Help!! Chilli plants infected?

[Pishk]

Hi, I'm growing a few chilli plants at the moment. They are growing really well, but I'm a bit worried one has started to get sick! There are chilli plants next to it of a slightly different variety and they don't seem to be affected yet, but I'm worried it may spread.

These plants are all in their second year. Last year I lost all of the chilli's to some kind of bacterial fruit rot. I don't want to lose my crops again!

Basically a lot of the older leaves around the base of the plant have wilted. I went out yesterday and cut off all the wilting leaves and put them in the bin. The new growths seem to still be very nice and healthy.

I took a few photo's in the hope somebody can identify the problem and offer some help!

Here's a whole pile of leaves I cut off the tree:
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1663/leafpilebj5.jpg

I took a photo of one of the leaves that seemed to have a large number of bugs underneath it, any idea what they are? or how to get rid of them?
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7431/leafpr1.jpg

Here is a small section of the full resolution image showing a number of bugs:
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/2878/bugsje7.jpg

What are these, and how do I get rid of them? Or do I simply have these bugs because I'm growing outside, and it could be another bug/disease?


Thanks,
Allen.

[POTAWIE]

You got aphids. Try spraying them with a soapy mixture or pytrethum insecticide or neem oil. They can become a real problem if not taken care of quickly. Indoors I purchase ladybugs which are a natural predator.

[QuebecFire]

agree with potawie take some soap (like palmolive) 2tblspoon per gallon of water !!! spray over and under the leaves !!!!! or your plant will die :(

[Pishk]

Thanks a lot! I cut off the effected leaves and binned them. This seemed to help a bit. I'll try the soapy mixture as well, thanks!

I heard planting Marigolds can attract aphids away from your chilli plants. Also, is there any way to attract lady bugs to come and protect your chilli plants? I did see one on one of my plants the other day, it was very exciting :lol:

[bentalphanerd]

I'm not sure about attracting ladybugs - they do tend to turn up where theres aphids about though.
Another thing to look out for is ants - they kind of treat the aphids like cattle. When I see a stream of ants running up & down the stem of my plants I drag out the pyrethrum spray.

[fisting_mayfield]

APHIDS!!!!!

ARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[POTAWIE]

I've bought ladybug lures and they don't seem to work at all.

[Pam]

I heard planting Marigolds can attract aphids away from your chilli plants. Also, is there any way to attract lady bugs to come and protect your chilli plants? I did see one on one of my plants the other day, it was very exciting :lol:

I love finding ladybug eggs on my plants, it is exciting!

Marigolds are also supposed to keep insects away from your plants by acting as a repellent. I don't put much stock in either story.
My question would be, how much nitrogen are you giving your plants? Over-nitrogen-ed plants attract aphids.

[Sickmont]

I've bought ladybug lures and they don't seem to work at all.

I always thought aphids were ladybug lures...

[Pishk]

I've bought ladybug lures and they don't seem to work at all.

Thankyou! I was considering these, but I wasn't sure how exactly they work.

I love finding ladybug eggs on my plants, it is exciting!

Marigolds are also supposed to keep insects away from your plants by acting as a repellent. I don't put much stock in either story.
My question would be, how much nitrogen are you giving your plants? Over-nitrogen-ed plants attract aphids.

I've been doing some searching online. Apparently Marigolds are one of the Aphids favourite plants. This is why they can be helpful. The Aphids will goto the Marigolds instead of other plants, then I guess the ladybugs will show up before they infest other plants. Apparently other plants that lure ladybugs are: fennel, dill, cilantro, caraway, angelica, tansy, wild carrot & yarrow. Other plants that also attract ladybugs include cosmos (especially the white ones), coreopsis, and scented geraniums, dandelions.

I think I'll plant some of these not too far from my chilli's. Hopefully that will keep all the aphids off my chilli's. Or if some do get on my chilli's, the ladybugs are close enough to find them and eat them, muhahaha :P

[bentalphanerd]

Pyrethrum flowers (like chrysanthemum) work too for repelling insects...they take forever to grow....waiting, waiting....

[Pam]

I've been doing some searching online. Apparently Marigolds are one of the Aphids favourite plants.

I would put that right up there with a whole bunch of other gardening tall tales. "Aphids" covers a lot of different genera and species, and while some are fairly plant-type specific, more are equal opportunity infestors.

You might also consider that aphids are wingless most of the season and reproduce asexually for most of the season as well. So, once the aphids are in your peppers, they're not going to pack their bags and move on over to the marigolds. I think the connection with ants has been mentioned here, too.


