Problems with bell peppers
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on bell peppers.
Common problems with bell peppers
The problems recorded on bell peppers, the most common first.
20 problems
-
Aphids
Small, soft insects clustered on new growth and under leaves, leaving sticky honeydew. -
Blossom end rot
A sunken, dark, leathery patch at the flower end of the fruit. Caused by uneven watering. -
Bacterial leaf spot
Small, dark, water-soaked spots on leaves and raised scabby spots on fruit, spreading in wet weather. -
Blossom drop
Flowers yellow at the stalk and fall before any fruit forms. Usually heat or cold. -
Cutworms
Seedlings cut off at soil level overnight, with a fat grey caterpillar curled in the soil nearby. -
Heat stress
Afternoon wilting, dropped flowers and stalled fruit in a hot spell, even in moist soil. -
Spider mites
Fine pale speckling on leaves, then yellowing and webbing. The mites are barely visible. -
Sun scorch and sunscald
Bleached, papery or brown patches on the leaves and fruit that face the sun. -
Too much nitrogen
Lush, dark leaves and few flowers or fruit. Rich feeding pushes growth, not crop. -
Whitefly
Tiny white flies that rise in a cloud when you touch the plant. Leaves go sticky and yellow. -
Grey mould (botrytis)
Fuzzy grey mould on fruit, flowers and damaged leaves, rotting them in cool, damp weather. -
Poor pollination
Flowers but no fruit, or small, misshapen fruit that shrivels at the tip.
