Diseases in pepper seedlings. Why pepper leaves turn white Black spots on pepper seedlings

Take note of this article that will help determine the cause of spots on the leaves of peppers and eggplants, and also tell you how to save the plants.

Save this material in your bookmarks to identify diseases of peppers and eggplants once or twice.

Yellow spots on pepper and eggplant leaves

Why do the leaves of peppers and eggplants turn yellow? The issue may be either non-compliance with the rules for growing these vegetables, or more serious problems: damage by diseases or pests.

Improper watering

If you notice that the leaves of a pepper or eggplant are turning yellow and falling off, the most common reason is excessive or insufficient watering.

If you find not only yellow, but also dry spots on the leaves of an eggplant or pepper, the plant is most likely suffering from “thirst.”

If the leaves turn yellow and droop, you probably over-watered and the root system has rotted. This often occurs in cool weather, when the rate of moisture evaporation decreases and water stagnates near the roots of plants.

Nutrient deficiency

If the leaves of a pepper or eggplant turn yellow and fall off, especially starting from the bottom of the plant, most likely you have “underfed” it. Yellowing of leaves can be caused by a deficiency of nitrogen, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, as well as other trace and trace elements.

It is quite difficult for an amateur vegetable grower to determine by eye exactly which element is missing in the soil, so it is preferable to fertilize with a complex fertilizer, strictly following the instructions on the package.

Thickened plantings

If vegetable crops are too crowded in a garden bed, some of the leaves will not receive enough sunlight. Thus, the plants will begin to get rid of “extra” leaves: they will turn yellow, wither and fall off.

There is nothing left to do but thin out the planting. To prevent the problem, follow the planting scheme indicated in the description of the variety.

Cucumber mosaic

This dangerous viral disease appears on the leaves of peppers and eggplants in the form of mosaic spots of pale yellow color.

Control measures

The affected plant cannot be saved: it must be immediately dug up and burned.

As a preventative measure, next season you can try planting early varieties of peppers and eggplants: the earlier you plant the seedlings, the more likely it is that the plants will “fall out of touch” with the insects that carry the virus.

In addition, it is important to carry out preventive treatments with insecticides (Aktellik, Fufafon, etc.).

You can also spray pepper as a preventive measure with folk remedies. For example, a soap solution (40 ml per 10 liters of water) or skim milk.

Hypothermia or sunburn

Pepper and eggplant seedlings often have leaves that turn yellow due to hypothermia. If you overdo it with hardening off the seedlings, they may begin to turn pale and lose their healthy coloring, and you will see greenish-yellow spots on the leaves of the seedlings.

Keep in mind that both peppers and eggplants are heat-loving vegetables and can simply die if the recommended temperature regime is not observed. On the other hand, you should not keep seedlings under the scorching rays of the sun - tender seedlings can get burned and die.

Due to exposure to too low or too high temperatures, spots on the leaves of peppers may also appear on adult plants in the greenhouse. This usually happens when a leaf comes into contact with the glass wall of the greenhouse.

Stolbur (mycoplasmosis)

Plants are severely stunted in growth, chlorosis appears on the upper leaves (the leaves turn yellow and the veins on the back of the leaf turn purple), and soon the disease spreads to the lower leaves. As a result, the foliage curls, the lower leaves begin to fall off, and the stem often turns red.

Control measures

Affected plants are immediately dug up and burned. The carrier of the disease, the leafhopper, does not like dense plantings, so if you have already had to deal with stolbur, next season it is better to play it safe and reduce the recommended distance by about 10-50% (depending on the extent of the damage in the previous year).

It is also necessary to regularly treat plants with insecticides (the same Actellik and Fufafon are suitable).

Tobacco mosaic

A yellow mosaic pattern is visible on the leaves, and the tissue along the main veins is dying. Plants are stunted in growth, fruits become smaller, and black stripes appear on the stems.

Control measures

Unfortunately, this virus has no cure and is distinguished by its enviable vitality: it can survive in dry leaves and soil for up to 50 years. Therefore, affected plants must be burned.

White spots on pepper and eggplant leaves

Whitish-gray spots on the leaves usually indicate the presence of a fungal disease, virus, or pest attack.

Gray rot

With the development of gray rot, light gray spots can be seen on the leaves, stems and fruits of peppers and eggplants.

Typically, gray mold affects beds of peppers and eggplants when grown in a greenhouse, when the air temperature drops and humidity is high.

If the spread of the disease is not stopped in time, the plant will stop growing and die.

Control measures

If the lesion is small, you can sprinkle the sores with a mixture of copper sulfate and lime (1:2). In addition, spraying with garlic infusion helps (infuse 30 g of chopped garlic in 10 liters of water for two days).

You can also spray with Bordeaux mixture (100 g per 10 liters of water) or use a complex fungicide (for example, Antrakol).

Alfalfa pepper mosaic

White mosaic spots on pepper leaves may be a symptom of alfalfa mosaic. Fortunately, this virus is not very common and is only dangerous when growing peppers in a greenhouse, and only if there is alfalfa growing somewhere nearby.

Control measures

Unfortunately, like any other viral disease, this mosaic cannot be cured. All that remains is to urgently dig up and burn the affected plants.

And as a preventative measure, next season do not plant peppers near alfalfa and regularly carry out preventive treatments against aphids, which are carriers of the virus (for example, with insecticides Actellik, Fufafon, etc.).

You can use the same folk remedies as to prevent cucumber mosaic.

Powdery mildew

The symptoms of powdery mildew are well known even to novice gardeners: the leaves of the plant are covered with a whitish powdery coating.

Typically, this disease affects peppers and eggplants in a greenhouse with poor ventilation and high humidity.

Control measures

To combat this fungal disease, you can treat plants with Fundazol or Fitosporin-M.

Read more about powdery mildew in our material:

Spider mite

The presence of spider mites on peppers and eggplants is not so easy to detect. Vegetable growers often notice something is wrong when almost all the juices have been drunk from the plant.

Still, if you look closely, small whitish-brown dots and a grayish cobwebby coating appear on the leaves.

Control measures

At the first signs of spider mite damage, treat the plants with Fitoverm, Karbofos or Inta-Vir.

You can also use a folk remedy: spray the plants with a soap-kerosene solution (2 g of kerosene, 40 g of grated laundry soap per 10 liters of water).

Brown and brown spots on the leaves of peppers and eggplants

If brownish-brown spots appear on the leaves of peppers and eggplants in your garden, this usually indicates the presence of a disease or an “attack” of pests.

Alternaria blight

The first sign of the disease is dark brown spots on the leaves of peppers and eggplants. Then it spreads to the fruits: watery spots form on them. After rain, fluff is noticeable on the plants, which gradually turns into a dark coating.

Control measures

Spraying the plant with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per 10 l of water) or 1% Bordeaux mixture (100 g per 10 l of water) helps against Alternaria blight.

Bacterial spot

Initially, watery spots appear on the leaves, soon they darken, become brownish-brown with a yellow border, depressed. Convex longitudinal cankers of a yellowish-brown color form on the stems.

Control measures

When these signs appear, it is necessary to spray with a 1% solution of copper sulfate.

Brown spot

Brown spot is a common fungal disease of vegetable crops.

Brown, brown and even black spots can appear on the leaves of peppers, eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes in humid, warm weather.

Control measures

To destroy the fungus that causes the disease, treatment with fungicides (Quadris, Antrakol) is required, as well as regular ventilation of the greenhouse.

Using a drip irrigation system reduces the risk of developing the disease.

Bacterial cancer

Small ulcers appear on the leaves and shoots, which subsequently turn into light brown spots with a dark edge. Soon they grow and merge, the disease spreads to the fruits, and the plant withers.

Control measures

Bacterial cancer cannot be treated - all that remains is to remove and burn damaged plants, as well as neighboring ones, to prevent spread.

Verticillium wilt

Dry brown spots with a yellowish border form on the leaves; the stem of the plant is black when cut with brown vessels. Soon the leaves dry out completely.

Typically, the disease develops in years when there are sharp alternations of frost and heat.

Control measures

Nematode

The nematode is an insidious, invisible pest that damages plant roots.

We see only signs of its vital activity: yellowish-brown spots form on the leaves, they themselves curl up at the edges, and the stems curl. If you dig up the affected plant, you will notice that the roots look like thin threads, and brown bulbs are visible on them.

Control measures

Unfortunately, it is too late to save the plant - it has died, and the nematode has already managed to do its “dark deeds”.

If you find a nematode at an early stage, you need to dig up the plants, clean the roots from the earthen clod and immerse them in hot (50-60°C) water for half an hour. A layer of soil 40 cm deep must be removed, replaced with a new one, thoroughly pour boiling water over the soil, and only then plant peppers and eggplants again.

Olive spot

Like other spots, this disease is of fungal origin.

Brown spots form on the upper side of the leaves; on the underside they are covered with an olive coating. If the disease starts, the leaves curl and fall off.

Control measures

It is necessary to combat olive spot with the help of fungicides (Quadris, Antrakol). For prevention, you need to treat the seeds and soil before planting, and also regularly ventilate the greenhouse.

Late blight

Late blight is a common “scourge” that affects both vegetable and fruit crops, as well as ornamental crops. This fungal disease develops at high humidity. If you properly care for peppers and eggplants, late blight can most likely be avoided.

