of which were previously treated with herbicides.

Reaction to improper care:

• in the heat, with a combination of high temperature, strong wind and low humidity, the plant reduces the area of ​​evaporation - the leaf plates become like a tube, a boat; with normal watering, this picture is observed only on the upper part of the bush;
• stress when cutting a large number of leaves, stems, or disturbing the roots during transplantation of seedlings;
• damage to the roots when installing a support, deep loosening;
• excess moisture in rainy summers, violation of watering norms on heavy soils leads to swelling - the edges bend down, but the plate does not curl completely;
• when there is a lack of moisture, the leaf hangs, the edge bends down; if you do not water, the green mass will begin to dry out.

On a note!
Curling only at the top occurs due to the fact that when there is a lack of light, the central vein grows faster than the entire plate. The normal shape will gradually be restored.

Diseases and pests

Peppers in a greenhouse and on an open ridge are not immune from infection by a virus or fungus or pest damage. Infection can be triggered by unfavorable weather, improper watering, or a nearby plant that is sick or infested with insects (insects are carriers of infection).

What pests and diseases cause leaf curling?

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.

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

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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.

Reasons for curling pepper leaves in seedlings

An abnormal condition of leaf blades is also observed in seedlings. It grows in artificially created conditions, so its condition largely depends on the care and composition of the soil. Infection and insect damage will also affect the appearance.

Possible reasons:

1. Insufficient lighting. If the seedlings do not have enough light, then the veins grow faster than the leaf itself, and it, turning towards the sun, tries to increase the area. As a result, it becomes deformed, wrinkles, and curls like a boat.
2. Failure to follow the rules of care. All leaves suffer from excessive or insufficient watering, through ventilation, low or high air temperatures.
3. Little (a lot) potassium. If there is a lack of a microelement, immunity decreases, the whole plant suffers; if there is an excess, the edges of the lower leaves curl and dark spots appear on them.
4. Damage to spider mites, aphids. In addition to curling and wrinkling, other signs are observed: holes in the plate, yellowing, a grayish coating and a light whitish cobweb throughout the plant.
5. Contaminated soil. If you do not disinfect the soil mixture (all at once or each component separately), then pest larvae and infectious agents may remain in it, which will ultimately lead to damage to the roots, disease and a change in appearance.
6. Blossom rot (caused by virus). The disease is provoked by a lack of calcium with an excess of nitrogen. First, the upper leaves curl downward, then putrefactive processes begin.

On a note! The curling, wilting and falling of the cotyledon leaves begins when the true leaves are formed, and this is a natural process. If this happens too early and they turn yellow, then most likely there is a nitrogen deficiency in the soil.

Violation of crop care

Irregular watering of peppers, lack of fertilizing, lack of lighting, cold soil. These maintenance deficiencies negatively affect the absorption of nutrients from the soil. This affects the condition of the leaves.

With excessive watering, the leaf blades droop, as if the plant has not been watered for a long time. Pepper bushes look sad if they are watered abundantly at low air and soil temperatures. In hot weather with a lack of moisture, the leaves turn pale and change shape.

High temperature and dry air

Nightshade crops can suffer from both lack of sun and severe overheating. A side effect in this case is leaf lethargy. This applies to both peppers and tomatoes. Therefore, if it is frankly hot outside the window and has not given up its position for several days, during daylight hours provide the plants with breathable shelter (thin spunbond, insect netting, tulle), and spray them with warm water in the morning and evening. To retain moisture in the soil, mulch it.

To increase the level of air humidity near the plantings, place containers of water around the perimeter of the greenhouse.

Another important action is ventilation of the greenhouse. In hot weather, leave the door and windows open, including at night. But it’s better to install an automatic greenhouse ventilation system.

If, after the cessation of the heat, the pepper leaves were unable to completely restore turgor, help them by using one of the growth stimulants, for example, Epin, Epin Extra or Zircon.

Diseases

Bushes with signs of phytoplasmosis are destroyed. Other plants are saved from disease with the help of preventive measures:

• destroy disease carriers (aphids, thrips, ticks);
• in the fall, remove plant debris, disinfect the soil and greenhouse structures;
• Weeds are removed in summer.

Leaf curl

The cause of the disease is the cucumber mosaic virus CMV. It is carried by aphids. There are many strains of viruses, so the symptoms of the disease are different:

• the leaves curl without losing color, the bush dries out;
• during the formation of buds, the leaves become brown and dry;
• deformed leaves turn yellow, there are no flowers or ovaries;
• the ovaries fall off, the internodes are short, the leaves are dry and deformed, the fruits are small, the bushes do not grow.

Apical rot

On diseased bushes, the leaves curl, and diseased fruits can be found. They can be identified by dark depressed spots. Such fruits spoil quickly. They rot right on the bushes.