This is why they can be helpful. The Aphids will goto the Marigolds instead of other plants, then I guess the ladybugs will show up before they infest other plants.

Some aphids do follow a predictable progression from one plant species to another over the course of a season, but they don't all pack up and move. At some secret aphid signal, like temperature or day length, some of the wingless females will suddenly sprout wings and move on. However, unless marigolds are part of their progression, or the definitive host of that particular species, they're not going to attract the aphids more than peppers or tomatoes or other flowers would.

I think I'll plant some of these not too far from my chilli's. Hopefully that will keep all the aphids off my chilli's. Or if some do get on my chilli's, the ladybugs are close enough to find them and eat them, muhahaha :P

If you mentioned what you're using for fertilizer, I missed it. I will mention again that a high nitrogen fertilizer can make your plants more attractive to aphids.

[willard3]

If you mentioned what you're using for fertilizer, I missed it. I will mention again that a high nitrogen fertilizer can make your plants more attractive to aphids.

Any plant stress brings those that prey on the weak. Too much fertilizer stresses the plant. Aphids do it, mites do it, maggos do it, fungus does it, bacteria does it.....

One of the prime benefits of hydro is that the plants never get stressed: plenty of light, plenty of food, plenty of water, right temperatures.

I have aphids about every 10 yrs.....nothing else.

[chilliman64]

if using Marigolds make sure that they don't attract too many aphids which in turn migrate to your chiles... in other words, still cull the little blighters!

[POTAWIE]

Some people on another forum were using radishes with some success to lure the aphids onto but that was indoors.

[Pam]

Any plant stress brings those that prey on the weak. Too much fertilizer stresses the plant. Aphids do it, mites do it, maggos do it, fungus does it, bacteria does it.....

Yeah, but for us lowly dirt gardening sorts, observing what specific problem brings on what specific pest is kind of useful. Helps us to nip things in the bud, as it were. Like, I noticed a zinc deficiency in one of my container grown peppers this spring. When the annual whitefly explosion happened, it was already weak and suffered disproportionately. And yet when the Bloody Butcher tomato next to it got a load of aphids, I never did find any on it. So, since it's in the hoop house right now, I'll be sure it gets a hearty dose of a fertilizer with zinc before the approximate time of the annual whitefly explosion.


One of the prime benefits of hydro is that the plants never get stressed: plenty of light, plenty of food, plenty of water, right temperatures.

I have aphids about every 10 yrs.....nothing else.

pppphhhhpthttttt!

[Pishk]

Fertilizer? They grow in the dirt outside in the garden and that's it :P

At the present time, I don't see a need for fertilizer. They grow more chilli's than I know what to do with already, and are quite large and healthy! Except for the few aphids! However after cutting off the dead leaves, it seems to have stopped most of the problem.

Still wondering if it's worth getting some plants to attract lady beetles though to stop the problem from getting out of hand in the future?

[Pam]

Still wondering if it's worth getting some plants to attract lady beetles though to stop the problem from getting out of hand in the future?

Can't hurt, and you can add some nice fresh herbs to your pepper creations.

[chilliman64]

any updates Pishk?

make sure you get rid of aphids asap as they are known transporters of viral infections.

[Pishk]

Well, after I cut off all of those leaves and binned them, it seemed to get rid of most of the aphids. It has also been raining for the last few days, not sure if that has knocked some off. But the plants are looking 100% healthy. The one that had the aphids is the biggest I have, and there are lots of pods starting to for on all of my tree's.

In other news, I planted about 10 different kinds of seeds (about 4 of each) in some pots on friday. Including Naga's, Hab's, and just some others I was recommended by the kind people at www.chillibird.com.

Hopefully in a few weeks I will have a whole heap of little babies to take care of :)

[chilliman64]

I've used garlic chives planted between rows of chiles in the past to deter aphids and other bugs from hanging around, you could also try that.

[fisting_mayfield]

I have ... um how would you put it... an INFESTATION of whitefly atm...

Pesky little buggers, all over my orchids, tomatoes, CHILI!!

I'm not as green as others when it comes to killing those bastards!

I use the strongest possible chemicals so they die a horrible and slow death!!!

[Pam]

I use the strongest possible chemicals so they die a horrible and slow death!!!

Actually, that would mean they die a rapid and painless death.

[Pam]

I use the strongest possible chemicals so they die a horrible and slow death!!!


Actually, that would mean they die a rapid and painless death.


Dang computer burp. I didn't mean to post twice!