Leaves of pepper seedlings turn white: causes and methods of treatment

Briefly about pepper

Pepper is a very demanding plant. To grow it, you need a constant warm climate. And if you do something wrong in planting or leaving it, then it will immediately be noticeable externally. If the leaves of pepper seedlings turn white immediately after transplanting the seedlings, then you should not worry about this, because when the adaptation period in a new place passes, everything will return to normal and the color on the leaves will recover, and the new foliage will begin to grow actively. But if the whitening of the leaf happened later, you need to immediately react differently, if you do not immediately take action, the plant may die.

Pepper seedlings turn white: why leaves turn white

Most often, pepper leaves turn white when there are too few nutrients for it or, on the contrary, a lot. It also often happens in bad climates, because pepper is a very sensitive plant. The plant also reacts almost instantly to improper care. At the same time, the leaves almost always lose their shape and change color. Fruits develop poorly or stop growing altogether. Due to poor care, the stem and roots of the plant also very often suffer.

Major mistakes

When you are trying to determine the cause of a plant's leaves turning white, whether it is a young seedling or an adult plant, first pay attention to the symptoms of pepper disease. And also monitor the temperature and humidity. And be sure to analyze all the previous manipulations with pepper. If you do not find deviations from the norm in transplantation and care, then the reason lies elsewhere, and you need to examine the bushes in more detail for signs of any diseases or pests.

If the cause turns out to be in some kind of infection, then urgent measures must be taken to prevent it. So if the pepper leaves began to turn white, then most likely the reason is: improper sowing or planting of seedlings. In an unsuitable microclimate for pepper. In the wrong care of the pepper. In the development of some kind of infection or disease.

Since pepper is a rather quivering and thermophilic plant, it requires a lot of sunlight and does not tolerate temperature changes. If you grow peppers in a greenhouse, then the climate there needs to be regularly maintained. It should always be warm and moderately humid. And also there should be no draft and wind. If the pepper leaves turned white immediately after the seedlings were planted in open ground, then hardening before planting most likely was not carried out, or very few days were spent, instead of the prescribed two weeks. Pre-hardening must be carried out not so much so that the seedlings get used to the cold, but rather to get used to direct sunlight. Thus, the leaves of the seedlings may turn white from sunburn. In this case, you should not worry, and as soon as the period of adaptation in a new place passes, it will quickly grow overgrown with young greens and then the whitened leaves can be removed. Only you need to pick off the white leaves not immediately, but gradually.

Another reason may be a lack or, on the contrary, an excess of moisture. Peppers must be watered only with warm water, and they do this only in the evening or early in the morning when there is no sun. You need to water the pepper strictly under the root of the plant, and if you pour cold water on the pepper, the plant will experience great stress, and may even start to hurt. And if you water the seedlings during the day, they are more likely to get sunburn, especially if drops of water fall on the leaves of the plant.In case of sunburn, the leaves do not completely turn white, but pointwise. If you spray pepper bushes with a chemical in too high a concentration, then the plants will definitely have a chemical burn. White bloom also appears on leaves in a complex of acidic soil and cold weather.

Also, the leaves turn white easily when they lack nitrogen, iron, copper and manganese.

In the case of a lack of iron, only young leaves turn white, the old ones always remain normal. The leaf begins to turn white from the base, although instead of turning white, it may begin to turn yellow.

If the pepper lacks nitrogen, then the upper leaves lighten a little, and the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and wrinkle.

If the plant lacks copper, then the plant is sluggish, the leaves begin to curl tightly towards the center, and their tips turn white.

With a lack of manganese, the base of the leaf begins to brighten, and then turn yellow. The veins throughout the sheet become not uniform in color.

Also, the leaves of the plant can turn white due to disease, fungus or infection.

Leaves of pepper seedlings turn white: the development of diseases

The leaves of pepper seedlings turn white, the main diseases:

Black leg - this disease is most dangerous for seedlings, although sometimes it can be found on adult bushes. Most often, this disease appears at elevated temperatures and humidity, as well as if the plants are planted too densely and there is stagnation of air. Recognizing this disease is not difficult. The stem of the plant turns brown at first, and then blackens and becomes thinner. The leaves first become pale, after which they wither very quickly. If this disease has overtaken a young seedling, then you need to take action not slowly, otherwise the plant will simply die. Adult plants rarely get sick with black leg, and they tolerate it much easier.