The disease manifests itself not only in the characteristic brownish spots on the leaves, but also in the darkening of the root collar, as well as lodging of seedlings. If late blight is started, the fungus gradually affects the fruits of the plants.

Control measures

To defeat the disease, it is necessary to treat the plants with a fungicide (Quadris, Antrakol, Strobi), and also regularly ventilate the greenhouse.

Pepper cercospora

The leaves turn yellow and brownish-brown spots with a chloritic halo form on them. This fungal disease affects the lower leaves and rarely the fruits and stems. The upper leaves of peppers and eggplants almost never suffer from cercospora blight.

Control measures

Affected plants are removed and burned.

Healthy pepper seedlings are always pleasing to the eye and do not cause anxiety. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sensitive crops often get sick and are attacked by pests. All this negatively affects the quality of the crop. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to have information about pepper diseases and ways to combat them. Below are the symptoms of major diseases and the measures that need to be taken to restore seedlings to health.

Diseases of sweet pepper seedlings with photos

The causes of pepper disease can be different, but they are aggravated by improper care of seedlings, so agricultural technology is of great importance. By type, all diseases can be divided into:

• fungal;
• bacterial;
• viral;
• non-infectious.

Most often, peppers are affected by diseases caused by fungi. Fungal microorganisms are distributed everywhere, so they easily fall on seedlings and cause their damage. Bacterial diseases are caused by bacteria that enter plants from the soil or through contaminated seeds. Viruses have the same route of transmission. Additionally, they can be transmitted from one plant to another by insects, rain and wind.

Non-infectious diseases are caused by improper care of seedlings. Reasons may include:

• unsuitable temperature conditions,
• waterlogging or insufficient watering,
• soil poor in nutrients,
• unbalanced feeding.
• Pepper is negatively affected by drafts and temperature changes, and too dry air in the room.
• he can hurt for a long time after an incorrect pick.

Fungal diseases

The most common fungal diseases of pepper seedlings include:

Often affects young seedlings. The disease is provoked by excessive soil moisture and insufficient lighting. At the point where the stem comes into contact with the soil surface, a lesion appears. The sprouts become thinner and turn black. Seedlings die quite quickly. The source is always contaminated soil.

The disease has no cure.

For preventative purposes, seeds and soil are treated with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate before planting. At the first signs of damage, diseased plants are removed from the common container. The remaining peppers are sprayed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a 5% solution of colloidal sulfur. A 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture will also help protect seedlings.

With this disease, the leaves begin to become covered with small brown spots, which quickly increase in size. The underside of the leaves is covered with a white coating containing spores of a pathogenic fungus. Soon the stem becomes covered with brown spots and dries out.

The disease can completely affect seedlings in 5-7 days. If urgent measures are not taken, the pepper will die.

At the first signs of the disease, the affected specimens must be destroyed, the rest are treated with Oxychom and Alirin-B according to the instructions. The preparations “Barrier” and “Barrier” are also suitable. Feeding pepper with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers increases its resistance to late blight.

This disease rarely affects pepper seedlings. Occurs in conditions of crowded planting and waterlogging. Whitish spots appear on the upper side of the leaves, then the leaf blades become deformed. If no action is taken, the affected areas merge, the plants dry out and die.

Sick seedlings must be destroyed. The soil in the container is watered with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate, and the remaining plants are treated with Radomil Gold, using it according to the instructions.

The causative agent of the disease penetrates through the roots into the stems of the plant, where it begins to actively develop. This is manifested by the appearance of brown stripes and wilting of the lower leaves, which previously become discolored.

Seedlings can quickly die from this disease. There is no treatment as such; diseased plants are destroyed.

As a preventive measure, before planting, the seeds are treated with a solution of Fundazol, and Trichodermin is added to the soil. It is important to select fusarium-resistant pepper varieties.

The disease manifests itself by the appearance of weeping brown spots at the base of the stem, in place of which a gray coating appears. Gray rot occurs when the planting is too dense and the air humidity is high.

If diseased seedlings appear, they should be removed immediately and the remaining seedlings transplanted into fresh soil.

As a therapeutic measure at the initial stage of the disease, spraying with a solution of garlic, potassium permanganate, copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture is used. You can also use the following drugs: “Previkur”, “Fundazol”, “Acrobat”.

To prevent fungal diseases, it is necessary to carry out pre-sowing treatment of seeds and soil. Before planting, you should also thoroughly rinse the container and scald it with boiling water.

Bacterial diseases

Bacterial diseases can cause significant harm to seedlings and negatively affect the future harvest, so it is important to detect their symptoms in a timely manner. Unfortunately, such diseases are easily confused with others; at first they do not have specific symptoms. On pepper seedlings the following may occur:

Bacteria spread throughout the plant vascular system. The stems become hollow from the inside and lose their color. Increased soil moisture aggravates the disease. Soon the plant is completely affected and dies.

Diseased seedlings are destroyed and the soil is dried. To avoid bacterial rot, the seeds are treated with Fitosporin before sowing the soil. Sick seedlings cannot be treated.

The disease is characterized by damage to the vascular system of plants. Access to nutrients is blocked, resulting in wilting and rapid death of seedlings. This problem can be identified by cutting the stems of plants - a white liquid will begin to be released from them, which is formed as a result of the activity of bacteria.

To protect seedlings from bacterial wilt, it is recommended to soak the seeds before sowing for 30-40 minutes in a concentrated infusion of garlic, and spill the soil with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate.

It is better to remove diseased seedlings from the seedling box. The remaining plants are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 20 g per 10 liters of water.

Can affect seedlings at early stages of development. Black spots form on the leaves and stems and increase in size. Soon the entire plant is affected. Sick seedlings must be destroyed immediately.

Most often, the problem arises due to low-quality seeds; it is better to purchase seed material from reliable suppliers. Before sowing, the seeds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, or the drug Fitolavin-300 is used for this purpose. Pre-sowing soil cultivation is also carried out.

Dense plantings, as well as elevated temperature and humidity, are provoking factors for the disease. Plants can be infected by birds, insects and even people. Bacterial cancer manifests itself as dark spots on all parts of the plant, which grow and merge with each other.

When a disease is detected, the affected plants are immediately destroyed, and healthy ones are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters of water.

The bacteria cause the leaves to turn pale, which then take on a wrinkled, crinkled appearance. Over the next few days, the plants dry out and die. There is no cure for this disease. Diseased seedlings are destroyed, the remaining plants are transplanted into fresh soil.

A feature of bacterial diseases is that bacteria can persist in the soil for a long time. This is why it is so important to calcinate the soil before planting. Most of these diseases are incurable, which reduces the number of seedlings and negatively affects the harvest. Pay attention to prevention.

Viral lesions

There are not many viral diseases that affect peppers. There are 3 most common diseases:

This viral disease can affect both cucumbers and peppers. The disease can occur in several forms.

1. With a transient variety, the seedlings instantly lose leaf turgor and dry out, remaining green.
2. The brown form appears at the stage of bud formation. It is manifested by the appearance of brown areas on different parts of the plant, followed by wilting, the spread is observed from bottom to top.
3. The yellow form results in yellowing of stems and leaves followed by deformation. The growth of bushes stops, ovaries do not form.
4. The dwarf form is characterized by stunted growth. Shortened shoots with small, ugly leaves are formed on the plants. Almost no ovaries are formed. The fruits grow small and deformed.

Careful soil preparation before sowing will help avoid the disease. Preventative treatments against vector pests are also necessary. All diseased plant specimens are destroyed, and the remaining ones are treated with Aktara, Fitoverm, or other insecticides.

Tobacco mosaic

The causative agent is the tobacco mosaic virus. Excessive humidity and lack of light contribute to the manifestation of diseases. The virus is transmitted through contaminated soil and diseased seeds.

The main symptom of the disease is the variegated color of the leaves. As the disease develops, the foliage begins to turn black and fall off. The seedlings stop growing. Subsequently, ugly fruits form on the plants. Sick peppers should be removed, and those that look healthy should be sprayed with a solution of milk and water, prepared in a ratio of 1:10, with the addition of 2-3 drops of iodine.

Streak

This viral disease manifests itself by the appearance of reddish streaks in the upper part of the crown. Leaves become deformed and brittle.

When symptoms appear, diseased specimens must be immediately destroyed, and the soil in which they grew should be treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Those plants that remain undamaged are treated with a 15% solution of trisodium phosphate.

Aka phytoplasmosis. The disease is transmitted by leafhoppers and can affect seedlings grown in a greenhouse. When affected by phytoplasmosis, dwarfism and bushiness of plants, curling and yellowing of leaves, and the formation of small fruits and seeds prone to internal germination are observed.

There is no cure for the disease. When purchasing, you should choose seeds that are resistant to stolbur, get rid of plant residues in a timely manner, and fight against harmful insects.

These diseases are not as common as those of other nature, but it is necessary to know their symptoms. Do not neglect seed treatment, prevent pest attacks and your seedlings will remain healthy.

