Mrs. Solost’s oldest brother died over a year ago. He was a good guy who loved all things spicy. A family member dug up a Chile pepper plant from his garden, potted it and gave it to me, since they know I like spicy stuff too.
I am far from a green thumb, but I took care of it and managed to keep it alive all winter. Then when the weather got warm enough to keep it outside, I put it on a small 2nd floor balcony where it’s flourished all summer, producing a bumper crop of Tabasco-like peppers.
But in the last couple weeks its leaves are starting to turn yellow, and some have died off. It really looks like it’s starting to take a turn for the worse. What could be wrong with it? I think it’s had plenty of water. Could it be overwatered? Does it maybe need fertilizer? I haven’t given it any plant food lately. Could it be a disease? Do these types of plants just have a life span? I’d like to keep BIL’s plant alive as long as I can.
I’ve always treated pepper plants as annuals, but you can treat them as perennials, I think. If leaves are yellowing then I’d worry about the plant maybe getting chilled (frost), short days/insufficient light, and enough nitrogen in the soil. Some miracle grow may be in order.
Yes, peppere plants can be perennials, if treated right in the right conditions. But it seems advisable to harvest some seeds for next season, just in case the plant does not survive. The seeds are the white thingies inside the berry (yes, peppers are berries, botanically speaking) and they keep well in a jar or a paper envelope stored dry, dark and not too cold.
In fact, I would advise that regardless of whether the plant survives or not. It will not be the same plant, but there will be a direct lineage which for me personally would be as good a memento as any. YMMV.
In general, overwatering is always worse than underwatering. And some plants can be very long-lived if planted in the ground, but shorter lived if put into pots.
Sometime the distribution of yellowing leaves can tell you something about the cause.
For instance, I was just reading that underfeeding causes yellowing to proceed from lowest leaves to upper, because the plant shifts nitrogen away from old foliage to support newer growth.
Pepper plants are usually really tough. They are denizens of dryer climates. It’s roots may be bound as well.
Re-pot and only water when the soil feels on the dry side. Lots of sun will make it happy.
I’ll give it a shot of Miracle Grow and see if that helps. Will watch the water. It has gotten a lot of water even without me watering it- we’ve had one of the wettest summers in recorded history. Outdoor temps have remained pretty summer-like so far, but I believe it’s taking a turn for the cooler next week so I’ll bring it back indoors soon. And @Pardel-Lux , yes, I’ll keep a few dried peppers on hand for seeds if needed.