- Pepper plants are highly susceptible to wilt during the summer heat. The warm temperatures affect the plants' stems and leaves, causing them to droop, especially during the hottest part of the day. A lack of water in the soil, or soil with a low nutrient content, also causes wilting. Pepper plants require moisture. Bacterial wilt is also a serious problem causing wilt.
- Bacterial wilt of pepper plants is not a common problem throughout most of the United States, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. However, it can destroy a harvest if present. The bacterium is a soil-borne pathogen often occurring in areas where the soil has standing water problems. Controlling bacterial wilt is almost impossible once established. Keeping the soil drained and planting disease-resistant varieties of pepper plants avoids problems with bacterial wilt.
- Keep the pepper plant supplied with water. Watering the garden at least once a week keeps the soil moist but avoid standing water that leads to disease problems. Water the soil in the morning, so water doesn't remain on the leaves during the day, which leads to mildew. Adding fertilizer or organic matter, such as coffee grounds, compost or eggshells, provides nutrients for the soil.
- Providing pepper plants with support stakes as they mature is important to control wilt. Pepper plants grow about 2 feet tall, but their stalks and stems are relatively thin. This leads to drooping and wilt when vegetables are produced. Placing stakes in the ground near the pepper plants and tying the plants to the stakes with garden twine prevents drooping.
- Pest infestations are a major cause of wilt. Pests affect a number the pepper plant's parts from the peppers themselves to the roots. Pests attacking the leaves and roots are most likely to cause wilt. Some of the major pests of pepper plants include the pepper weevil and hornworms. Controlling pepper pests with pesticides protects the pepper plants from serious damage and wilting problems.
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