Pepper plants have it all—the looks, the useful fruits, and the hassle-free growing requirements.
They’re simple creatures. You give them enough water and sunlight, and they give you peppers in return.
Unfortunately, like all plants, pepper plants come with a list of common problems that you have to be ready to deal with. They’re no strangers to pest infestations and nutrient deficiencies.
Here are 9 common pepper plant problems and their causes:
Problem 1: Discolored, Curling Leaves
- Cause: Aphid infestation
- Fix: Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
If the leaves on your pepper plant are discolored and curling at the end, it can indicate an aphid infestation.
You may also notice a sticky substance on the leaves, and if the infestation is far in, you’ll see the tiny white insects walking around on the plant’s stem.
The problem is, these aphids aren’t only walking on your plant aimlessly. They’re sucking the nutrients out of the stems, preventing them from reaching the leaves.
After losing their color and curling, they may eventually fall off.
Besides, the aphids create a way for mold and fungus to grow on your plant, so they need to be treated fast.
You can treat an aphid infestation easily using horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. If you prefer natural solutions, you can allow ladybugs in your garden. A single one can eat up to 60 aphids per day.
Problem 2: Pepper Plant Root Rot
- Cause: Blight
- Fix: Fungicide
Blight is a common fungal disease that hits pepper plants, and it’s caused by a soil-borne pathogen.
If you live in a windy area, your plants may be more prone to it because the wind blows the spores from one plant to the other, spreading the infection.
If you live in a dry cold area, your plant will likely not encounter this disease because it only spreads in humid conditions and temperatures above 50 F.
The early signs of blight include brown spots on both the stem and leaves. When the disease settles, it causes root rot, which is the early sign of your plant dying.
It may also cause the peppers to rot if they contact the infected soil.
You can treat blight using a fungicide treatment, but for future reference, it’s better to plant peppers in a raised bed for better drainage. Less moisture means a lower chance for the pathogen to grow.
Problem 3: Rounded Holes on the Leaves
- Cause: Flea beetles
- Fix: Plain talcum powder
If you see plenty of tiny, rounded holes on the leaves of your pepper plant, that’s a sure sign of flea beetles.
These pests often target younger plants, so keep an eye out for them if you only recently planted those peppers.
The beetles are so tiny that you can’t see them, and they move on from one plant to the other in a short time. So, it’s essential to get rid of them if you don’t want the rest of your plants affected.
However, it’s worth noting that they won’t kill your plant. They’re a mere inconvenience, but they’re easy to get rid of by sprinkling some plain talcum powder on your pepper. The powder will repel them for a while until the weather gets cold and they stop appearing.
For a more sustainable approach, you can grow plants with potent scents like catnip or mint. They’ll keep the beetles away.
Problem 4: No Peppers
- Cause: Too much nitrogen
- Fix: A phosphorus fertilizer
If your plant is doing well in terms of foliage but isn’t growing any peppers, it’s likely a result of too much nitrogen. This is a common issue that often results from excessively using a nitrogen fertilizer.
Such fertilizers can cause phosphorus levels in the soil to fall, preventing the plant from growing its fruits.
It can take a while to fix this problem, but you can get the plant to grow again by the next season if you use a fertilizer with a high ratio of phosphorus.
Problem 5: Decaying Peppers and Brown Spots on Leaves
- Cause: Bacterial leaf spot
- Fix: Removal of infected areas
If the peppers on your plant are rotting and the leaves are showing brown spots, this could signal an advanced stage of bacterial leaf spot.
It’s a common bacterial disease that occurs in humid conditions, so it may be a result of living in a rainy area.
It also spreads by touch and through the soil, so there’s a high chance plants nearby are suffering from it as well.
In the early stages of bacterial leaf spot, the spots on the leaves will be yellow and green, and the peppers will have raised spots on top of them. They won’t be entirely decaying yet.
During this stage, you can save the plant by removing the infected parts and applying fertilizer to give the plant enough nutrition to combat the bacteria.
Problem 6: Pepper Ends Rotting
- Cause: Blossom end rot
- Fix: Watering and calcium-rich fertilizer
If you’re growing tomatoes, you’re probably already familiar with blossom end rot since it’s a common problem. Unfortunately, peppers, too, are highly prone to the condition.
Blossom end rot causes the ends of the peppers to rot, which happens because the cell wall membrane collapses due to calcium deficiency.
With some soil management, you can easily tackle the disease and prevent it from recurring. All you have to do is use a calcium-rich fertilizer and water the plant more frequently.
The rot spreads more rapidly in dry plants, so make sure your peppers are getting enough water to tackle it.
Some people use a combination of water and powdered milk to water the plant, so it can absorb enough calcium to treat the deficiency.
Problem 7: Powdery White Growth on Leaves
- Cause: Powdery mildew
- Fix: Fungicide
Powdery mildew is a fungal infection that’s easy to catch because of the white powdery growth it causes.
If you find the tips of your pepper’s leaves curling upward, revealing a side covered in powdery growth, that’s your cue to start treatment.
A classic fungicide can solve the issue without breaking a sweat. However, if you want an organic solution, you can make one at home. Mix some non-detergent soap with baking soda and water, and spray the mixture on the affected areas.
You’ll want to act fast because the growth will spread to other plants if left untreated. I recommend removing the infected parts altogether to protect the unaffected ones.
Problem 8: Yellowing Leaves and Vascular Discoloration
- Cause: Verticillium wilt
- Fix: Removal of infected parts
If the leaves of your pepper plant are yellowing or wilting, you can cut a piece of the stem and look inside. If it’s turning brown, then this is a classic case of verticillium wilt.
Though not as common as the other problems, it’s a bacterial condition that can hit your plant and clog its vascular tissue.
As a result, the water won’t make it far up to the leaves, leaving them weak and brittle. If not treated, this condition can cause the entire plant to collapse.
When you first notice the leaves wilting or yellowing, try watering the plant more. It may be a classic case of dehydration.
If that doesn’t solve it, you’ll have to confirm the infection and remove the infected parts before the condition spreads throughout the entire plant.
Problem 9: Curling Leaves
- Cause: Excess light or water
- Fix: Adjusting the growth conditions
If the leaves on your pepper plant are curling, but there are no other symptoms, it may be a result of overwatering or excess light.
Overwatering can stress out the leaves, causing them to curl, and it may cause stunted growth in the entire plant.
Likewise, if you’re using artificial lights and keeping them too close to the plant, they may be the cause of the curling leaves.
If all your growth conditions are optimal, the cause for curling leaves may be calcium deficiency. In this case, using a fertilizer should be enough to reverse the condition.
However, it’s worth noting that calcium deficiency will also cause distorted peppers and a bunch of other symptoms.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of common pepper plant problems to get familiar with before growing it in your garden.
You may be providing all the right growth conditions, but a pest infestation or an infected soil can hit out of nowhere. Keep an eye out for the symptoms, and you should catch any problem early on.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.