Problems with chili 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 chili peppers.
Common problems with chili peppers
The problems recorded on chili peppers, the most common first.
22 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. -
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. -
Transplant shock
A wilted, stalled plant in the days after moving. Usually recovers within one to two weeks. -
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. -
Caterpillars
Holes chewed in leaves, often down to the veins, with green droppings below. -
Cold and frost damage
Blackened, glassy shoots after a cold night. Tender plants collapse; hardy ones grow out of it.
