Why do pepper leaves turn yellow and what to do?

Many people like to grow their own vegetables in their garden, including bell peppers. This plant is highly sensitive and demanding in terms of care. Often, yellow foliage can be observed in this vegetable. How this can be caused, and what to do in such a situation, we will tell in the article.

Most often, the yellowness of the leaves is associated with natural causes, namely, with their withering away. However, this only applies when it comes to the lower leaves of seedlings or adult plantings. If yellowness is also observed on the upper foliage, then this indicates problems, most of which can be caused by improper care.

Improper watering is one of the many reasons why pepper leaves turn yellow, wither and fall off. This is most often due to either a moisture deficit or an excess of it. In such cases, after yellowness and leaf fall, this begins to be observed in the ovaries and flowers of the plant, and in a critical situation its stem begins to soften. As a result, the landing may simply die.

To avoid such problems, it is necessary to control the humidity of the beds where the pepper is grown. Droughts should not be allowed, however, the culture does not tolerate swampy soil and stagnant water near the roots. In addition, an excessive amount of moisture can contribute to the development of fungal diseases or the appearance of harmful slugs, which should also not be allowed.

Another reason for the yellowness of the foliage of plantings associated with watering is wrong water temperature.

Bell peppers require careful maintenance. He is especially picky about fertilizers. If this plant lacks any nutrients or elements, this immediately affects its condition: the leaves begin to actively turn yellow, dry and wither. And this applies not only to adult peppers, but also to seedlings.

In this case, the plant is necessary feed, but first it is worth determining which specific substances are missing from the planting, otherwise there is a risk of causing even more harm to it.

So, most often, the yellowness of the leaves appears due to a nitrogen deficiency. However, a lack of nitrogen, zinc, iron and boron can also cause a similar phenomenon.

A cultivated plant such as bell pepper is light-loving... With a lack of lighting, which usually occurs when growing plantings on a windowsill or in a greenhouse, pepper grows poorly, its development slows down, which occurs due to a decrease in metabolism. The stems of such plantings grow weakened, and their color is usually light green, which indicates their soreness. The same situation can be observed with plant leaves. As for his bushes, they begin to stretch and grow in curves.

Pepper loves comfort and stability. Sharp jumps in temperature are contraindicated for him, because of them he begins to grow and develop at times slower, and his leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off. In addition, this vegetable is very sensitive to cold, that is, to temperatures below +12 degrees, and to high temperatures, which is above +32 degrees. In unfavorable conditions, it can also experience similar foliar problems.

A similar problem may occur during picking of seedlings and planting them in open ground or in a greenhouse. It is not difficult to harm the planting roots during deep loosening or getting rid of weeds.

If we talk about plant diseases, then most often the yellowing of the foliage in peppers occurs due to a fungal disease called fusarium. When a disease affects a plant, the nutrient exchange between its roots and foliage is disrupted. Because of this, yellowing of the leaves occurs, which eventually drop and fall. Trying to do anything with a diseased plant is pointless - it is better to get rid of it right away so that the fungal disease does not infect neighboring plants.

Peppers can often have diseases such as mosaic, the main feature of which is the appearance of characteristic spots on the leaf plates, as well as phytoplasmosis. In such cases, treating the plant is also useless, and it must be destroyed as soon as possible in order to avoid the active spread of the virus.

Another disease that can cause discoloration of foliage is late blight... It can often be confused with a lack of water in the soil, however, with watering, the situation will only begin to worsen, and the disease will develop several times more actively.

Late blight is a fungal disease that causes yellow foliage and the formation of brown rotten spots; it looks very much like brown rot. With the development of the disease, the foliage simply shrivels and falls off. This disease is formed on the lower tiers of leaves, after which it gradually moves to the upper ones. If you do not start treating it in time, the disease will soon spread to the fruit.

It is possible to fight this disease, however, if brown spots appear on the planting, indicating a critical stage of the disease, it will be a pointless exercise. It is necessary to take up the planting treatment as soon as possible. For this, the plant needs to be treated with a special preparation, for example, "Ridomil", "Barrier" or "Oxyhom".

The leafy plates of bell pepper curl and begin to turn yellow as well due to the active attacks of harmful insects, which suck out all the juices and nutrients from it. Subsequently, the plant simply stops growing, discards the foliage and ceases to bear fruit, and soon dies.

The main pests of pepper are aphids and spider mites.... They appear due to improper plant maintenance, namely, due to low humidity and high temperatures. These parasites are often found in greenhouses, but they can often be seen in garden beds.

In order to prevent the spread of these parasites, it is first necessary to inspect the foliage of the plant on an ongoing basis. It is easy to notice aphids on them, but with a spider mite, which is also a carrier of many viruses dangerous for pepper, it will be somewhat more difficult: it is a microscopic parasite, and its appearance can only be recognized by the presence of a thin web on the plant.

It is necessary to get rid of harmful insects as soon as possible, preferably as soon as they appear. In the initial stages of appearance, they can be eliminated with the help of folk remedies.Solutions based on tar soap, garlic, mustard, onion husks, wood ash, tobacco, tomato tops or dandelion are perfect against aphids and spider mites. You can make them yourself at home, it won't take much time.

In critical situations, summer residents usually resort to the use of chemicals, when other methods are powerless. Many do not like them, due to the fact that they are quite toxic, which is why, if used incorrectly, they can harm not only parasitic insects, but also humans, pets and the environment in general. Nevertheless, this kind of funds are highly effective and fast.

Note that they must be used strictly in accordance with the instructions on the package, while observing safety precautions and using protective equipment: rubber gloves and a protective mask at least. In addition, it should be borne in mind that if it is necessary to re-treat harmful insects, it is necessary to use another drug, otherwise the parasites may develop addiction, and then the agent will lose its effectiveness. Spraying with toxic substances is required only in sunny weather. It is useless to do this in the rain, since the drug will simply be washed off, and the planting process will have to be repeated.

To combat parasites, it is permissible to use biological methods.... This method most often means the use of natural helpers, that is, insects or strains of soil bacteria that are natural enemies of parasites. Biological methods are just as effective, at the same time completely safe for plants and humans, but their use can seem a little difficult.

For example, ladybirds are used to combat active attacks of aphids. To attract them, it is necessary to plant various herbs next to the pepper, for example, calendula, dill, tansy, buckwheat or sweet clover. These insects, due to their gluttony, can help you deal with other pests: ticks, whiteflies.

Another natural helper is mite phytoseiulus. It will help you deal with not only adult spider mites, but also with its eggs and larvae. You can buy such an insect in special stores. To rid the greenhouse of the pest population of this mite, it is necessary to run there weekly, and in large quantities. For prevention, 5-10 such individuals will be enough, which will need to be launched into the greenhouse at intervals of 2 weeks.

If we talk about such a biological means of control as strains and spores of soil bacteria, then it implies the use of special biological products: "Entobacterin", "Biotlin", "Fitoverma" or others... They pose no danger to humans, animals and birds, or beneficial pollinating insects. But in harmful insects, these drugs, getting into their body, can cause intestinal toxicosis, which invariably leads to the death of parasites.

So, the plant needs to be provided with proper care: observe the rules of crop rotation, monitor the humidity level, regularly ventilate the greenhouse, apply the necessary fertilizers in a timely manner and inspect its foliage on an ongoing basis for the presence of parasites. If diseases occur, the affected areas must be eliminated immediately. After the final harvest, it is necessary to dig up the land, which will eliminate the pests that winter in the soil.

Observing all these simple rules, you will definitely be able to grow healthy plants, which will subsequently please you with a good harvest.

For information on why the leaves of the pepper turn yellow, see the next video.