Chilli plant suddenly drooping! Help!

[tbarrows1]

Hey all,

My chilli plants have all of a sudden started to curl up and droop! I was wondering what's wrong?

Backgroud: They have had no issues in the past up to this point. The soil is not bone dry but is not soaking wet (only JUST moist). They were transplanted into these pots about 1.5 weeks ago and it's only started yesterday (and getting worse!). It's the same environment as before (windowledge) and the temprature has stayed about the same. The only possible thing I can think that's changed is the transplanting over a week ago into bigger pots and I watered them in from the top (previously always done from the bottom)

All 15 or so of my plants are doing exactly the same thing to some degree or another. What is causing it and how can I fix it? It's literally happened overnight.

Thanks all,

[tbarrows1]

Hey all,

The soil is not bone dry but is not soaking wet (only JUST moist).

I'm thinking of taking one of the plants and giving it a good water just to make sure it's not under watered. Like I said its not bone dry, but they haven't been watered in a week.

[Baldy]

(Delayed) repotting shock? Has it been any sunnier over the last few days (I know you say temps have been the same)?
Potted on into the same type of copost as previously grown in?

[veggiechicken]

Hi and welcome. I don't grow chillies so can't say whether yours look poorly or not!
Have you watered them since you potted them on?

[jackarmy]

Id tend to agree with Baldy and the shock thing, personally i wouldnt water them anymore, give them another day or two they can be finicky things

you sure they havent been watered in a week, that compost looks pretty damp

[tbarrows1]

Id tend to agree with Baldy and the shock thing, personally i wouldnt water them anymore, give them another day or two they can be finicky things

I considered it could be the shock of potting on, but I mean for the last week they have been fine, it's only emerged a week later! + if I look at the root systems they have already started to take to the soil well.

Perhaps it is still shock. What is the best course of action from here? Let them do their thing? I'm scared they are going to die on me.

[tbarrows1]

(Delayed) repotting shock? Has it been any sunnier over the last few days (I know you say temps have been the same)?
Potted on into the same type of copost as previously grown in?

I was thinking it could be this too. However something interesting I've just noticed is that I still have some plants I never got around to transplanting and they are also starting to droop like this. How strange.. Could it be a nutrient deficiency?

[veggiechicken]

Not likely to be nutrient deficiency if you've just repotted some. More likely to be a weather/watering/management issue?

[The poly tunnel poet]

The temp may have stayed the same but (could still be too hot) if they have had a lengthy period in direct sunlight, in plastic pots, they may have started to cook in their pots. Rotate the pots 180 degrees on hot days.

If at any time during transplanting you squeezed or lifted by the stem this could reduce nutrient and water uptake and slow down growth.

But they look like they are growing fine and unless they drop down dead, just keep the soil moist not sodden, they need oxygen at the roots to create more root growth. So check the pots individually some near the sun will dry quicker than those in the back row or nearer a shadier part of the windowsill.

If a plant gets either too cold or too hot they will start to slow down growth above thirty degrees starts reducing the rate of growth(not all plants but many that we grow)

I always remember thinking the hotter the better but I was wrong, lol

Enjoy the chilli. what variety are they?

[Nubber]

god I soo hate chili plants. I tried SOOOOOOOOO many times to grow a plant, finally had one that grew and didn't die, it flowered etc, then I was told harden it off by putting it outside for an hour, and bring it back inside etc....its now dead, it just rotted away, out of about a 100 chili seeds I have planted, I have 0 success rate, not a single pepper grown.

[tbarrows1]

Enjoy the chilli. what variety are they?

Thanks very much for your help. They did actually seem to slightly improve in the morning so perhaps they are getting a little hot. I'm not entireley sure though as I live in England and we don't get the hottest weather! But it is highly likely they reach 30 degrees in the day on the window-ledge.

I'm growing a range of them at the minute:
Thai Hot
Fire Craker
Prairie fire
Ring of Fire
Cherry Bomb

Any other ideas/perspective are always appreciated.

[Scarlet]

If you have t watered In a week I think they will need a drink. I water my chillies fairly often in the GH....they don't like direct sunlight, they often droop. Perhaps shade them with a little fleece over the top, that said they look healthy enough so I wouldn't worry too much.

[Philthy]

Heat stress would be my theory based on your description, possibly exacerbated by the recent repotting. The plants should perk up again overnight i.e. when the temperature falls (not too low though; 10-12 degrees would be the minimum to maintain a steady growth rate). If more hot, sunny weather is forecast, it might be an idea to set the plants back from the windowsill for a few hours during the hottest part of the day, just until they get a bit more established in their new pots. Or just open the window a couple of inches if feasible(?) to cool things down. Definitely rotate them too.
It's good practice to water from the top post repotting as this'll settle the compost and give more stability. Also if you've made a big size upgrade (doesn't look like you have, but just as a tip) the roots may not initially find the water if coming straight away from the bottom. But you're correct, once re-established switching to watering from the bottom seems to work well. Nice selection btw

[The poly tunnel poet]

A good selection, any improvement?

[tbarrows1]

A good selection, any improvement?

Firstly, thank you all for your help, its been great.

In regards to imrpovements - not massively. I think a few of them have improved somewhat but a lot of them are still droopy and the leaves are curling. It doesn't seem to be effecting the actual 'growth' of the plant, and it perhaps gets a very small bit better in a morning for some reason.

Can't really work out what it is to be honest. See attached an updated pic for reference of how they look currently! (Notice the leaves are still drooping!!)

Thanks all,