Often the death of pepper seedlings occurs for non-infectious reasons. They can be classified as. The reason why troubles occur with seedlings may be:

• Waterlogging of the soil. A similar situation occurs when the drainage holes become clogged. Plant roots rot from excess moisture, and as a result, the seedlings themselves die. The situation can be aggravated by low temperatures.
• Seedlings may wilt due to too dry air. Gardeners often make the mistake of placing boxes of seedlings near the radiator. This can only be done at the stage when the seeds have not yet sprouted. If you notice that the leaves have drooped, remove the box with seedlings away from heating appliances, ventilate the room and lightly spray the peppers.
• Drafts are also dangerous for young seedlings. Heat-loving peppers can quickly freeze and die. While you open the window for ventilation, it is advisable to cover the seedlings so that cold air does not reach them.

Sometimes it happens in peppers. There are also several reasons for this:

• 1. Underdevelopment of roots and their confusion. Some people make the mistake of growing peppers without picking in individual containers that are too small. The seedlings quickly become crowded and the roots do not develop properly. Because of this, the plant lacks nutrients, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off. Seedlings may even die for this reason. The only way to help in this situation is to transplant it into a large container, during which the roots should be carefully straightened.
  2. Poor watering. Pepper does not tolerate a lack of moisture very well, and experienced gardeners know this. Pepper seedlings are watered regularly, completely soaking the earthen ball with settled water at room temperature. Due to lack of moisture, the leaves quickly turn yellow and dry out, and then fall off. Overdrying is especially dangerous at the stage of formation of buds and ovaries.
  3. Nutrient deficiencies. Yellowing and falling leaves are often caused by a lack of nitrogen. The microelement is very important for To compensate for nitrogen deficiency, urea, ammonium nitrate, and the preparation “Azogran” in granules are used. All products are used according to the instructions. A lack of calcium causes underdevelopment of the root system, as a result of which the growing point dies. Symptoms of this condition appear as yellow-gray spots on the leaves. To prevent the death of the pepper, feed it with a solution of calcium nitrate at the rate of 2 grams per 1 liter of water.

The deformation may be due to potassium deficiency. In this case, the plants are fertilized with potassium nitrate or wood ash. The curling and falling of leaves is provoked by an attack by spider mites or aphids. Use soap and garlic solution, or industrial insecticides (Fitoverm, Aktara) against pests.

Pepper, seedling diseases. What happened to pepper seedlings: video

Reasons for the death of pepper seedlings: video

Are your pepper seedlings sick? What is oedema: video

As you can see, there can be quite a few problems with growing sweet pepper seedlings. Be more attentive to your plants, try to create comfortable growing conditions for them and provide them with the needs for normal growth. Then you will definitely “make friends” with your peppers and diseases will be avoided.

To get fruits from the southern guest of pepper in our northern latitudes with a short growing season, we have to grow it in seedlings. Tender seedlings are especially susceptible to disease.

Pepper seedling diseases, their symptoms and treatment

All pepper diseases are divided into diseases from poor growing conditions and from viruses, fungi or bacteria entering the body.

Seedling diseases from improper care

Peppers come from the tropics, so for the normal development of seedlings, they need a temperature of twenty-five to twenty-eight degrees Celsius during the day and fifteen to seventeen degrees Celsius at night. If the temperature regime is violated, the growth of seedlings stops.

Water for watering seedlings should be at a temperature of thirty degrees Celsius. If you water young peppers with cold water, they grow frail and gradually die. The soil must be constantly moist; excessive dryness, as well as an excessive amount of water in the planting container, also slows down the growth of seedlings.

The air in the room where the seedlings grow should be of normal humidity; if the humidity is low, then the peppers should be sprayed with warm water.

Light is also important for young plants. A daylight period of 14 hours will be considered natural for them.

All of the above are normal conditions for growing pepper seedlings. Plants immediately react to deviations from the norm by stopping growth, pale leaf color, and delayed development. Naturally, after the conditions for growing seedlings are brought back to normal, the plants begin to actively grow and develop further.

Bacterial diseases

Bacterial diseases occur when plants are affected by various bacteria.

Black spot

Black spot is a well-known disease of tomatoes and peppers. When it is infected, small brown-green spots begin to appear on the leaves of plants, which, gradually darkening, cover the entire leaf and stem. The spots, spreading throughout the plant, do not merge into the general background, but remain separate from each other. The diameter of the spot can reach five millimeters.

As the disease progresses, the leaves dry out and fall off. In particularly severe cases, leaf loss can reach one hundred percent.

The source of infection may be in the pepper seeds themselves, so seed disinfection must be carried out before planting.

Note: In order to disinfect seeds before planting, they are immersed in a special solution of sodium hypochlorite, or placed in water at a temperature of sixty degrees Celsius for twenty minutes.

Pathogenic bacteria enter the leaves and stems through mechanical damage to tissues during work on growing seedlings. The period from infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease is three to five days. An additional risk of disease occurs when seedling growing temperatures are above 25 degrees Celsius and humidity is above 75%.

Treatment of the disease

Until now, pepper varieties resistant to the disease have not been developed, so to prevent the disease, pepper varieties that are most resistant to black spot should be grown.

Preparations for the treatment of black spotting: Planriz, Fitosporin-M, Baktofit, Gamair, Fitolavin, Hom, Oxychom.

The preparations are applied to the surface of the seedlings by spraying from a spray bottle.

Fulminant bacterial wilt

The disease Fulminant bacterial wilt of pepper is so named for the rapid rate of wilting of the plant after the onset of the disease. Pathogenic bacteria that enter the body of pepper quickly multiply in the vessels of the plant and, with their mass, block the flow of nutrients from the root to the leaves. This will be indicated by whitish mucus released at the site where the stem is cut.

Pathogenic bacteria may be on the surface of the seeds. To disinfect seeds, they are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes.

Note: The chemical solution of potassium permanganate can be replaced with an infusion of plant origin. To do this, take four finely chopped cloves of garlic in half a glass of water and leave for half an hour. Pepper seeds are placed in this infusion for an hour, then they are washed with warm water and left to dry.

Preventive measures to combat fulminant bacterial rot of pepper will include culling weak seedlings, observing correct agricultural techniques for growing seedlings, optimal temperature, humidity and light, correct distance between planted plants, and steaming the soil used for planting seedlings.

For treatment, plants are sprayed with copper-containing fertilizers, copper sulfate or copper oxychloride.

Soft bacterial rot

Just like fulminant bacterial rot, soft bacterial rot affects all the vessels of the plant, thereby cutting off the leaves of the seedlings from nutrition. A sign of the disease is a change in the color of the stem and its hollowness, as well as discoloration and death of the leaves.

Plant infection occurs through seeds, soil, or bacteria penetrate through damage to external tissues. Infection is also possible through damage caused by garden tools.

Preventive measures to combat soft bacterial rot of pepper will include culling weak seedlings, observing correct agricultural techniques for growing seedlings, optimal temperature, humidity and light, correct distance between planted plants, and steaming the soil used for planting seedlings.

Bacterial cancer of peppers

Signs of bacterial canker in peppers are small black dots that gradually spread across the leaves of the plants. A lighter spot stands out in the middle of the dots. With the further development of the disease, the points connect, forming a crust and small holes on the leaves. Subsequently, the leaves become discolored and fall off the plant.

Infection of a plant occurs through seeds, soil, and plant residues contained in the soil. Infection through damage caused by garden tools is also possible.

During treatment, the affected seedlings are discarded; the remaining seedlings are sprayed with copper-containing fertilizers, copper sulfate or copper oxychloride, for preventive purposes. Seedling containers are treated with methyl bromide after use.

Fungal diseases of peppers

Fungal diseases of peppers occur when plants are infected by lower plant microorganisms.

Blackleg

When seedlings are infected with Blackleg, the plants soften and sharply decrease the diameter of the base of the stem.

The main cause of the disease is a violation of agricultural technology for growing seedlings, excessive watering, thickening of seedlings, and violation of the growing temperature regime.

During treatment, the affected seedlings are discarded, the growing conditions of the rest are normalized, and for prevention, the plants are treated with Zaslon and Barrier.

Gray rot

When seedlings are infected with Gray rot, the plant stem becomes covered at the base with a gray film.

The main cause of the disease is a violation of the agricultural technology of growing seedlings; the disease develops under excess humidity and low temperatures.

During treatment, affected seedlings are discarded, for the rest, growing conditions are normalized; for prevention, plants are sprayed with a 3% solution of copper sulfate, Kuprosat, Fitosporin or Fungicide.

Note: Garlic infusion will help deal with gray rot. 100 grams of finely chopped garlic cloves are poured with 50 ml of sunflower oil and ½ teaspoon of liquid soap. The mixture is infused for a day, then poured with two liters of water, stirred, filtered and sprayed on the seedlings from a spray bottle.

Fusarium

A sign of fusarium is a drooping, wilted plant. The reason for this phenomenon is that fungal microorganisms, rising from the roots, clog with their mass the vessels that supply nutrient fluid to the leaves of the seedlings. If you cut a plant, then the brown vessels will clearly stand out on the cut.

The causative agents of the disease enter the plant through contaminated soil, seeds, and agricultural implements. Increased temperature and humidity of growing plants contribute to the appearance of the disease.

During treatment, the affected seedlings are discarded, the soil in the seedling box is spilled with a 2% manganese solution or with Planriz. For prevention, pepper seeds are treated with Fundazol before planting.

Late blight

A sign of late blight is dirty brown spots on diseased leaves and trunks of plants. The disease spreads actively in a damp, cold atmosphere.

