Content
If pepper leaves turn yellow, this is a developmental disorder, the causes of which are most often associated with improper care. Yellowing is observed at different stages - from seedlings to adult bushes in a greenhouse or in open ground. For treatment, it is necessary to establish normal watering, give fertilizers on time and, just in case, carry out treatment against insects and other pests.
Why do pepper leaves turn yellow?
If bell pepper leaves turn yellow, the reason is most likely due to improper care. Very often this happens due to unbalanced fertilizers and errors in watering. The soil may also be poorly composed or there may be an infestation of pests.
Unsuitable soil composition
Peppers are very sensitive to the composition of the soil - on depleted soils, their leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the yield inevitably decreases. There are several requirements for the land:
- high level of fertility;
- diverse composition;
- not too dense consistency;
- slightly acidic or neutral reaction (pH from 6.0 to 7.0).
For growing seedlings, universal soil is suitable, which can be purchased in the store. If you make the mixture yourself, it is recommended to take garden soil and mix it with humus, black peat and sand (2:1:1:1). When preparing the soil in a greenhouse or garden bed, dig it up in advance and add compost or humus in an amount of 5 kg per 1 m².
Mistakes when watering
Yellow spots on pepper leaves may also be due to improper watering. Moreover, not only a lack of water is bad, but also an excess of water. In both cases the foliage turns yellow. The basic rules for watering are:
- Use only settled water at room temperature.
- Water seedlings three times a week, and adult bushes - twice.
- Pay attention to the surface layer of soil - it should remain only slightly moist.
In this case, it is possible to achieve optimal soil moisture. The leaves do not turn yellow and remain healthy.
To prevent the leaves from turning yellow, you need to avoid excessive and weak watering.
Fertilizer shortage
The lack of fertilizers has a bad effect on any plants; such capricious crops as peppers, tomatoes and eggplants are especially sensitive to it. A deficiency of one or another nutrient (for example, phosphorus, potassium) is called chlorosis. Moreover, the symptoms of this disorder manifest themselves in different ways:
- The lower leaves of the pepper turn yellow and the tips dry out, while the trunk becomes harder and the fruits curl - potassium deficiency.
- If the veins turn yellow first, and then the entire leaf, starting from the middle part, this indicates a lack of nitrogen. In this case, the tops die and fall off quite quickly.
- If yellow veins appear on the pepper leaves, and then the entire leaf becomes pale, it means there is a lack of sulfur.
- If the leaf blades turn yellow along the edges and then over the entire surface, this indicates a lack of iron and magnesium. Moreover, the color will be rich – often orange and even red.
- If the cotyledon leaves of the pepper turn yellow (i.e., the first pair that appears after germination), this clearly indicates a lack of nitrogen.
The condition of leaves and other parts of the plant is adversely affected not only by deficiency, but also by excess of nutrients. Therefore, fertilizers must be applied in accordance with the instructions. If the soil is already quite fertile, the standard amount is reduced by 1.5 times.
It is not used in its pure form, but as part of complex fertilizers, Kemira Lux or Baikal. If you simply give urea or saltpeter, the seedlings will begin to stretch, which will have a bad effect on the further development of the bushes.
Bad light
Peppers are also sensitive to light. It is especially important to provide lighting in the first month of growing seedlings. For this, special phytolamps or LEDs are installed. They should work so that the daylight hours are at least 12, but no more than 14. Then the duration of illumination is gradually reduced, since the seedlings can stretch.
Before starting cultivation, it is necessary to provide a lighting system
When kept in a greenhouse, shade is provided on hot days. This can also be done in open ground. For example, by placing a white awning or other shelter.Planting plants in shady places is not worth it, since a lack of sunlight causes the leaves to begin to turn yellow. Under such conditions, plants often lag behind in development.
Temperature changes
If the leaves of sweet peppers turn yellow in the open ground, and the care is quite normal, the reason may be due to unfavorable weather. If night temperatures drop below +10 degrees, and during the day, on the contrary, the heat sets in above +28 °C, this can also lead to the appearance of light spots on the leaf blades. There is only one solution - to grow crops in greenhouses or greenhouses. This is especially important for northern regions with short and cool summers.
Root damage
Pepper does not tolerate picking quite well. The root system is still weak, and even if you act carefully, it can easily be damaged. As a result, the seedling weakens, which has a bad effect on the condition of the foliage. Although if the damage is small, the plant will recover over time - in this case, only the cotyledon leaves may be damaged.
