Hot pepper plant - deformed leaves

[Guilleo]

Not sure what's going on with my hot pepper plants... they all seemed to present the same symptom, leaves are curled and deformed. Watering is consistent, I've feed the plants a couple of time with tomato food plant from miracle grow, no aphids and or bugs (at least of what I can see), nevertheless I sprayed the plants with insecticide as a precaution, but nothing changed.

I'm living in a tropical country, its summer and the temperatures are around 100 F. These plants are 3-4 years old so they been fine a couple of summers without any issues.

Any help appreciated.

 

[Meadowlark]

I'll take a guess...looks like they are root bound and in need of transplanting to a slightly larger container with fresh soil.

 

[Guilleo]

I'll take a guess...looks like they are root bound and in need of transplanting to a slightly larger container with fresh soil.

Could be.... but do you think that all plants could get this at the same time? We are talking of total of 6 containers with the same symptoms around the same time....

 

[Meadowlark]

Yes if they all have not been transplanted for a long time. Its easy to determine if root bound...just lift a plant up and check.

 

[headfullofbees]

In my experience, chillies look like that when they have been too dry and have inherent pests,
I know that doesn't sound much like conventional wisdom, but, then again, I'm not really conventional.
Increase watering and spray with water to kill mites.

 

[Chuck]

I think it is a mosaic virus probably cucumber mosaic acquired because of age. A 3-4 year old pepper plant in a container is old. It is probably root bound as well but being root bound will not cause the deformity and that type of discoloring. Over fertilizing will cause leaf deformity but I don't think it is a fertility problem. I would destroy the plant, get rid of the soil and sterilize the container and then get a new plant and hope to get 3-4 years of production out of it too.

 

[Guilleo]

Thanks everybody!

Took two of the worst looking plants to verify the root bound thing... I'm including pictures below but I think that might not be the case based on the pictures, I'm not an expert on the issue but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Also, looking once again to the plants I've noted these little whitish marks or some sort of texture as noted in the picture below and I proceed to scratch it with my fingernails and they whore off

I'm inclining to believe in the bug hypothesis, not sure if this could fall under any specific type of aphids or something... nevertheless I'll start to treat the plants to see if there is any improvement!

 

[Silentrunning]

When I used to keep pepper plants as perennials in Florida I would prune them severely every spring. They would bounce back immediately with new growth.

 

[Chuck]

The only insect it could be is a scale insect as you have to scrape it off. There isn't nearly enough of the "scale" to cause all of that leaf deformity. If insects did anything it was to infect the plants with a virus. And no, the plants aren't seriously root bound.

 

[DirtMechanic]

If the plants become weak producers it is a clue. Heavily sterilize those pots before re-use of course.

 

[Silentrunning]

Do peppers get nematodes?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Do peppers get nematodes?

Mine do not show them even though I have seen them on tomato and okra, so I know they are present. Also, mine are grown as annuals so I would not know what could happen over time.

 

[Chuck]

Do peppers get nematodes?

Tomatoes, peppers and okra are the most likely vegetables to be affected by nematodes. When nematodes are present in peppers there will be a lot of chlorotic and stunted leaves along with a few dying leaves.

 

[oldman_gardening]

I like to grow chillies and I wouldn't be surprised if it was spider mites causing the trouble.
I use Mancozeb plus which is a fungicide and miticide in one so its a fairly safe bet for either troubles

 

[dandy-lou]

My pepper plant is doing the same thing! (weird curling leaves). I haven't been able to figure out why, this was a helpful thread.