Bonsai chilli plants

[bario1]

Does anyone know why this always happens to my chilli plants? They grow fine up to a point, then they just throw out a mass of tangled little leaves and never get any bigger....

[horticultural_hobbit]

Are the roots making an escape?

There are all sorts of schools of thought as to whether you should be mean to them or not. I would recommend that you pot up, and add some tomato food. In my experiences, both of these suggestions has contributed to them getting a wiggle on. Water slash feed, when the soil at the top is damp, and keep 'em warm and with some light. There is no right or wrong answer, I have found, with chillies.

[jacob]

That looks to be in a very small pot -- I'd suggest you move it into a bigger one. Those crinkly leaves at the top also look like you might have a few aphids hanging about...

[Richard Eldritch]

Yeah bigger pot. They're quite tough but never seem to grow untill mid june. it'll be fine at worse it'll get bushy which is actually good....

[poly]

Try checking the 'tangled' leaves for greenfly or other pests. Sometimes when plants suddenly start growing smaller and crinkly or deformed leaves at the growing point it can be a sign of greenfly or such, sucking the sap.

[bario1]

I had suspected greenfly as i have seen a few almost microscopic ones on other plants.... how do i get rid of them if they are too small to see?

I will pot on, though to me this pot looks ample for such a small plant?

Thanks.

[rhonsal]

For greenfly, even the teeny ones, you can eith give them a spray with a chemical bug spray or use some soapy water - i use the later at night, as that way they don't get leaf scorch and it doesn't harm any beneficial insects.

[sparrow100]

Mine (indoors) are currently covered in aphids and brown little bugs. I have found that holding them upside down in the shower dislodges most, and then I spray plant and compost with soapy water later in the evening so, like rhonal, my plants aren't scorched in the sun.

[sparrow100]

And I'd put those chillies in a bigger pot too. Though I should also take my own advice - mine look a lot like that!

[Philthy]

One school of thought about seemingly premature flowering is that the plant is struggling in some way, so it ceases to put on green growth and instead puts it's energy into flowers and fruit (seeds), to ensure it can be sustained should it die.
Alternatively it's just the first couple of flowers of the season, which won't become anything as the plant is nowhere near big enough to support fruit.
In either event, I'd snip that cluster of shrivelled leaves off, including any flowers. The pot is a bit small, so re-pot the plant. I'd spray it generously with Epsom salts diluted at the correct dose in water (preferably in the evening). When you water, stand the pot in a tray and fill that with water, rather than watering the pot from the top.
When the plant is a decent size and actively flowering and fruiting, it doesn't matter so much if the compost dries out now and then, but while the plant is small, don't allow the compost to get too dry as it'll stress the plant and it won't grow properly at this important stage.

[bario1]

Thanks for your replies, on VERY close inspection I found a few aphids hiding in amongst the tiny leaves, these were duly dispatched with and soapy water spayed on. Will re-pot this weekend and hope for a full recovery!

[bario1]

I sprayed my plants with a Fairy liquid solution... and it seems to have killed them. I mean the plants, not the aphids.... :-/


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[chefgage]

I have found that sometimes the plant will grow like you said like a little bonzia. then all of a sudden they will shoot up. I have a couple that are about 5 inches high, i also have another 25 that are nearly 2 foot high but they are the same variety and were sowed at the same time.

i think with chillies there is a fine balance between watering and repotting. i would say put it in a slightly bigger pot and not over water. i give mine a good soaking when the leaves are slighly going limp and the soil is quite dry