Pepper Plant Leaves Curling – Why And How To Treat
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Growing peppers can be easy when conditions are perfect. However, even your next-door neighbor can have a completely different environment that can impact their gardening results. As with anything that is alive, stressful conditions cause problems.
With peppers, your plants will often give clear signals when something is wrong. One common issue we see with pepper plants is curling leaves. It can happen for several reasons, and in this article I will discuss what you can do when your pepper leaves are curling.
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Why Are My Pepper Leaves Curling?
Of the many potential causes, there are 5 that are most likely to be causing pepper leaf curl. Each has a slightly different presentation of the problem, so try to diagnose your issue and treat accordingly.
Leaves curling is often a sign of stress in your plant, and it can usually be fixed by making simple adjustments. Whether you’re growing in containers, indoors, or in the ground, leaf curl can impact your plants.
1. Overwatering
Pepper plants prefer soil that is evenly moist, while too much water can lead to many problems. The main issue is usually with the type of soil involved rather than overly-frequent watering.
For example, with potting soil, it is very unlikely that your plants are being overwatered. Most potting soil mixes are made up of primarily peat moss, which naturally drains well and holds an appropriate amount of water in the root zone.
The most common reason pepper plants become “overwatered” is actually poor drainage. If your containers do not have drainage holes, either drill holes in the bottom, or transplant into different containers that have drainage.
In ground soil that is heavy in clay, and lower in sand will drain more slowly than sandy soil. This can lead to oxygen starvation if you overwater or it rains too much. Aside from curling leaves, this will likely also cause yellowing leaves and/or stunted plant growth.
The solution: Water only when the soil is adequately dry. You can check the soil by digging down 1-2″ below the surface, or by lifting potted plants to feel their weight.
If you allow the plant to dry too much, the leaves may begin to wilt, but will quickly rebound after being watered. You can also try using a cheap water meter from amazon to check soil moisture levels (though the reliability is not great).
Learn more about watering pepper plants in our article here.
2. Plant Edema
Plant edema is a very common cellular disorder caused by irregular water retention. It will appear in peppers as a whitish, crystallized texture underneath the leaves. Extreme edema can cause plant leaves to curl.
Edema is most common on indoor pepper plants, but can occur in any conditions. It is not a very well understood disorder, but in our experience, a few environmental changes can help.
The solution: Improve aeration for indoor plants by using a small fan to move the air around your plants. Also, if it the air is very dry, increase humidity with a humidifier.
Some pepper varieties are more vulnerable to plant edema than others (I’ve noticed C. annuum varieties are typically more affected than C. chinense). One plant may have a severe case, while a different variety right next to it is unaffected. Edema is not contagious like other diseases.
Read more about pepper plant edema here.
3. Nutrient Deficiency
One possible cause for ‘bubbled’ curling is a nutrient deficiency. Calcium is a secondary nutrient for pepper plant growth. Among other things, it is used by plants to develop strong cell walls.
When plants lack calcium, the leaves may not develop properly and will begin to appear curled and/or bubbly. This is sometimes accompanied by brown spots on the leaves other signs of nutrient deficiency like pale leaves.
The solution: Test soil for pH and calcium. Soil acidity affects a plant’s ability to take up and use all the available nutrients.
Keep in mind, calcium is rarely deficient in natural ground soil, it is more often that plants are unable to access it (nutrient lockout). Testing your ground soil every 1-2 years will help you understand which nutrients are lacking and whether pH is a concern.
If your soil does lack calcium, it is available to add to soil in many formats (bone meal, etc.). These nutrients are sometimes, but not always included in all-purpose fertilizers, so check the ingredients!
Miracle-Gro Organics is a simple, well-balanced fertilizer that contains calcium and magnesium for a properly balanced feeding. This is a great choice for potted pepper plants that need all their nutrients provided by you.
Many potting mixes will also include calcium, but not all. Check your soil to see what nutrients are added. If you are planting in the ground, try sending away a soil sample for analysis – you’ll be glad you did it!
4. Too Much Light
Providing light to your pepper plants is essential from day 1. Most pepper varieties will perform best in full sunlight throughout the season, so if you are planting outdoors, lighting is unlikely to be the issue.
A more common issue is caused by using indoor grow lights incorrectly. Grow lights can vary widely in brightness and intensity. They are essential if you start your own pepper seeds indoors, but you have to follow your grow light’s instructions for how close the lights should be to your plants. (See our recommended grow lights here).
If your plants are too close to the light, you may begin to see the leaves curling up and closing in rebellion from the intense light. This problem can eventually cause pepper leaves to dry up and fall off, often turning brown and crumbling when squeezed.
Keep in mind, this issue usually affects young, tender seedlings more than mature pepper plants. Seedlings are more delicate than fully-grown plants.
The solution: If you think your plants have light burn, adjust your lights a few inches higher. Our grow light needs to be around 12-18 inches away from the tops of leaves.
Also, make sure your grow lights are on a timer to be on for 12-16 hours, and off for the rest of the day. Check that the timer is working properly, as 24/7 light is not ideal.
