When growing peppers, many problems arise, which include shedding of leaves. If you correctly determine the cause of the falling foliage, then coping with this situation is easy.
Danger of falling leaves
The plant feeds through foliage. With a large loss of leaves, the culture weakens and dies.
Reasons for falling foliage
If the leaves change color or crumbled green, then you need to eliminate leaf fall and take the necessary measures.
Errors in agricultural technology
Insufficient watering will negatively affect the appearance of the pepper. With significant overdrying, the culture withers, buds and ovaries crumble.
The root system rots from strong liquid stagnation and poor air exchange. On all parts of the plant, spots of brown and black color are formed. The growing seedlings suffer most from this.
The problem may arise due to a deficiency in mineral nutrition:
- leaves turn yellow and become covered with white dots due to lack of nitrogen;
- lack of potassium causes yellowness along the edges of the leaf plates and their deformation;
- with a deficiency of phosphorus, the leaves turn yellow, and the veins do not lose their green color;
- if the culture lacks iron, the upper leaves turn yellow and crumble.
Hose irrigation also has a bad effect on the plant: the roots are overcooled and affected by rot. The leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Pepper does not grow well in crowded conditions. With thickened plantings, the roots of the sprouts are confused with each other, they do not receive a sufficient amount of air, liquid, and the root system rots. In order not to die, the bushes get rid of excess foliage.
External causes
Pepper is a thermophilic crop, and any changes in the weather negatively affect its development.
When planting seedlings in a permanent area, the roots may be damaged. At the same time, the plants grow poorly and get rid of the lower leaves. Once the peppers have adapted, young leaves and buds will appear. If this does not happen, most likely, the bushes were planted very deeply.
At a low temperature (less than +14 ° C), the pepper does not grow, and as soon as the night temperature drops below +12 ° C, the leaves fall off.
Prolonged hot weather also affects the plant: the foliage becomes lethargic and falls green.
From exposure to direct sunlight, burns form on the leaves, they curl and crumble.
Peppers do not thrive on clay or acidic soils. Plants look weak and lethargic. Leaf fall begins.
Neutral, lightweight, breathable soil is considered optimal.
Parasites
Pepper suffers from many pests. The main parasites include:
- spider mite;
- aphids;
- whitefly;
- thrips;
- bear.
From the invasions of these insects, leaves of plants also fall, as they feed on the sap in the leaf plates. The bear moves underground and gnaws at the roots.
Diseases
The culture can be affected by diseases such as:
- bacterial cancer;
- powdery mildew;
- black spot;
- late blight.
It is necessary to take preventive measures in time and treat emerging diseases.
How can culture be saved
If shedding leaves are found, follow the recommendations:
- Treat with "Zircon" - the drug helps to cope with stress.
- Find out the reason for the shedding of the sheet plates.
- If the disease is incurable, get rid of the damaged bushes. Treat the rest of the plants with fungicide (Oxyhom, Gamair, Baktofit).
- Irrigate with warm liquid, plant in a suitable soil, feed with the missing element.
- Plant seedlings at the end of May.
Remember that the problem can be prevented, it will be more difficult to deal with it, so take special care of your plants.
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