The causative agents of the disease enter the plant through contaminated soil, seeds, and agricultural implements.

Preparations for the treatment of late blight:

• Gamair – 2 tablets per liter of water when sprayed. Treat three times every seven days;
• Alirin-B – 2 tablets per liter of water when sprayed. Treat three times every seven days;
• Oxychom - 1 sachet per 2 liters of water when spraying. Treat three times every ten days.

To prevent late blight, the soil before planting seedlings is treated with copper-containing fertilizers, oxychome or copper sulfate.

Fighting diseases of pepper seedlings

The bulk of diseases arise from incorrect agricultural techniques for growing seedlings, from too low a temperature, too high humidity, from lack of seed treatment before sowing, from soil contaminated with bacteria. If these factors are excluded, the incidence of seedling diseases will decrease sharply.

As a rule, infected seedlings are discarded, the remaining plants are sprayed with copper-containing fertilizers, oxychome or copper sulfate and the drug Fitosporin for prevention.

Note: Fitosporin is a drug created to combat bacteriological and fungal plant diseases. It is used for soaking seeds and for disinfecting the soil and for spraying young seedlings as a disease prevention.

conclusions

Growing seedlings of the southern pepper plant is not easy work. But by creating familiar conditions for the seedlings and following simple preventive measures, you can completely avoid diseases of pepper seedlings.

To prevent diseases of pepper seedlings from developing, it is necessary to monitor the seedlings and perform basic care steps: water, fertilize, slaughter, maintain the correct temperature, apply ash.

The main diseases of pepper seedlings

1. Black leg. The disease appears when temperature and water conditions are not observed, it is too warm and humid, or the temperature is too low. The root stalk is affected: it softens, becomes thinner and rots. The disease can affect pepper seedlings even if the planting is too dense. The struggle: adjust watering and temperature correctly, the soil needs to be dried, carefully loosened and sprinkled with wood ash.

2. Withering. The seedlings begin to shed their leaves, most often the causes are fungal diseases: sclerocinia, fusarium. Control: affected plants are destroyed and sprayed with a bacterial preparation.

3. Black bacterial spot. Stems and leaves are affected from the moment they emerge; small black spots first appear on the leaves and stems, which gradually increase in size. The disease leads to the death of the plant. Control: destruction of affected seedlings, soil disinfection, use of proven seeds for seedlings.

4. Late blight. A fungal disease that attacks the stems and leaves, producing brown spots with a pale green area around them. Excess humidity and cool temperatures lead to the development of the disease. Control: before sowing, the seeds need to be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, the plants should be sprayed with various infusions (garlic, onion), the temperature should be adjusted, and the plants should be sprayed with Brodka liquid.

5. White rot. A fungal disease that develops in the root zone of a plant, covering it with fungal plaque and forming sclerotia inside the plant, due to which the plant does not receive enough nutrients. Control: maintaining temperature conditions, mulching the soil, removing affected areas of the plant, treating the plant with crushed chalk or coal, using warm water when watering, disinfecting the soil.

6. Gray rot. Appears when temperature conditions and high humidity are not observed. The above-ground parts of the plant are affected, and weeping brown spots with a grayish coating appear. Control: monitor the temperature, monitor the humidity, destroy the affected parts of the plant, ventilate, treat the plants with garlic infusion.

7. Viral diseases: streak, mosaic, which appear due to excessive humidity and poor lighting. Affected plants are destroyed, tools and soil are disinfected.

OgorodSadovod.com

Infectious diseases of pepper in a greenhouse - part two - fungal and mycoplasma diseases

Pepper diseases in a greenhouse can be caused not only by various bacteria and viruses, but also by a variety of fungal and mycoplasma pathogens.

Let us dwell in more detail on exactly what fungal and mycoplasma diseases affect pepper, as well as on how to prevent and treat such infections. You can also watch video materials on the problem of fungal diseases of pepper and the fight against them.

Fungal diseases

There are quite a few diseases of pepper caused by a variety of fungi; let’s look at the most common ones:

• blackleg;
• verticillium wilt;
• fusarium wilt;
• septoria or white spot;
• Alternaria or dry spotting;
• cladosporiosis or brown spot;
• gray rot;
• sclerotinia or white rot;
• late blight

Blackleg

One of the very first fungal diseases that a gardener has to deal with when growing seedlings is “blackleg”. It is this disease that can destroy most of the seedlings, especially under conditions of high relative humidity and insufficient lighting (see LED lamps - efficiency in action). The pathogenic fungus spreads through seeds, poorly disinfected soil and plant debris.

The main symptoms of this disease, as a result of the penetration of the pathogen, in seedlings are:

• darkening of the root collar;
• thinning and rotting of the stem in this area;
• wilting, followed by death of plants.

Blackleg can affect not only seedlings, but also adult plants growing in a greenhouse. Signs of infection by this disease in adult plants are somewhat different than in seedlings:

• the lower part of the stem, located at soil level, becomes dark brown;
• the stem tissues in this area become, as it were, “pressed in.”

The reason why pepper turns yellow in a greenhouse, in the case of the “black leg,” is a nutritional disorder, which primarily manifests itself on old leaves, which turn yellow and wither.

Verticillium wilt

This disease is very similar in some of its manifestations to plant damage by the cucumber mosaic virus. This is due to the fact that in both cases the vascular system of the plant is affected.

The main symptoms of verticillium in sweet peppers are as follows:

• even before flowering, plants affected by the fungus are noticeably stunted in growth;
• the leaves are significantly smaller than normal and have a dark green color;
• starting from the lower leaves, yellow spots appear, first small and then spreading over the entire leaf blade;
• the disease affects plants from the base and gradually moves to its top;
• when plants are infected in the early stages of development, an ovary does not form on them;
• a plant infected at later stages of growth forms an ovary, but the fruits produced are not large and wrinkled.

Characteristic signs of verticillium wilt are:

• dark green leaf color;
• absence of curvature of the central vein of the leaves;
• dark coloration of vascular tissue.

Particularly unpleasant

Fusarium wilt

This disease affects both pepper seedlings and adult plants planted in a greenhouse, and at very different stages of development. The most dangerous damage to plants by fusarium is during fruit set.

This disease manifests itself in a very similar way to verticillium: the leaves of plants, starting from the bottom, turn yellow and then fall off.

Unlike verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt leads to rotting of the root system, and ultimately to the death of the plant.

White spot (septoria)

Septoria usually affects the leaves, and in some cases, the stems and fruits of pepper. The activity of the pathogenic fungus that causes this disease increases when the relative air humidity is above 80% and the air temperature is +15+270C.

The development of the disease begins from below and first covers the old leaves, on which small grayish-white spots appear, surrounded by a darker rim. Gradually, the disease moves upward and affects the upper leaves. The spots become more and more numerous and gradually they merge into one large spot that covers the entire leaf blade, after which the leaves acquire a brownish-yellow color and dry out.

As soon as dirty white spots appear on the leaf blade, it is necessary to spray the plants with any copper-containing preparation. After about two weeks, the treatment must be repeated.

Important: the causative agent of white spot remains exclusively on plant debris. That is why it is so important to remove them all with your own hands and disinfect the soil.

Alternaria (dry spotting)

Alternaria most often affects the stems and leaves of peppers, and much less often the fruits.

The first signs of the disease appear on the lower leaves in the form of round spots of brown-brown color. Gradually, spots appear on the upper leaves, and also increase in size and merge. After which the leaves dry out.

When the stems are infected by the fungus, oval, brown or brownish spots with concentric rings appear on them. The stems are affected by dry rot or die.

Fruits are affected, for the most part, near the stalk, or in places of damage or cracking. Small, as if depressed, watery spots appear on them. There may be one single spot on the outer surface, but the entire interior of the fruit may be affected. If there is high air humidity in the greenhouse, the spots become covered with a dark velvety coating.

When the first signs of damage appear on the leaves, the plants need to be treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture, diluting 100 g of the drug in a bucket of water, or with any copper-containing drug.

Most often, this infectious disease of peppers manifests itself in greenhouses where sudden temperature changes occur. The most favorable temperature for active reproduction +13+160С.

Cladosporiosis (brown spot)

Brown spot affects the leaves, petioles, stalks and ovary of pepper, which subsequently falls off.

Symptoms of this disease are:

• light green spots with a coating of fungus on the inside of the leaves of the lower tier;
• spots of the same or dark brown color on the outer surface of the leaf blade;
• rapid spread of damage from the leaves of the lower tier to the upper one;
• affected leaves wither and dry out.

The disease is transmitted through contaminated soil, infected tools and plant debris. Cladosporiosis is not transmitted through seeds.

At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to spray the plants with copper oxychloride or any other copper-containing preparation.

Advice: if the disease affects the plants during fruiting, then it is better to use infusions from plant materials rather than chemicals. To do this, dilute 1 cup of finely chopped or grated garlic in 3 liters of water, then let it brew for 10 days. In the future, to treat the plants, dilute 1 glass of the resulting infusion in 10 liters of water and spray the affected bushes.

Gray rot

Peppers growing in film greenhouses where humidity and temperature conditions are not observed are most often affected. If the humidity in the greenhouse is above 80% and the temperature remains within +10+150С, then all above-ground parts of the plant become diseased. It appears in the form of wet brown spots covered with a rich gray coating.