If your outdoor plants have leaf curl, the issue is not likely to be lighting. One possible cause is improper hardening off. When indoor plants move outside, they must be gradually adjusted to the direct sunlight. Sudden exposure can lead to curling and sun scald (pale white spots) on the leaves.
5. Insect Damage
Unchecked insect infestations can quickly become the bane of your plants. They come from seemingly nowhere and can wreak havoc on your plants in a matter of days.
Curling pepper leaves can be a sign of a pest problem, and it will typically begin on individual leaves rather than the whole plant. Curled and bubbled leaves could be the leaves that the insects have been feeding on.
If the entire pepper plant has curled leaves, it is probably one of the other issues mentioned. However, if you notice localized leaf curling, you may have aphids, thrips, spider mites, or another pest.
Unfortunately, pest removal is more difficult than preventative care. However, you can take some measures to try to alleviate the issue and get rid of most of the insects.
The solution: Spray off aphids and other sap sucking insects with water. Also, plant alyssum and other beneficial companion plants to attract predatory insects that eat common pests.
If the issue persists, or if your plants are being grown indoors, use insecticidal soap spray to kill off a variety of pests. We rarely recommend spraying for pests outdoors since you’ll likely kill good bugs more effectively than the pests, leading to a worse problem in the end.
Other Causes Of Pepper Leaves Curling
Though the causes mentioned above are the most common, there are many other potential reasons for curling leaves. If you are sure that none of the other causes apply, or you have tried without success, here are some less common causes:
- Root bound plants. This issue is caused by plants being kept in containers that are too small. The roots become entangled, sometimes causing distorted leaves and stunted growth. Always transplant at the right time to avoid this problem. Learn more about root bound plants here.
- Bacterial infection. This issue is usually accompanied by brown, circular spots. Diseases can come from soil splashing on damaged lower leaves, or introduced by pests. Read more about pepper plant diseases here.
- Poor pollination. Indoor plants are most likely to have this problem, since outdoor plants naturally pollinate well via the wind. Try hand pollinating or shaking indoor pepper plants after the flowers have opened. The most common symptoms of this issue are dropped flowers and a lack of fruits.
After treatment for curled pepper leaves, do not expect the affected leaves to flatten out and look perfectly healthy. Just because the plant doesn’t look perfect overnight doesn’t mean the issue hasn’t been resolved.
Expect new leaves to look normal and healthy, while any curled leaves will remain curled, even after successful treatment. The best way to solve most planting issues is to learn from past mistakes and avoid them in the future. Give the plants time to recover and don’t over-care for them.
Learn more about growing peppers here to give your pepper plants the best chance from day 1.
Remember, curling pepper plant leaves are usually nothing to worry too much about! Look at your plants as a whole and try not to get too hung up on just a few curled leaves. If the newest foliage looks healthy, then be happy about that. Keep an eye out for more concerning issues like fungal infections and garden pests.
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I hope this article helped you diagnose why your pepper plant leaves are curling. Growing peppers can be a challenge, but the reward is always worth the extra effort. Good luck, and let us know if you’ve had success with treating your curling pepper plant leaves!
Calvin
One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.
Wish I could have mine outside, but it’s an apartment and it’s Sweden, so grow lights it is.
That can be challenging, but it is certainly doable!
I have followed all the suggestions in the video, but I do have one question
My leaf curl does not look like anything in the video – the leaves curl from the tip of the leaf and roll back to the base. They do not curl around the sides of the leaf.
Do I really have leaf curl, or is this something different?
I have pictures if you’d like to see them.
I have some Carmen peppers growing about 12 weeks from germination and the entire leaf, including the stem is curling up into a loop. Looks like a looping roller coaster. But I have some others that are growing normally. Same environment, feeding, watering etc. Any thoughts as to what is happening? TIA
When I transferred my pepper plant outside it was growing well and doubled in size but I noticed the top of the plant had bubbling and curling leaves but it was only on top. Any advice?
Sounds like maybe a pest issue. I would look closely for aphids/thrips. For outside, I’d hold off on spraying and allow nature to come in and take care of them.
I live in the Phoenix area and the leaves of my outdoor in the ground pepper plants curl this time of year, I assume from the sun, we just recently hit daily highs of 100 deg. last year I planted poblano seeds and to survive the summer I used a tomato cage and wrapped the plant with a shade cloth. I also didn’t let the plant fruit the first year. A few weeks ago I planted a jalapeno plant nearby and I just shaded both because I think the intense sunlight is too much for them.
Hi! Thank you for your article. I wanted to ask if the possibility of grubs could be the cause of curling leaves, too. I recently started gardening, and I found these grubs all over my planters. I read that they attack the roots. I am trying to remove them by hand and they are many.
Grubs can be a pain, and if they are beetle grubs the beetles can also cause issues with chewing the leaves. I have seen some gardeners use a soil sifter to help remove larger grubs. Birds and toads also eat them, so maybe try attracting those beneficials
Hello Calvin
You articles are very informative. I have had a few issues with my peppers. One I believe is mites. So I pull them. They only go after a few types of my plants.