Wilt is a disease that infects peppers through the ground. It is a phytopathogenic fungus. The most favorable environment for this disease is high humidity. As well as temperature drops and poor ventilation between the bushes. The spores of this stroke can stay in the ground for several years, and they can easily get to your site even with the help of the wind. Initially, the lower leaves of the plant react to this disease. They wither, dry and fall off. And then the whole plant is affected. The vessels of the plant become clogged and the trunk becomes too soft. And gradually the plant dies off. Such a bush must be removed from the ground and burned.

White spot is a fungal disease that develops very easily and quickly in warm temperatures and high humidity. This disease manifests itself as uneven white spots with a dark border. And then dark spots become visible on these spots - fungal spores. Over time, all these dark spots combine into one and the leaf dries up. After that, the trunk of the plant begins to be affected, and behind it the fruits. If the treatment is not carried out in time, then with complete defeat it is already pointless to do it. The plant must be removed and destroyed.

Sclerocinia is a fungal infection. And you can notice it thanks to the white bloom on the stem of the plant. And then a white bloom appears on the leaves of the plant. This disease is popularly called white rot. This disease develops at high humidity and low temperatures. And also with too dense planting of pepper, in which ventilation of the bushes does not occur. Infected seedlings must be removed and destroyed.

Cladosporium - this fungus actively multiplies at an air temperature above 25 degrees and a humidity of more than 80%. Leaves in the case of this disease are covered with light green spots. Then brown spots appear anywhere in the bush. The leaves begin to dry, and the ovary withers and dries up. In order to overcome this disease, you need to treat the bushes with drugs with a high copper content.

Powdery mildew is a disease that especially affects greenhouse plants.Irregular spots with a white bloom appear on the leaves. In this case, the sheet can be deformed and twisted. At the same time, the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off. This disease spreads easily in high temperatures and too dry air. Powdery mildew can completely destroy an entire plantation of plants in just a couple of days.

Tobacco mosaic - This virus can easily destroy almost the entire crop. With this disease, the leaves become unevenly spotted, the leaves are small, narrow and elongated upward. And from below, the leaves turn pale green with yellow spots. Moreover, the ovary dries up and crumbles. And those fruits that have already formed are deformed and covered with chaotic spots.

Fight and prevention

If you notice that the leaves of your pepper turn white, you need to immediately find out the reason. And then immediately take preventive measures. It is necessary to create the climate necessary for the pepper, thin out the bushes in time, and most importantly, regular watering. In the heat from the direct rays of the sun, the seedlings are best covered with a light covering material. Top dressing should be carried out strictly according to the schedule, and extraordinary should be applied moderately and only necessary, and you can determine what specific substance the pepper needs by the appearance of the bush. And also, depending on the composition of the soil on your site, you need to apply the correct fertilizers before planting seedlings. if you are planting seedlings in a greenhouse, then you need to constantly monitor the temperature and humidity of the air. Again, if the air temperature is too high, then the plants will first stop growing altogether, and then they may die altogether.

If the plants are infected with a fungus, and it was not possible to cure it, then these bushes are best removed and burned. And the land in which these plants grew must be shed with copper sulfate or a solution of potassium permanganate. It is also very important for pepper that weeds are removed on time, and when pests appear, a fight begins immediately. And also, after each watering, loosening should be carried out so that oxygen is better supplied to the roots of the plant.

As with any disease, it is better to fight against white leaves by prevention than to cure later. After all, any disease is easier to prevent than to get rid of it.

It is always necessary to carry out the autumn and spring preparation of the site.

Before planting, seeds must be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Observe the rules of agricultural technology and crop rotation.

You need to properly care for the plants.

It is imperative to engage in the prevention of diseases and pests.

There are many reasons why pepper leaves can turn white. Precisely because it will be very difficult to understand the cause and cure the plant, it is best to carry out prevention. And also to maintain the microclimate necessary for the pepper, especially in the greenhouse. Since pepper itself is a very demanding plant, you need to choose the variety very carefully. the more there are varieties with stable immunity. If the choice of the variety was carried out correctly, then you can save yourself from many problems in the future.