Fungal spores persist on plant debris and can spread through soil and water.

White rot (sclerotinia)

This disease affects the plant in the root zone. On the affected area of ​​the stem, as you can see in the photo presented, a white “fluffy” coating appears, and inside there are hard, black formations.

Fruits affected by the fungus become watery and soft, and a white coating appears in some areas.

The causative agent of this disease of peppers in a greenhouse can be both on plant debris and in the soil itself.

To prevent the occurrence of this fungal disease, it is necessary to maintain an optimal level of humidity for pepper, both in the air and in the soil in the greenhouse, and promptly remove shoots, wilting leaves and diseased plants. If all these measures are not carried out, the price will be quite high - the loss of the entire harvest.

Tip: areas affected by white rot, as well as places where shoots and leaves are removed, can be powdered with crushed chalk or charcoal.

Late blight

The development of this disease, which affects all parts of the plant, is facilitated by:

• sudden temperature changes;
• long and stable cold snap;
• high humidity.

Late blight can occur at any time throughout the growing season, but most often it appears after peppers have flowered.

The most typical signs of this disease are:

• the appearance on the leaves of large watery brown spots surrounded by a light green halo;
• rotting of the root collar;
• rotting that spreads to the entire stem, forming depressed dark spots;
• drying of the stalk;
• dark, watery spots on the fruit.

How to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases?

For all fungal diseases presented, the prevention instructions will be general:

• It is necessary to carefully collect and remove with your own hands all plant debris from greenhouses, followed by their destruction.
• Mandatory disinfection of both the greenhouse structures themselves and the soil in them.

Tip: to disinfect the soil in a greenhouse, you can use a warm solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), dissolving in about 10 liters of water 5 g drug.

• Compliance with the rules of crop rotation: plant peppers in places where nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants) grew only after two to three years.
• In the event that it is not possible to change the planting site, it is necessary to disinfect, and it is best to completely change the soil in the greenhouse.
• Try to use seeds of varieties resistant to fungal diseases, for example, “Kakadu”, “Pioneer”, “Horizon”.
• Carry out mandatory disinfection of seeds before planting. (See Planting seedlings in a greenhouse) It is most effective to combine thermal and chemical disinfection.

Tip: one of the most effective ways to disinfect seeds is thermal disinfection. A week before the seeds are planted for seedlings, they are soaked in 20 minutes in 0.2% solution zinc sulfate, the temperature of which should be about +500С. Then the seeds are cooled in water, the temperature of which should not exceed +200С and then dried.

• Discard weakened and developmentally delayed seedlings.
• Do not thicken the plantings when planting plants in greenhouses.
• Compliance with agricultural practices for growing peppers, especially humidity and temperature regimes, as well as ventilation.
• Treat plants with antifungal drugs before fruiting begins.
• Carry out periodic foliar spraying with copper-containing preparations.
• Cull and remove the affected parts of the plants, or the entire diseased bush.

Mycoplasma diseases

Mycoplasma diseases of pepper can affect all parts of the plant except the seeds. They are caused by tiny microorganisms - mycoplasmas, which are carried by various insects, for example, cicadas or aphids.

In the greenhouse, pepper is most often affected by a disease such as stolbur (phytoplasmosis).

Stolbur

This disease manifests itself on greenhouse peppers with the following symptoms:

• dwarfism;
• leaf change:

• the color changes to deep yellow or yellow-green;
• crushing the leaves of the upper tier with a change in the color of the lower side to violet-blue;
• the leaves of the lower tier are coarser, yellowish in color, and may curl;
• The veins on the leaves are sinuous.

• increased bushiness of the whole plant;
• the fruits are small and do not correspond to the variety;
• The seeds in the fruits are small, prone to germination inside the fruit.

The disease is transmitted by various insects, such as aphids, cicadas of various types and mites that live on various weeds.

Control and prevention measures

The main methods of combating stolbur in pepper are:

• growing varieties resistant to mycoplasma infections; (See also Growing Sweet Peppers)
• destruction of all weeds, both in the greenhouse and around it;
• preventive treatment of plants with insecticidal preparations - before planting in a greenhouse, and two weeks after planting in a permanent place;
• foliar feeding of plants with complex fertilizers and biostimulants to increase resistance to diseases;
• thorough cleaning and disinfection of greenhouses.

parnik-teplitsa.ru

Protecting pepper seedlings from pests

Juicy, hot, sweet and fragrant - all these characteristics relate to one unique vegetable - pepper, which will add a touch of piquancy to any dish. And how nice it is to eat a sweet slice of pepper in a salad or feel its spiciness in a Mexican soup. But it’s even nicer to get a good harvest from your own garden.

Pepper varieties

For the successful cultivation of pepper, the correct selection of the variety plays an important role, on which not only the yield itself depends, but also the ripening time, frost resistance, taste and susceptibility of the vegetable to diseases and pests. Knowledge and correct selection of varieties will simplify the growing process.

Pepper has more than two thousand varieties, which I would divide into several categories:

1. Sweet pepper varieties
2. Hot pepper varieties
3. Pepper hybrids
4. Pepper varieties for balconies and window sills

Sweet pepper varieties include: Ivanhoe, Agapovsky, Accord, Alyonushka, Atomor, Bagration, Belladonna, Snow White, Turquoise, Buratino, Vernost, Victoria, Denis, Dobryak, Eroshka, Yellow Bell, Zarya, Isabella, Prometheus, Florida and many others.

The top ten varieties of hot peppers are headed by: Adjika, Indian Summer, Hungarian Yellow, Magic Bouquet, Gorgon, For Mother-in-Law, Coral, Red Fatty, Fiery Maiden, Ogonyok.

Pepper hybrids are popular because they are resistant to diseases, pests and are not afraid of temperature changes. Common types are: Adler, Ararat, Erivan, Kazbek Terek.

Balcony and indoor varieties include Watercolor, Candy, Chanterelle, Treasure Island, Tomboy, Yarik. These types of peppers are stunted and the fruits are small. One advantage is that peppers can be grown in small containers in an apartment or on a balcony.

Pests of seedlings

Having planted the seeds, we eagerly await the emergence of a sprout. And then that day came: the stem broke through, turned green, and began to grow. From the pot we begin to plant the seedlings in the greenhouse or directly on the garden bed. It is from this moment that danger arises. Pests begin to attack the pepper:

1. Spider mite
2. Greenhouse whitefly
3. Wireworms
4. Medvedka
5. Slugs are naked

Aphid

Aphids are the most common pest; they attack shoots, leaves, inflorescences, cause curling and falling of greenery, and underdevelopment of the fruit. The optimal living conditions for aphids are a temperature of +22 - +25 degrees Celsius and air humidity in the range of 75 - 85%. This is the wet summer period. Over the entire fertile season of pepper, aphids can produce more than 20 generations, which will injure the plant until the entire crop is destroyed.

Spider mite

Greenhouse whitefly

The whitefly is the most dangerous pest of pepper seedlings, because due to its size of 1.5 mm and an inconspicuous pale body, it is completely invisible. The body of this insect is covered with a waxy coating and secretes honeydew, saturated with sugary substances. It is they who contaminate the surface of the leaves, draw out moisture from them, and as a result, the plant dries out.

Wireworms

The larva of the click beetle insect is called wireworm. Unlike the above pests, wireworms attack the root of the seedlings themselves. They live and reproduce in the soil at a depth of 10 - 15 cm for 5 years. By attacking the pepper, they slowly kill it. The infected plant begins to lag in growth and quickly dies.

Medvedka

Slugs are naked

For those who like to grow peppers in film greenhouses and greenhouses, you need to know about the naked slug - a pest of pepper seedlings that prefers too moist soil and feeding at night. Slugs eat mainly leaves, gnawing large holes and eating them completely. After eating the greenery, they destroy the flowers and young fruit.

Fighting methods

Knowledge of pest control methods for pepper seedlings will help avoid the death of the vegetable and preserve the harvest.

Methods for controlling aphids

The most effective way to combat aphids is to spray the plant with a decoction of wormwood, yarrow, or a solution of pesticides.

For wormwood decoction you will need:

1. 1 kg of crushed and dried wormwood.

The wormwood is boiled for 15 minutes. After cooling the broth, filter and add 10 liters of water. To make the decoction more sticky to the leaves, you can add a few grams of soap. Pepper leaves are sprayed with this solution, killing aphids.

Yarrow recipe:

1. 800 grams of dried plants
2. Boiled water

The crushed plant is poured with boiling water for 2 days, then filtered and 20 grams of soap are added for every 10 liters of liquid. This remedy is very effective, since the body of the aphid is covered with a burning soap solution, and the insect dies.

Methods for controlling spider mites

Also, in the fight against ticks, a biological method is used - phytosailus mites are bred. It kills the opponent without injuring the plant.

Methods for dealing with procrastination

Methods of dealing with mole crickets

Methods for dealing with naked slugs

Performing all these actions is the key to the health of pepper seedlings.

For proper care of pepper seedlings, some tips presented in this video will be useful. For example, you will learn how to plant peppers correctly and what soil should be prepared for planting.

In this video, the presenter will talk about the benefits of peppers, when and how to plant them, how often to water them so that the floor is juicy and crispy.

OgorodSadovod.com

Infectious and fungal diseases of pepper and their control.