Probable causes of blossom end rot:

• rare watering;
• excess nitrogen;
• lack of calcium.

Causes of leaf wilting

Plants can begin to wither for the same reasons as they begin to curl. The following may also cause the problem:

• illiterate formation of a bush;
• unsuccessful tying - the stem of the plant must not be rubbed with twine or pulled too tightly. It is most convenient to use special clips for fixing plants;
• sunburn - water falling on the leaves refracts sunlight and locally increases the temperature. This causes a dry area to appear on it;
• insufficient root respiration - 2-3 hours after watering, the soil around the plant should be loosened, otherwise a crust will form that interferes with the flow of air. Because of this, the leaves wrinkle and wither.

Pest Infestation

Not a single garden is protected from pest invasion. They can appear in the pepper bed even if all preventive measures are followed.

Aphid

A small (0.3-0.5 mm) green, colorless or dark gray insect that feeds on sap. It reproduces incredibly quickly. One female produces up to 10 generations of aphids. The masonry is made on the back side of the sheet plates. The egg, larva, and adult stages last only 10-15 days. Damage from aphids:

• by sucking out the juice, it weakens the peppers;
• secretes honeydew (sweet sticky mass) in which pathogenic microorganisms multiply.

On bushes infected with aphids, the leaves are curled, and fallen flowers and ovaries can be seen on the ground. Ants on peppers are the first sign of a pest.

Spider mite

Adult pests suck sap. They settle on the back of leaves. The plates are deformed, their edges curl inward. Mite larvae can parasitize the roots of peppers. A tick can be identified by a whitish formation inside a rolled up leaf blade. This is a web. The insect causes harm:

• disrupts the process of photosynthesis;
• damaged leaves fall off;
• the plant lags behind in development.

Aphids on pepper seedlings: how to fight?

If you look closely, you can find clusters of aphids on the backs and stems of pepper seedling leaves. These small parasitic insects quickly attack young plants that are unable to resist.

Aphids are parasitic, multiply and feed on plant sap. Because of this, seedlings become deformed, grow and develop slowly, take root poorly or die. If the plant survives, the quality and quantity of its harvest is noticeably different from the yield from healthy pepper bushes.

Therefore, when aphids are detected on pepper seedlings, it is necessary to immediately begin combating this pest, which is possible in several ways.

IMPORTANT: Greenhouse pepper seedlings are always at risk of aphid infection. The conditions created in greenhouses are ideal for the life and reproduction of these parasites.

Aphids on pepper seedlings
Chemical methods for killing aphids:

• Soap solution . Dilute crushed soap in water (5 - 10 g of soap per 1 liter of water) and thoroughly spray the seedlings. If there are not many seedlings, it is better to manually wipe the affected leaves and stems. Carry out the procedure 3 – 4 days in a row.
• If the seedlings are located outside the living space, treatment with an insecticidal preparation (Karbofos, Tanrek, Keltan) will be effective. Dissolve the drug in water (1 tbsp per 10 l) and treat the plant with the solution.

IMPORTANT: Chemicals to kill aphids should not be used during the flowering and fruiting period of peppers.

Traditional methods:

Pine infusion . Pour pine or spruce needles (300 g) with cold water (1 liter) and leave for a week in a dark place. Treat the infected plants with the resulting infusion.

Needles for preparing pine infusion

Garlic infusion . Mash a large garlic bulb until a paste forms, add warm water (3 liters) and leave to infuse in a dark place for a day. Then generously spray the pepper seedlings with the infusion.

A solution of soap, oil and garlic . Ingredients:

• Peeled medium-sized garlic cloves (7 pcs.)
• Vegetable oil (10 ml)
• Liquid soap (5 ml)
• Water (0.5 l)

Preparation:

• Crush the garlic and add water
• Leave in a dark place for 3 days
• Strain
• Add oil and soap to the liquid
• Stir
• Before use, dilute the resulting product with water in a ratio of 1:10.
• Use to treat seedlings 3 – 4 days in a row

A solution of ash, tobacco dust and soap. Ingredients:

• Wood ash (50 gr.)
• Tobacco dust (50 gr.)
• Water (2l.)
• Liquid soap (2 tbsp)

Preparation:

• Pour water over the mixture of ash and tobacco dust
• Stir
• Leave to infuse for 4 days
• Strain
• Add liquid soap to the resulting liquid
• Stir
• Treat areas where aphids accumulate

Tobacco dust to kill aphids

What to do

Curled pepper leaves are a warning sign. An urgent assessment of the situation is necessary. In a short time, you need to find out the cause and begin to eliminate it.

Fertilize the soil

Soil fertility is restored annually to prevent nutrient deficiencies in summer. According to experienced gardeners, fertilizers applied to the ground in the fall work better. The exceptions are urea and ammonium nitrate. They are used only in spring. When applied in autumn, nitrogen is washed away by meltwater.

