Pepper, like tomatoes and cucumbers, is grown most often through seedlings . This is a very responsible process, because the future harvest depends on it. To get a strong and healthy seedling pepper, you need to know how to properly care for her. But even if you create excellent growth conditions for plants, they can have problems. Most gardeners are faced with the fact that the sweet pepper dry and curled upper leaves. In this article, let's try to figure out why this is happening and how to deal with it.
Why do the leaves of sweet pepper curl?
There are three main causes that cause leaf deformation in sweet pepper:
- uneven growth of different parts of the leaf;
- lack of essential microelements in the soil;
- defeat by pests.
Most of these problems are apparent in seedlings. Depending on what caused the twisting of the sheets in the pepper, there are different options that it is necessary to undertake. Otherwise, the resulting seedling will be frail and not viable.
How to deal with the problem of leaf twisting in pepper?
The most harmless cause is an excessively rapid growth of the central vein compared to the rate of enlargement of the leaf plate.
Gardening growers often face it when growing tomatoes. This can be triggered by deficiencies of sunlight and heat. In this case, nothing is particularly needed to make the leaves look normal. Over time, it will happen itself. If the seedlings are grown indoors, then it is possible to arrange plant fluorescence and heating.
When pepper is affected by pests such as spider mites and aphids, twisting is accompanied by:
- the appearance of a web between the leaves;
- yellowing of the leaf plate entirely or stained.
To combat these uninvited guests is recommended by folk remedies, so as not to spoil the future harvest. There are several proven options:
- Onion tincture. For 1 liter of water, take 1 cup of husk. We insist 24 hours and spray every 5 days.
- A solution of garlic and dandelion. Each ingredient will need 1 glass in the grinded state. Mix them and add to the resulting mixture 1 tbsp. l. liquid honey, and then pour 10 liters of water. Let's brew for 3 hours and you can treat the peppers.
In addition, larvae that live in the soil and feed on the roots of the plant can cause twisting of the leaves. It can help watering the earth with a solution of potassium permanganate. If you want fast and
Not finding signs of finding pests on the plant, we can say that the deformation occurred because it lacks potassium. If the leaves of pepper for this reason are twisted, then this can lead to the development of the disease. Solve this problem is possible only by carrying out additional fertilization, which will fill the supply of the necessary element in the soil.
As a fertilizer for pepper can be used potassium nitrate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water, watered at a rate of 500 ml per bush) or conventional wood ash (125 g per plant). It should be borne in mind that after potting with ash, the pot must be well watered, and when using saltpetre, it is necessary to moisten the soil before applying the fertilizer.
To avoid twisting of leaves in peppers it is recommended to disinfect the soil as a prophylaxis, for this, watering it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water, or seeds, warming them 48 hours on a battery or stove.