As to tall and spindly, two things come to mind — either not enough sun or not enough fertilizer. My guess is that unless you have been fertilizing them all along, the 3 weeks of rain has leached the soil in the pots of their nutrients.

Also, how large are the pots? Some peppers (jalapenos come to mind) will grow well in a 5 gallon pot (and will grow decently in even a 3 gallon container), other peppers aren’t always as happy unless they have 10 gallons.

Keep in mind that some peppers are shorter and bushier, others grow taller and slimmer. It’s been awhile since I’ve grown tabascos, but I seem to recall that they had a more “tall and slim” look to them (although I would not class them as spindly). Habaneros tend to be bushier. Well, for me at any rate!

So, evaluate the sunlight they get, make sure there is sufficient space between each container and give them diluted fertilizer on a weekly basis (more often if there is a lot of rain). And best wishes!

George

That’s not fun, to see your seedlings die off that fast! Seeing as I also live in SE Florida, let me go through a few ideas.

If you have transplanted the seedlings between the middle of May and now, the sun and heat are likely to blame. I try not to transplant anything between the end of April through the beginning of September. The only exception is if the place I am planting gets dappled shade throughout the day. I know that peppers like sun, but the summer sun down here is Florida is a bit much.

I’m not clear if you are planting in the ground or in a container; if in a container, are you using any potting soil in the mixture that already includes fertilizer? That might be shocking the seedlings. Pots also heat up faster in the sun (meaning the soil gets warmer than usual). The seedlings would need a thick layer of mulch to keep the sun from heating the soil too much.

I would suggest that you hold off transplanting any more seedlings until the end of August. Instead, let the plants grow larger, but pick off any blossoms that appear (until you get them in the ground, that is).

Hope this helps!

Gail

I was going to say it was probably a dust/dirt build-up (and it still could be that), but spore-like could mean a fungal growth.

The first thing I would do is wash off the leaves and as much of the stem as you can (gently), and perhaps dry them (again gently) with a very soft cloth. I don’t know if they get early morning light (to dry off any dew), but if they don’t and are in containers, you might want to move them a bit so the leaves dry from the dew faster.

Peppers don’t tend to be prone to as many diseases as their cousin the tomato, but insects can plague them. You said there aren’t any insects — just wanted to check if you looked at the plant with a magnifying glass?

Most likely your plants are OK — jalapenos in particular are pretty hardy. But keep a watch on them anyway, so that something small doesn’t become big.

I’ve been reading your posts on here and I’ve been growing Jalapeno’s and Habanero’s for the first time ever. The plants are growing beautifully, but I have been seeing white growth on the stems of two of the plants (Habanero and Jalapeno). Nothing on the leaves, not parasites or bugs, but I can’t tell if I should be worried. Any advice?

thanks,
Daniel

So it’s possible that you have some mis-labeled seeds.

I’ll contact you via email regarding a photo.

Anyway, One of the plants the leaves are looking shriveled…is there anyway to post a photo here so you can see what I’m trying to discribe?

Tks

You might check and see if there is a local garden center (a smaller one) that carries a good range of organic supplies. Otherwise, it may have to be ordering online. I know what you mean, I hate paying shipping too, but sometimes what you need just isn’t local.

Best wishes that you can find a local source!

Gail