Phytophthora on pepper: photo

Brown rot of pepper (Late blight). Peppers, like tomatoes, are susceptible to a disease called late blight. Late varieties are most susceptible to late blight. This is due to the fact that in the late months of summer weather conditions noticeably worsen, air humidity increases and the average daily temperature decreases. Ideal conditions for the development of late blight arise.

Symptoms and signs. Brown rot (Late blight) of pepper mainly affects the fruits and stems of the plant. Brown spots appear on the leaves, which are located along the edges. A kind of coating forms on the bottom of the leaf - spores of the pathogen fungus. Infected leaves dry out and fall off very quickly. On the stems you can observe peculiar elongated brown spots. There is no plaque on them. Rot appears on the fruits, which constantly develops, even during storage.

Most often, peppers become infected with late blight due to the disease being transferred from potatoes.

Fight against late blight. As a preventative measure, it is necessary to isolate pepper plantings from potato and tomato plantings. Potassium bait should not be neglected. Potassium significantly increases plant resistance to late blight. At the first manifestations of late blight, be sure to spray. Spraying is carried out using the same tactics as tomatoes.

White rot: Photos

White rot. White rot is also called sclerotinia. This disease usually develops in the lower part of the plant. The disease is quite common.

Symptoms and signs of the disease. The mycelium of the fungus begins to develop in the lower part of the stem. This is the first sign of white rot. The most interesting thing happens inside the stem. Black solid formations appear there. Then the fruits are affected. They become covered with a white coating, become watery and covered with plaque.

Fighting white rot. As a preventive measure, always maintain normal soil moisture and do not overwater the plants. Always remove dying leaves and shoots from suckers. If you find an area affected by white rot, then treat it with crushed coal or chalk.

Gray rot of pepper: Photo

Gray rot. Gray mold most often affects plants that grow in film greenhouses or greenhouses. It is there that, as a rule, the temperature and humidity regime is disturbed. A favorable environment for the development of gray rot is an air temperature of +10-15 degrees and an air humidity of 80%.

Symptoms and signs. Brown spots with a gray coating appear on the leaves and stems of the plant. Infection occurs from the lower part of the plant.

Fighting gray rot. Practically impossible. Remove affected parts of the plant. During planting, observe crop rotation.

Black bacterial spot of pepper: photo

Black bacterial spot. This disease affects the entire plant - stems, leaves, fruits.

Symptoms and signs. The damage starts from the leaves. Very small black spots with a yellow border appear. Then the stem is affected. Exactly the same spots appear on it, but slightly elongated in shape. Spots 5-10 millimeters in size also appear on the fruits, which subsequently form ulcers. The development of bacterial black spot is promoted by high temperature and humidity.

Fighting bacterial spot. Fighting bacterial spot usually does not help. It is very important to follow disease prevention measures. Select only healthy fruits to obtain seeds, always destroy plant debris, and disinfect the seeds before planting.

Pepper blossom end rot: photo

Apex rot. This disease is quite common. It attacks pepper fruits.

Symptoms and signs. Spots with a dark border appear on the fruits. Infected fruits rot very quickly.

Non-infectious diseases of pepper and their control.

Non-infectious pepper diseases are much safer than infectious ones. They are usually safer than infectious ones and do not infect other plants. They appear due to violations of growing conditions and lack of nutrients.

Nitrogen deficiency. Plants need nitrogen for full growth and development of green mass. If a plant lacks nitrogen, it begins to turn yellow and the leaves dry out. This leads to a significant reduction in the number of inflorescences and fruits. The fruits are set, but most of them begin to dry out. If you find such symptoms, immediately feed the plants with nitrogen fertilizers. But don't overdo it. Excess nitrogen may improve stem and leaf growth but will slow fruit growth. Plants also become less resistant to pests and infectious disease agents. It is important to find a middle ground here.

Potassium deficiency. Potassium is required by plants for fruit formation. The main signs of potassium deficiency are the appearance of yellow dry spots in the middle or along the edges of the lower leaves. The leaves first turn brown, then droop and dry out. If such signs are present, be sure to feed the pepper with potassium.

Phosphorus deficiency. Phosphorus serves plants for the formation of roots. The main sign of phosphorus deficiency is the color of the leaves in a light purple color. If you do not timely fertilize with phosphorus fertilizer, the stem will begin to deplete and dry out.

Boron deficiency. With a lack of boron, young leaves stop growing, become deformed and dry out. The same thing happens with inflorescences.

Pepper pests.

There are many different pepper pests that can destroy plants or significantly reduce yield.

Medvedka: photo

Medvedka. Let's start with such a pest as the mole cricket. The mole cricket is one of the insects that have pronounced digging abilities. Mole crickets are most common in damp areas - near water bodies. Insects overwinter in a pile of manure or compost, being in the larval and adult phases. From the very early spring, with the onset of warmth, it begins to damage and destroy pepper crops.

Fighting a mole cricket. As a preventive measure against mole crickets, in May and June, row spacing is periodically loosened to a depth of 15 centimeters to destroy eggs. Stores today sell a lot of products to combat mole crickets.

Aphids on peppers: Photo

Aphid. Aphids are a very dangerous pest for peppers. Aphids feed on the leaves, stems and flowers of peppers.

Fighting aphids. If you find aphids on your plants, you must immediately take control measures. Before and after flowering, peppers can be sprinkled with solutions of karbofos or keltan, at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. This cannot be done during fruiting.

ferma-biz.ru

Pepper - features of care, planting and growing

There are more than 2,000 species of peppers in nature, and their homeland is Central America. In this article I will talk about sweet peppers, also called bell peppers. The “Mexican” came to Europe in the 15th century and, in a roundabout way, through Spain, Turkey, Iran, eventually entered our region. Here it has seriously taken root, despite its heat-loving nature and capricious disposition - after all, pepper has more than enough advantages! It is not only rich in bright colors that give the dish a festive look, it is not only tasty and juicy, but it is also an invaluable storehouse of vitamins. In this regard, a rare vegetable or fruit can be compared with it.

But to get a good harvest, you will have to try. This “southerner” loves warm weather, so in mid-latitudes it is grown mostly by seedlings and in greenhouses.

Pepper is a short-day plant, that is, if daylight lasts less than 12 hours, pepper begins to bear fruit earlier and, importantly, produces more stable and higher yields.

Growing pepper seedlings

If you do not have a greenhouse, then pepper seeds must be sown in February so that the plants are 90-100 days old before transplanting in May.

Pepper does not tolerate picking well, so try to immediately sow the seeds in individual peat pots with a diameter of about 8-10 cm. It makes no sense to use large pots due to the slow development of the pepper root system.

The substrate for growing pepper seedlings should be light and loose and consist of 2 parts humus mixed with 1 part sand and 1 part soil. For 1 kg of this mixture you need to add a tablespoon of ash.

Pepper seeds require pre-planting treatment - they must be kept until they swell, for five hours, in water at a temperature of about 50 °C. After this, they must be placed in a damp cloth for pecking for 2-3 days, the room temperature is about 20 ° C. By carrying out this simple pre-planting preparation of pepper seeds, you will get seedlings literally the next day after sowing.

The sown pepper seeds must be thoroughly watered and immediately after that covered with plastic wrap or glass. Before emergence, they can be in any warm (about 22°C) place, the lighting does not matter, it is possible in the dark.

After emergence, the optimal temperature for growing pepper seedlings is about 26-28 °C during the day, and about 10-15 °C at night. You should not pamper pepper seedlings with excessive watering, this can only harm it and cause blackleg disease. But try not to let the substrate dry out. The water for watering pepper seedlings should be warm - about 30 ° C; if it is too cold, the seedlings will become frail, get sick and may even die. Do not forget to monitor the air in the room in which the seedlings are grown; it should not be too dry. Spray the plants, and ventilate the room itself thoroughly, remembering to protect the plants from drafts.

Pepper seedlings require additional lighting, so during the month of February they need to be illuminated from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Before planting, seedlings need to be hardened, gradually accustomed to the rays of the sun, lower temperatures, wind and rain. To do this, the plant is taken out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time it stays there. During hardening, monitor the weather conditions; pepper seedlings should not be allowed to be exposed to frost or low temperatures - for pepper this is below 13 °C.

Planting pepper

The best predecessors for peppers: onions, cucumbers, pumpkin, cabbage after green manure, zucchini and carrots. Bad predecessors for peppers: potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, physalis and eggplant.

Light soils are best for growing peppers. It is better to prepare the soil for peppers in advance - a year in advance, adding 5 kg of organic fertilizers per square meter to the predecessor of the pepper. meter, and in the fall 50 g of potash and phosphorus fertilizers for deep digging. In the spring, add 40 g of ammonium nitrate to the site - in the top layer of soil. Five days before transplanting pepper seedlings to a permanent place, start disinfecting the soil; this must be done using a solution - add a tablespoon of copper sulfate to a bucket of water.

Pepper seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May - mid-June, according to a 40x40 cm pattern. Pepper seedlings are planted in a film unheated greenhouse at the beginning of April, and in tunnel shelters at the end of May.

Try to place the seedlings in the holes at the same depth at which the plants grew in the seedling box, without exposing the roots of the pepper and without digging in its root neck. Pepper does not like cold soil, and if you want to get a serious harvest, arrange high beds for it, which must be raised by 25-55 centimeters.

