Bumps on pepper leaves, plants starting to shrivel

[kathyd]

Hi

My (still very tiny) pepper plants in the tunnel are beginning to look poorly. Their leaves are getting lots of small bumps - sort of embossed - on them, and then the plant starts to shrivel up. Some of the leaves are also going a bit brown, like the one at the bottom of the photo. I do have a few aphids in the tunnel, but mainly on the climbing beans on the other side. I've not found much on the peppers, and if I see anything I squish it. Any ideas about what's happening please?

[Capsid]

I get this too, it may be an aphid or two. The plants come through it OK.

[Sarico]

Mine are even worst then yours. I don't mind because I have lot of them( I mean the healthy one). What I think maybe there is not enough ventilation considered that the plant with that problem were in the blow away.

[BUFFS]

we had this some years ago,an old guy said to ventilate and always sterilise the g/house in the early autumn,then when you start getting the spiders appearing in the house,put them into the g/house,where some will set up home,they can be seen to be crawling all over the peppers,in pots,on the shelf,i have not had the lumpy foliage since,so something he said worked,but its no good if you dont like spiders,the big ones,2ins across,they dont crawl under the chair,they lift it ....

[The Large One]

my missus hunts round the garden for ladybirds and carries them into the GH for me...i knew i kept her around for some reason.......

[kathyd]

Lol, now I have to catch spiders for the polytunnel? Well that should keep me busy I guess! Maybe I'll look for some ladybirds, although at the moment I probably need them more on the broad beans in the garden which are covered in black fly! Argh! There's always something isn't there??

[ItsEssexRob]

I tried to write a reply the other day but my keyboard had broken so could only write limited things.

One reason Pepper and Chilli leaves become bumpy like that is a lack of calcium in the soil. I found this out when I had the same problem and asked for help before I knew of this forum.

I dont believe Tomato plant feed has Calcium in it, but if you are into your Chillis and Peppers I would reccommend using 'Chilli Focus' as that contains calcium as well as other nutrients especially for Capscids. After using that I noticed a big improvement on bumping between veins. If you cant get hold of Chilli focus easily ( mostly online) then try bonemeal or something but that requires working it into the soil and disturbance to the plants and roots.

[kathyd]

Thanks EssexRob, I didn't know that. I'll see if I can find some chilli focus, otherwise I'll have to get creative with egg shells! Maybe crushing them and soaking in water for a while or something...