I have a very rare chili I brought home from he jungle in the Yucutan Mexico. A very mini very spicy ORANGE fruit. I sent some to UNM Las Cruces to the Chili Lab and they had no record in their data base of chili plants.
I would like to send you some pictures and dried fruit to check out my Yucutan find.
Also if possible to send a few pictures of infected plants.
Best regards
Sincerely from Walter Anderson
Hi Walter – that sounds amazing! Email me at [email protected] with any pictures you have. Would love to hear more about how you discovered the Mexican chile and where you were exactly, etc. Thanks!
I removed & dried seeds from some extra large Jalapeno peppers that I bought at the local farmer’s market last fall. I planted them in March & almost all germinated. The seed leaves were huge, about 2-3″ long. I’ve never seen them that big before plus it seemed to take a long time for regular leaves to develop. The plants are doing well though, currently about 8″ tall. Any idea why the seed leaves were so big?
Good morning please help me my pepper leave are curling and i don’t know what to do please help me with solution
The article is very educative, but my problem with my pepper farm is that the first set of flowers fell off and their leaves begin falling off.l don’t know what to do.
It sounds like it could be disease. You want to have lots of bacterial activity in the soil, add compost and broken down organic matter to the soil to help feed the beneficial bacteria. Also, plant disease resistant varieties if possible.
Wish there was some comments on growing Wiri Wiri peppers. I have (had?) a few plants in pots but leaves all started falling and those that are left are now yellow. Any chance they will survive? I have one doing well but in a pot with a larger Wiri pepper plant. Same flavour but NOT hot. Plants are doing really well and in a bigger pot. I hope the bigger Wiri (fruit the size of Hal a walnut) will not end up being hot like the Wiri Wiri. Do not know what the correct name for the larger Wiri. We call them Marie Wiri. Spelling may be incorrect. I lived in Guyana where we used the Wiri Wiri every day in our cooking.
I had a challenge with the source where I am getting water for irrigating my habenero peppers for a few weeks,my peppers started wilting,the situation has been corrected,my worry is will they get better,they have started producing fruits and others are stunted but producing flowers,please help.
The responses are generic for most peppers. But the diagnosis also requires the owner to know what the pepper plants leaves should look like before corrective measures are taken. Some of my Yellow Trinidad Scorpions have some curling and are fine. Just sayin
My pepper seedlings are curling under. Is that from too much water? I think I had them too close to the light and I moved the peppers further from the light. Seemed to help, I also am keeping the temperature around 80 degrees, they had their true leaves and I replanted them half seed starting mix and half potting soil. Today the Jalapeno is curling it’s true leave. What am I doing wrong? It’s just the Jalapenos all the other peppers look okay.
Hatch green chili buds keep falling off, or just dry up on the plant
I’m 3/4 way through growing season with my ghost pepper and new growth has small curling and some leaves look dry and crispy at the ends. Rest is of the plant is fine but yellow tinted, light green if you will. New growth has ton of flower buds but leaves are small and curled over and some curled under almost looks like a pepper them selves. Can’t figure out if it’s a virus or overwatering, pot is a 10 gal. Damp soil not wet but has rained a lot this summer, no bugs on the underside, full sun. Any solutions would be helpful…
I am starting an inside herb garden and my green bell pepper seedling has a blue/green coil on tip of leaf.
Very strange
Hello, i am fromPunjab Pakistan & temp.in my region is from 38 to 45 C.after 1st picking new & fresh leaves of my pepper Plant became curled, stunted ,too short & edges of leaves or needle like.
All other factors like watering, insects,virus are in control but i think that its due to rise in temp.pls guide me as i am much worried from this worst condition of my crop.my crop is in open field.any product that can minimise the harmful effects of sun light?
@Malik Fazal Elahi, The sun is definitely more intense these days due to geoengineering, the best thing you can do is plant sunflowers throughout your garden it will provide shade on and off throughout the day. If it’s too late to plant sunflowers you can get camo netting or something like that. But sunflowers are the cheapest way to go. Plus you will have the sunflowers as well at the end of the year.
I’ve been growing pepper plants for years (many types) here in MI.
This last year was the first for this particular problem — mainly the top new growth leaves started curling up badly with plant growth stunted and fruit set and growth sparse, and looking poorly on Hungarian hot wax, jalapenos, sweet peppers, cayenne and habaneros. This had never happened before. My online investigation lead me to some kind of disease caused by whatever insect and I’ve taken to spraying with the neem oil/ mild detergent mixture. Any thoughts? Thanks!
@Jerry M Litwicki, your pepper plants may be experiencing over watering which reduces oxygen and nutrients absorption. Another reason maybe, lack of calcium so you need to add calcium through bone meal. most soils rarely lack calcium but the plant is unable to use it,then add magnesium because it aids in the incorporation of calcium into the cells.
If you’re using potted plants suspect root bound, the roots need more space.
Lastly over lightning may be a cause if you plant indoors, so take the light farther away from the plants.