Remember, peppers are highly susceptible to cross-pollination, so if you plant several varieties of peppers on your plot, try to place them as far apart as possible and, if possible, separate them from each other by planting tall tomatoes, corn and sunflowers.

Growing pepper by planting seeds in open ground is not practical even in the southern regions. You will still have to sow late, when the soil warms up, the plant will develop more slowly, the first fruits will ripen later, and the fruiting period of the pepper will be significantly shorter.

Pepper care

Pepper care consists of timely watering, gartering, weeding and fertilizing. The first feeding of pepper seedlings must be carried out in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, for which 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of potassium fertilizer and 3 g of superphosphate are mixed in 1 liter of water. The second feeding is 2 weeks after the first; the dose of mineral fertilizers for it must be doubled.

It is effective to feed pepper seedlings with a special infusion of nettle, for the preparation of which you need to take 1 part of nettle and 10 parts of water - leave for 2 days. The last feeding should be done 2 days before you intend to plant the seedlings in a permanent place, while increasing the dose of potassium fertilizers to 7 g per 1 liter of water. During the season, you need to fertilize peppers about 3-4 times with chicken manure - 1:10, alternating such fertilizing with foliar fertilizing, for which you need to use mineral fertilizers, for example nitrophoska (a tablespoon per bucket of water).

With a lack of potassium, the pepper leaves curl and a drying border appears on them. But you need to be careful with potassium - pepper does not tolerate an abundance of potassium chloride. If a plant lacks nitrogen, its leaves become dull and, acquiring a grayish tint, gradually become smaller. When there is a lack of phosphorus, the underside of the pepper leaves turns deep purple, and the leaves themselves are pressed closer to the trunk of the plant and rise up. If there is a lack of magnesium, the leaves become marbled in color, and excess nitrogen in the soil leads to the dropping of the ovaries and flowers of the pepper.

In hot and humid weather, it is necessary to carry out pinching (removing side shoots), especially for the lower stepsons, and vice versa, if the weather is hot but dry, the plants do not pinion, since the leaf mass perfectly protects soil moisture from evaporation. Experienced vegetable growers advise removing the central flower on the plant, growing from the first branch, this will help increase the yield.

During the growing season, peppers need to be pruned several times, trying to shorten the longest shoots and ensure that there are no shaded branches. Be sure to remove all pepper shoots below the main fork of its stem, as well as branches inside the crown. Pruning must be done once every ten days and after harvesting the fruits. Simultaneously with pruning, soil cultivation is also carried out.

Try to attract pollinating insects to the garden; to do this, during flowering, spray the plants with a sugar solution: 100 g of sugar and 2 g of boric acid per liter of hot water. Feeding peppers with liquid organic fertilizers gives excellent results.

It is useful to mulch peppers with rotted straw - a layer of about 10 cm, thanks to which you can reduce the frequency of watering, reducing them to once every 9-10 days.

Timely care of pepper plants also includes staking the plants. It is necessary to make a garter after hilling and mulching.

Pests and diseases of pepper

The most common diseases of pepper: late blight, white rot, macrosporiosis, blossom end rot, septoria, blackleg. The most harmful to peppers are slugs, whiteflies, cutworms, aphids, Colorado potato beetles and mole crickets. To protect the pepper from damage by the mole cricket, an hour before planting its seedlings, the pre-made holes must be filled with water. After planting the pepper seedlings, spray the plantings again with a sprayer. Pepper plants need to be pollinated 3 times per season using wood ash - preferably with dew. This will also help protect them from pests.

If you notice aphids on pepper seedlings, treat the pepper with serum - one and a half liters per bucket of water. After this procedure, powder the plants with sifted wood ash.

Pepper varieties

Before planting peppers, you need to decide on the choice of variety, and here everything depends not only on your taste preferences, but also on the purpose of the future fruits. So, if you intend to consume peppers mainly fresh, it is better to give preference to thicker-walled and large-fruited varieties, such as California Miracle, Gladiator, Winnie the Pooh or Gift of Moldova. If the main purpose is preservation, then choose small-fruited varieties belonging to the “Siberian” series: Kupets, Ermak, Victoria, etc.

Ermak- one of the fastest ripening varieties of pepper, the fruits ripen early and smoothly. After the first harvest, the Ermak pepper variety blooms again and gives a good second harvest. Very large fruits, the weight of which reaches 250 g. The yield of the variety is 12-15 kg/sq.m. m.

Gladiator- a mid-late Dutch variety with large, bright yellow fruits, tasty, with thick flesh. The thickness of the fruit walls reaches 13 mm, the weight of individual specimens reaches 380-400 g, and the yield is 10-12 kg/sq. m.

Medal- an early ripening variety characterized by extended fruiting. It constantly blooms and forms new ovaries. The fruits of the Medal variety are quite large - up to 150 g, in biological ripeness they are bright red in color, with a wall thickness of about 8-13 mm. The yield of the variety reaches 16 kg/sq.m. m.

Yova- one of the fastest ripening Russian varieties, from the emergence of seedlings to the moment of technical ripeness, about 95-100 days pass. Very productive, juicy and thick-walled. The yield is up to 14 kg per m2, and the weight of some of its fruits exceeds 250 g. It is unpretentious and gives excellent yields even on heavy soils.

California miracle- mid-early variety, fruit weight up to 400 g, and wall thickness up to 12 mm.

Black cardinal- belongs to the late Italian varieties, has unusually beautiful black-purple fruits (in technical ripeness) turning into red (in biological ripeness). From 1 sq. m up to 10 kg of harvest.

Victoria- a mid-early variety, the fruits are relatively small in weight - up to 110 g, cone-shaped, slightly ribbed, about 7-13 cm long, wall thickness 7-8 mm. Productivity 9-10 kg/sq. m.

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

Tanya, thank you for the detailed story about this wonderful culture! But I don’t agree that pepper doesn’t tolerate pickling well, even though they write about it everywhere! My plant survival rate after picking is 100%, no problems. By the way, I bury them, contrary to all recommendations; if the seedlings have stretched out a little - up to the very cotyledon leaves. Excellent, strong plants are obtained and bear fruit in the conditions of the Middle Zone in open ground. And as for the planting scheme, experience (not only mine, but also that of my gardening friends) suggests that peppers prefer dense planting; they bear fruit better in crowded conditions. Well, not literally, of course - they still need room for development. But 40 cm is a lot!

And of the varieties, I have two favorites: Black Horse and Marconi. I also plant others, but I just love these ones for their unusualness.

The black horse gives a good harvest, begins to bear fruit early and looks original on the bush. And Marconi has very long, thin-walled fruits. For some reason I really like their taste, although there is not much pulp there.

Lyudmila Shuban, Karaganda

She was looking for a Black Horse and a Black Cardinal from us! Have not found yet! But I took Big Papa and another black and purple variety, I don’t remember the name! Maybe they’ll bring more black ones, I’m waiting!

Tatiana

Thank you Marina for sharing your secrets.)) This year I’ll try to compact some of the plantings a little and compare the results - maybe they will bear fruit even better for me, although everything is fine as it is))

And as for the survival rate after picking, it’s true that my peppers don’t take root well - at first they wither, then they barely move away, but steadily, they get sick for two weeks and, as a result, lag behind in development ((But peppers planted immediately in peat cups feel great immediately after transplants begin to bear fruit earlier and produce more stable yields.))

Your peppers are very beautiful Marina. :) I also plant a black horse, I also respect it for its early fruiting and originality - it’s too beautiful. But I have never planted Marconi - I have to try it.) My favorite variety of pepper is probably Gladiator - it simply amazes with its fruits, they are not only much larger than other varieties, but also very, very tasty.)))

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

Tanya, it is quite possible that with picking it’s all about the age of the seedlings, although this is also not a fact: usually I pick in the cotyledon phase, but it happened later. This year my friend picked peppers with the first pair of true leaves; I saw these peppers: they didn’t even notice the transplant)) In fact, sometimes it’s difficult to even understand why the same action brings different results, you just have to state the fact :)

And for some reason I haven’t been able to find Marconi seeds on sale for two years now ((I should try sowing Gladiator, I liked it)) Tanya, is it growing in your greenhouse? Usually, in our climate, large-fruited and thick-walled peppers simply do not ripen without shelter. How do you grow them?

Marina, hello, did I understand correctly that you pick peppers very small - in the cotyledon leaf phase? At what age from germination? Why do you think this is correct? I am gaining experience - I grew all the seedlings except pepper, this year I took the risk of sowing pepper. I soaked it in epin and it sprouted a week ago. I’m studying when it’s best to dive him! And is it necessary to fertilize? What and when? THANK YOU!

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

Marina, I am convinced that in this matter it is very important to conduct your own experiments and determine what you personally consider correct and convenient for yourself. Here, when we begin to discuss how best to grow something, we often find that opinions differ - but at the same time, everyone has a harvest, and everyone is happy)))

I try to pick pepper very small for two reasons: firstly, according to my observations, it tolerates the procedure easier (I practically never have seedlings that fall out after picking), and secondly, I initially sow thickly in a box - when the seedlings grow up , they feel cramped.