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Phosphorus fertilizing

High concentration of available phosphorus in superphosphate (up to 19.5%). To feed peppers, prepare a solution:

• water - 10 l;
• superphosphate - 1 tbsp. l.;
• potassium sulfate - 1 tbsp. l.

You can feed the peppers with this solution 2 times: before flowering, after the first ovaries appear.

Wood ash

Potassium deficiency is eliminated with the help of ash; 2-3 tbsp are added to the root zone of each bush. l. Foliar feeding with ash infusion helps a lot:

• water - 10 l;
• ash - 1.5 tbsp.

Leave the ash for 5-7 days. Before use, filter the infusion. Spray sweet pepper bushes in the morning. Ash infusion is used for symptoms of deficiency and against sucking insects (aphids, spider mites, thrips).

Treatment

What to do if the leaves of pepper seedlings curl? The tactics of the measures depend on the causes of the pathology of young shoots.

“Alignment” of seedling growth

Despite the fact that this reason is quite harmless and will not particularly harm the yield of the vegetable crop, the pepper must be helped to adapt to the upcoming transplant and strengthen it. The container with seedlings should be moved to a sunny place and care should be taken to ensure sufficient warmth in the room.

To solve the problem, you can build a small greenhouse - make the frame from wooden pegs and slats, and cover the frame itself with a transparent film with perforations. The lack of natural light can be compensated by installing a phytolamp or fluorescent lamp.

Elimination of potassium deficiency

Potassium fertilizing will not hurt in any case, and if the leaves curl, it will help quickly solve this problem. Potassium is rarely added in its pure form; complex fertilizers are more often used. The most popular two options:

• Potassium nitrate. It is necessary to prepare the solution by mixing 2 tablespoons of saltpeter in a bucket of water. Before application, the soil must be moistened so that the fertilizing is better “absorbed” by weakened plants. Recommended consumption is 150-300 ml per sprout, depending on the growth phase of the pepper.
• Wood ash. It is better to use the ash of deciduous trees - it contains more potassium than coniferous trees. Under weak sprouts, add 2-3 tablespoons of ash, and then be sure to moisten the soil.
• It is advisable to feed peppers throughout the growing season with potassium-phosphorus-nitrogen fertilizers. For example: ammophoska, diammofoska or nitrophoska.

Advice. When calculating the concentration and dose of fertilizing, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil. Peat substrate contains less potassium than sandstone. Loam and clay soil have enough potassium, but have poor air and moisture permeability

Pest Control

If signs of aphids, mites are detected on the leaves, or larvae are identified in the soil, it is necessary to urgently take measures to rid the fragile seedlings of pests. Possible options for treating soil, ground shoots and foliage:

1. Onion tincture. Pour boiling water over the dried onion skins and leave for a day. Component proportions: 2 liters of water/500 ml of husk. Water the soil with a medicinal solution and spray the peppers once a week.
2. Potassium permanganate solution. Dilute the crystals in water, bringing the composition to a slightly pink color, strain the prepared solution through cheesecloth. Spray the affected sprouts daily, moisten the soil as it dries.
3. Garlic infusion. Twist the garlic cloves; it is advisable to add “minced meat” from flowers and dandelion stems to the mixture. The ratio of active ingredients is 1:1. Add two glasses of garlic-dandelion pulp to a bucket of water. Let it sit for 3 hours and treat the pepper seedling plantation.
4. Tansy and wormwood. Mix chopped grass in equal parts, fill the container a third with the mass and fill it to the top with boiling water. After 3 days, the medicinal infusion is ready for use - spray only the affected leaves with the solution.
5. In addition to traditional methods, the insecticidal drug “Aktara” is effective in controlling pests. To cleanse the soil of parasites, one treatment with the reagent is enough; the seedlings are also sprayed once. Method of preparation: dissolve 8 g of active ingredient in warm water (10 l).

Compliance with agrotechnical standards

Following the rules for growing pepper seedlings will help avoid many diseases, the appearance of tubercles and curling of leaves. Mandatory requirements for caring for heat-loving crops include:

• Abundance of light. Pepper seeds are sown under film at the end of winter, when there is still little natural light. For the proper development of seedlings, it is necessary to provide illumination for the planting for at least 18-19 hours a day.
• Adjusting watering time. Pepper prefers a dry climate and does not respond well to excess moisture. It is not advisable to water the plants in the evening; it is better to postpone irrigation until the morning - during the day the water will be absorbed and the soil will have time to dry out.
• Maintaining an optimal microclimate. Drafts should not be allowed in the room with seedlings. It does not like pepper and dry air - it is unacceptable to place containers near heating radiators.
• Soil condition assessment. Before watering, you need to check the soil for moisture so as not to oversaturate the substrate with water. In addition, you should monitor so that a crust does not form on the surface.

