I planted green bell peppers seeds in the spring and they sprouted and I now have 3 tall pepper plants (about 23" tall) they have all grown buds, but none have opened into a flower and they have begun turning brown and falling off. The leaves which were nice and green, have begun to spot a bit and I've noticed some tiny insects that have woven a kind of web in between some leaves. Is there anything I can do to save them and get them to produce? By the way, they are potted and indoors - they get about 6 hours of direct sunlight. Thanks.
It sounds like you have spider mites. You might try spraying with some insectitcidal soap, but check the label and make sure that it is safe for food plants. Otherwise you could just spray it with dish soap and water. I think it is 1 T. soap to 1 Gallon of water. Spider mites like hot dry conditions, so you might try misting your peppers on a daily basis. I am sure you peppers will survive as long as you get rid of the mites. Good luck!
Jan's advice is wonderful, and I would definitely take the dish soapy water route as opposed to spending wasted money on pesticides. A hard spray of water is what the plant needs, to blast the mites right off the plant! You must be sure to get the undersides of the leaves most especially because this is where mites take up residence. Give your plants a soaking of soapy water, using a mist bottle. Again - be sure to concentrate mostly on the undersides of the leaves. Then completely rinse the plant with clear water, making sure to get off all the soap. After the 'soaping' treatment, regular and consistent showers of the plants will keep mites off and prevent infestation. Mites NEVER get the best of my plants anymore, because water is my weapon against them, and they hate it, as much as I hate them! Good luck. : )
Thank you both so much. I will definitely use the "water attack" method....:) Have a great night and a fantastic weekend!
You are very welcome and have yourself a wonderful weekend also. : ) P.S. Don't be shy - join my 'post a peek of yourself here' thread, and join in the fun. Jan, I don't believe I have seen you in the thread yet either! (hint, hint)... : O
re the soap treatment... it should be real soap. check your dish soap, which is often "detergent", and harmful to plants. Pure liquid castille soap, Ivory, or grating a bar of laundry soap like Sunlight and dissolving in water can work too - 1 tbsp soap to 1 litre water. I've been fighting aphids and found that mixing soap and oil with water works, but I make sure to spray in the evening (or cloudy day) to avoid wetness on the leaves while the sun shines, which will surely burn the plant. the spray has to hit the insect to work, so repeat in a few days to get the ones you missed the first time, and their offspring. (Or, buy Safer's which is 2% "potassium salts of fatty acids" aka soap, and formulated to be effective in killing the insect and not the plant. It's okay for use on food plants.)
I have never been too fussy about the kind of dishsoap I have used, but none have harmed my plants, nor my seedlings either. I've been doing it for years. I have used Safer's products before also, but it really isn't necessary to spend a whole lot of money if you are committed to consistent showering, and sprinkling a few known kitchen spices around the stems of your plants. Spices such as crushed bay leaf work to deter earwigs from their chewing damage, whole cloves which are a great deterrent for ants, and crushed garlic and ground cayenne pepper can put the run to a number of insects. I water my plant with soapy water first, to kill the soil insects, and then I sprinkle my spice concoction around the plant. You need to repeat after it rains, and apply more sprinklings. I win the battle every time and the bugs run for the hills. Hope this helps. : )
Hollyberry I see you rinse with clear water after spraying, which would protect the plants from damage... being as lazy as I am (sometimes having dozens of plants to deal with) I don't rinse, so am careful with what I spray on, and the time of day that I do it. I'm one of those people that learns the hard way! sometimes over and over... Anyway I think the other part of the equation is vigilance... the bugs will be back for another round or two, so watch carefully and be prepared to spray again... even plain water will knock them off and set them back a bit.
Yup, ususally people only have to resort to pesticides because they have an infestation, but consistent and regular showers with water will prevent the mites and other bugs from building up and taking over. You will never have to buy another bottle of pesticide again! I never do anymore - it's been years. : ) Yes, be careful when you don't rinse the plants, after applying a soapy shower especially - it often spells trouble. Not to worry, I've learned the hard way many times - but at least I saw and experienced it for myself and I knew what not to do next time. : )
Update: I used the soap treatment and it worked! I already have a few blooms on the plants and am excited to see if anything comes of it. I have checked for more of the little critters and have found a few. I have sprayed them directly with water to wash them out and will do the soapy water again tonight. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELPFUL ADVICE!!!!
Oh, this is such great news! So happy to hear it, Amjone. Good for you. It has always worked for me too, so I am not surprised. Very cool. Just remember to keep up your showers even when they are gone, and they will never come back. : )