I can’t guess any specific age. And it doesn’t happen from year to year, and the seeds don’t always germinate evenly... This year, for example, out of 5 sown varieties, one has already sprouted, and the rest are still showing no signs of life. But I don’t rule out that in the end I will still dive them at the same time - it’s just more convenient.

Fertilize - I don’t fertilize the seedlings at all. In the purchased soil, it has enough nutrition before planting in the ground, from my point of view. True, in the last 3-4 years I have been using Gumi concentrate, which is added to the water for watering or spraying plants. But this is still not so much food for seedlings, but a kind of “vitamins” - to increase stress resistance and strengthen the plants. Something like this))

Marina Sadovnikova, St. Petersburg

Marina, thanks for the answer! Yesterday I successfully picked the pepper, partly with cotyledon leaves, partly with small real leaves, it’s standing well, I think everything went well. I have, in fact, the same story with pepper - a couple of varieties sprouted immediately and amicably, a couple sprouted for a long time and in single reeds, and the rest still show no signs of life... Yesterday, for the sake of experiment, I sowed a couple more varieties of pepper instead of the ones that had not sprouted, it’s a bit late, of course, all hope is that the varieties are early ripening…. Yes, I fertilize all the seedlings (already grown) with humates, and the day before planting them in the greenhouse I water them with epin. Good luck!

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

Marina, it's not too late! I usually sow at the end of March - and with a harvest. Well, maybe they will ripen later - so it’s not critical... This year I just somehow missed spring, so I hurried with the sowing)) But I, too, have not yet sown all the varieties that were planned - the early ripening ones are still in line. This also happened empirically: when I planted large seedlings, they were sicker more and longer, as a result, the gain in time was minimal, and there was a lot of hassle with the seedlings while the day was still short. As a result, I began to sow later - small seedlings adapt more easily, some varieties move into the greenhouse completely painlessly. So it’s even better that you’ll get seedlings of different ages - try, compare, draw conclusions as to which you like best.

Despite careful care, pepper, like any other crop, is susceptible to various diseases and pests, which can cause significant damage to seedlings and lead to the loss of most of the harvest. Pepper diseases can cause significant damage to the crop. Therefore, it is important to know the most common pepper diseases, methods for their prevention and control. This is what our article is about.

Disease-resistant pepper varieties

For many years, breeders have been striving to create pepper varieties that not only have excellent taste and high yield, but also resistance to a range of major diseases. Recently, a significant number of interesting varieties have appeared, including:

• highly mosaic-resistant hybrids and pepper varieties: “Montero”, “Cube”, “Wonder”, “Aries”, “Orange”, “Blondie”, “Fidelio”, “Indalo”, “Cardinal”, “Sonata” and “Rubik” ";
• hybrid “Yubileiny Semko”, tolerant to the mosaic pathogen.

In addition, pepper varieties and hybrids have good disease resistance:

• "Agapovsky";
• "Big Daddy"
• "Yellow Bell"
• "Star of the East".

In the process of selection and acquisition, preference should be given to modern zoned varieties intended for cultivation in a given climatic zone. Regardless of the resistance of a given variety, high-quality pre-sowing preparation of all seed material is required.

Fungal diseases of pepper

There are quite a few diseases of pepper caused by a variety of fungi; let’s look at the most common ones:

• blackleg;
• fusarium wilt;
• Alternaria or dry spotting;
• cladosporiosis or brown spot;
• gray rot;
• sclerotinia or white rot;
• late blight

Black leg on pepper

This disease of pepper seedlings manifests itself in the form of darkening of the lower part of the stem and drying out of the plant. Noticing the slightest change in the color of the stems, many begin to panic and spray the plants with everything that was found in the “gardener’s first aid kit.” Be careful not to damage the harvest! First, carefully look at the photo of the disease in pepper seedlings, and start treating them only when you are sure that you have a black leg and not another problem.

Preventive measures and treatment: inspect the seedlings daily, especially their root zone; if darkening appears on the bushes, they should be treated with a weak solution of ordinary potassium permanganate; if the plants have grown very densely, be sure to thin them out; the soil should not be too damp - this leads to the development of blackleg; If the greenhouse is too humid, ventilate it regularly, remembering to protect the seedlings from drafts. As an effective way to prevent the development of blackleg, experienced gardeners recommend watering the soil in which the seeds will be planted with a solution of potassium permanganate (4-5 g per 10 l). You can also bake the soil in the oven so that any fungi in it are killed. Another way is to pour boiling water on the ground.

“Black leg” most often affects young seedlings, subsequently the stem becomes thinner and they wither. But there are cases when the disease harms already large pepper bushes. Usually the problem manifests itself as follows: the leaves begin to turn yellow, the stem at ground level changes color from green to dark brown, and its tissues in this area seem to be pressed inward. This happens due to plant nutritional disturbances.

Gray rot on pepper

If wet brown spots appear on the stem in its lower part, which is in contact with the soil, which are then covered with a grayish coating, then your pepper seedlings have been attacked by gray rot. Spores can persist for a considerable time in various plant debris and are carried by insects, wind and water. In conditions of high humidity and high air temperature, spores germinate and infect plants.

Externally it appears as a thin white film at the base of the stem. To protect seedlings, it is necessary to remove all diseased plants, and treat healthy ones with a specially prepared infusion of garlic arrows or garlic. If urgent treatment is necessary, healthy plants are pollinated through a gauze bag with finely crushed coal tablets or chalk. Preparation of garlic infusion. Measure out 0.1 liters of garlic cloves and finely chop them, add 50 ml of sunflower oil and 6 ml of adhesive (liquid hand soap). Infuse the mixture for one day. For a working solution, add 2 tablespoons of concentrate to 1 liter of water, stir thoroughly and treat the plants with a spray bottle.

Late blight on pepper

When the disease occurs, the stem and leaves of the seedling become covered with brown separate spots, which gradually merge into one. The leaves turn brown and fall off. The disease affects seedlings at high humidity. It is necessary to dry the soil and reduce the frequency of watering.

Treat the plants with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Pepper seedlings are well protected from rot by the biological preparations phytodoctor, trichodermin, barrier, previkur and others. Before use, you must familiarize yourself with the recommendations for breeding and frequency of seedling treatments.

White rot on pepper

White rot affects the above-ground parts of peppers. It withers, turns yellow and dries out completely. When examining the affected areas, you can notice the white mycelium of the fungus. Liming the soil and following the rules of crop rotation are the basic rules for the prevention of white rot. According to reviews from vegetable growers, abuse of nitrogenous fertilizers can provoke white rot damage to seedlings. Copper-containing preparations completely destroy the disease.

Fusarium on pepper

This disease among gardeners is called wilting. At first, the seedlings begin to shed their leaves, and after some time, they wither. Infection can be determined by cutting the plant at the root - a change in the color of the vessels inside is noted, they become brown. The disease clogs blood vessels. First of all, it leads to rotting of the root system. A little later, growing, the spores settle in small roots, and then in large ones. Pepper seedlings die due to a malfunction in metabolic processes that subsequently occurs when the vascular cells become clogged with fungal mycelia. They, in turn, release dangerous toxic substances.

Alternaria on pepper

For greenhouse peppers, this disease, caused by Alternaria solani, is rare and most often appears in the fall. The main signs of infection are the appearance of black angular spots limited to leaf veins. Then the pepper fruits are affected and become covered with characteristic black mold.

Pepper pests can be different, but the treatment regimen is always based on an integrated approach and the use of the most modern and effective means.

Cladosporiosis on pepper

Cladosporiosis (leaf mold, brown spot). Leaves with petioles, stalks and fruit ovaries are affected. Light spots appear on the underside of the leaves, which then turn brown and become covered with plaque. Then similar spots appear on the upper side of the leaves. The ovary does not develop and falls off. The disease appears in the lower part of the plant and then spreads upward. Affected pepper bushes die. To prevent cladosporiosis, growing pepper seedlings are thinned out, and seedlings are planted freely in the beds. When signs of disease appear, plants are sprayed with a 0.2% solution of copper sulfate or garlic infusion.

Below are helpful tips to help prevent pepper pests and diseases.

• If flowers are not pollinated sufficiently, irregularly shaped fruits may appear. To prevent this from happening, you need to carry out additional pollination. For this plant, in hot, dry weather you just need to shake it.
• Bitter and sweet peppers should be planted at a distance from each other. It is advisable to place them in different beds so that mixing does not occur during the pollination period. Pepper should be protected from the wind. To do this, you need to plant plants behind tall crops, for example, legumes, beets, leeks. You can make a shelter from film.
• You should not plant peppers in dark places, otherwise the harvest will be poor and the fruits will be small.
• Peppers do not need to be fed with a solution, otherwise there will be increased vegetation and diseased leaf mass, which will prevent the fruits from forming.

Pepper diseases can destroy the entire crop in a short period of time; photos and their treatment will help farm owners cope with the problem. Every year, vegetable growers incur significant losses, so it is recommended to allocate enough time to carry out timely preventive measures, disinfection of soil and planting material. As you can see, there are a lot of pepper diseases, and each of them is easier to prevent than to treat. That is why many gardeners refuse to grow these capricious southern plants and simply buy them at the market in the fall. By following all the recommendations, you will be able to get a good harvest on your site. To reduce the risk of plant disease, buy hybrid seeds and thoroughly disinfect them. Pepper diseases and the fight against them are not as difficult as they might seem at first glance.