Important! It is necessary to observe the timing of picking seedlings. Timely transplantation of seedlings into separate containers has a good effect on the root system and plant growth

Treatment of viruses

If the leaf curls due to a viral attack, then the original cause of blossom end rot should be eliminated - a lack of calcium or excess nitrogen.

What to do:

• Irrigate the soil weekly with calcium chloride, first diluting 150 ml of the active component in 150 ml of water.
• Every 10 days, spray the planting with a weak solution of calcium nitrate.
• Do not use nitrogen fertilizers.
• Reduce the acidity of the substrate - sprinkle the soil with gypsum or tobacco dust.
• Gently loosen the soil between the sprouts.
• When destroying rot, it is necessary to ensure soil moisture. It is better to mulch the substrate - sprinkle the soil with ash or hay.

We treat diseases

To prevent and treat blossom end rot, peppers are sprayed with lime milk or a 0.3% calcium chloride solution. The ridge is regularly watered, mulched, and the soil is not allowed to dry out.

Bushes infected with the CMV virus are destroyed. The next year, the peppers are grown elsewhere, using varieties and hybrids that are resistant to CMV. Plants are treated against aphids and weeds are destroyed.

Advice from gardeners

We have collected for you advice from experienced gardeners who have been growing peppers in their garden plots for a long time:

• grow seedlings yourself or purchase them from trusted people;
• soak the seeds in potassium permanganate before planting;
• Spray the soil in the greenhouse and the beds in the vegetable garden with a strong solution of potassium permanganate before planting;
• after watering, loosen the soil;
• ventilate greenhouses;
• water only with warm water and feed the peppers regularly;
• buy proven, resistant varieties.

Getting rid of pests and insects

To destroy aphids you will not need chemicals if you carry out urgent treatment of the bushes. If deformed tops appear on them, immediately spray with onion peel infusion:

• husk - 1 tbsp.;
• boiling water - 1 l.

The folk remedy is infused for 24 hours and filtered. Every single one of them sprays the bushes - both healthy and sick. The surface of the leaf plates is washed with onion water. Treatment is carried out every 2 days in the morning or evening. The ground under the bushes is powdered with ash, hot pepper or dry mustard.

Fight against aphids and spider mites with soapy water. Take 72% laundry soap. Part of the piece is grated, the shavings are dissolved in lukewarm water. The entire above-ground part of young plants is washed with a soap solution, and adult bushes are sprayed.

In advanced cases, they resort to chemistry. Insecticides are used to kill insects:

• "Aktara";
• "BI-58";
• "Intavir".

To destroy spider mite larvae that parasitize the root system, the ridge is watered with a manganese solution.

Pepper leaves curl and turn yellow - what to do

A pattern of simultaneous yellowing and curling of the leaf blade can be observed during diseases and insect damage. If pests are found during the inspection, then measures must be taken immediately to remove them so that neighboring plants are not damaged. In cases where there are signs of infection, treatment with fungicides begins (described above). If the damage is severe, it is better to remove the bush and treat the soil.

Advice! Often cases of infection occur against the background of insect damage, so it is recommended to carry out complex treatment with insecticides (folk remedies) and fungicides.

We organize competent care for peppers

Peppers in a greenhouse need regular nutrition. Gardeners carry out three feedings without fail.

Throughout the season, the plants are provided with regular watering, a comfortable temperature (23-25 ​​°C), air humidity of 70%, absence of drafts, ventilation, and good lighting.

Prevention

Correct preparation of the soil for planting seedlings helps prevent phosphorus starvation and the development of anthocyanosis in peppers. To do this, it is enriched with superphosphate. Additionally, organic matter and other mineral fertilizers are added. The beds are organized taking into account the requirements of crop rotation. Peppers are not placed in places where other nightshade crops previously grew.

Grown seedlings are moved to a permanent place at the recommended time. Bushes are planted in open beds only after warm weather has finally established and the soil has warmed up. When there is a threat of cold weather, plants are covered with protective material. Temperatures in the greenhouse are monitored. If necessary, organize additional insulation or reduce the heating of the air by ventilation.

A change in the color of pepper leaves and the appearance of a purple tint indicates improper care or the onset of disease development. After discovering the reason for restoring the health of the bushes, the plants are insulated or fertilized with mineral fertilizers and organic matter.

White coating on the leaves of pepper seedlings

A white coating on the back of the leaves of pepper seedlings, combined with their deformation and the formation of whitish spots, indicates powdery mildew. If detected, it is necessary to urgently treat the plants with any systemic fungicide, otherwise the seedlings will die.

A white fluffy coating on the lower leaves and the basal part of the stems may mean that the plants are infected with sclerotinosis (white rot). The affected areas are covered with charcoal or chalk.

A spider-like white coating on the leaves indicates a spider mite infestation.