Pests and diseases
Finally, foliage can turn yellow due to diseases and pests. Most often, plantings are attacked by spider mites and aphids. Mites are microscopic in size, but they can be easily detected by a whitish coating on the underside of the leaf blade.
Aphids can be noticed visually, especially since the pest colonies are very large. They feed on plant juices, as a result of which the leaf not only turns yellow, but also curls and then dies.
To prevent the pepper leaves from turning yellow, you need to treat the plantings with insecticides:
- "Biotlin";
- "Fitoverm";
- "Karbofos"
- "Inta-Vir";
- "Aktara".
If there are not very many insects, and the leaves have just begun to turn yellow, you can use folk remedies, for example, infusion of garlic, onion peels, mustard powder. The same recipes can be used for prevention.
Pepper leaves may turn yellow due to pests or diseases
Also, the appearance of yellow spots can be associated with fungal infections - downy mildew and fusarium. In the first case, individual light dots appear on the leaf plates, which then merge into large spots. The surface becomes white, then turns yellow. After which it turns brown.
Fusarium blight causes the tips of the lower foliage to turn yellow. The disease gradually spreads to the overlying parts. Treatment should be started as early as possible. Otherwise, the disease will spread to neighboring plantings.
To prevent leaves from turning yellow, effective fungicides are used for treatment:
- "Fundazol";
- "Profit";
- "Tattu";
- "Skor";
- "Abiga-Pik" and others.
If the crop is cultivated in open ground, processing is done in dry and windless weather.
Why do pepper leaves turn yellow in a greenhouse?
When grown in a greenhouse, pepper leaves may turn yellow for the following reasons:
- temperature too high;
- temperature fluctuations;
- depleted soil;
- excess or lack of watering.
For prevention, the greenhouse must be constantly ventilated and the humidity monitored.
Causes of yellow leaves of peppers in open ground
In open ground, pepper leaves often begin to turn yellow due to weather factors. The plant is very thermophilic, and even short-term night drops to +10 degrees can lead to negative consequences.Therefore, seedlings should be transplanted into beds no earlier than the beginning of May, and in Siberia and the Urals - closer to June.
Pepper leaves may also turn yellow for other reasons described above. This phenomenon is associated with inappropriate soil composition, a shady place, lack or excess of fertilizers, improper watering, and others.
What to do if the lower or upper leaves of the pepper turn yellow
Sometimes gardeners encounter this phenomenon: only the upper or lower leaves of peppers turn yellow, while the rest look quite healthy and grow normally.
If the yellowing has spread only to the lower foliage, there are three most likely reasons:
- Watering with cold water. It must first be left overnight at room temperature (or left in the bright sun). You should pour only at the root, avoiding getting on the green parts.
- Incorrect picking - if the roots of the plant are damaged, the foliage may also turn yellow.
- A similar phenomenon is also possible due to improper transplantation, when the root system is damaged due to careless actions. Therefore, the day before, the plants need to be watered and left for 1-2 days so that a sufficiently dense earthen ball is formed.
Yellowing of the upper foliage is associated with abundant light, lack of fertilizer or watering. There may be other reasons described above, for example, pest damage.
Leaves may turn yellow en masse or individually
Preventive measures
It is possible and necessary to avoid yellowing of peppers. To do this, you must follow the basic rules of care:
- Since seedlings do not tolerate transplantation well, it is better to grow them immediately in separate containers. To do this, use peat pots, tablets or plastic glasses. Three seeds are planted in each.If they all sprout, the weak seedlings are pinched off, leaving one strong seedling at a time.
- Be sure to feed the seedlings at least once with complex fertilizer.
- A few days after transplanting the pepper into the ground, it is necessary to treat it with a fungicide. It is enough to do this once or maximum twice a season. Moreover, during fruiting, it is better to use biological preparations or folk remedies for spraying.
- Maintain normal watering, giving water 1-2 times a week.
- Apply fertilizers up to 4-5 times per season at intervals of two weeks.
- Ventilate the greenhouse regularly.
Conclusion
When the leaves of the pepper turn yellow, this indicates a violation of the rules of care. You need to check whether the soil is too dry or moist. It is also recommended to fertilize and treat against pests. If the care is normal, the cause is probably related to excessive or insufficient lighting. It can also be adjusted by yourself.
