Pepper Plants wilting, what am i doing wrong???

[marninator80]

Hi, i have 3 pepper plants growing in my polytunnel and the leaves are starting to look very droopy and wilted!
I live in Hertfordshire and we have been having some really warm weather the last week or so, so i am not sure if i have been over watering or not giving them enough?!

Also looking at them after work today i noticed i have what look like alot of fruit flies around them. Could these be causing a problem also??

Hope someone can help as it is my first time growing them!

Thank you

[roitelet]

Are they in pots or the ground and a picture would help.

[marninator80]

They are in a grow bag. Next time i am there i will take a picture

[WendyC]

The flies are compost flies. They are a bit of a nuisance but don't do much harm. They prefer moist conditions so are your growbags very wet? Have they got drainage holes in the underneath.

[roitelet]

Could be you are overwatering them.

[marninator80]

yes the growbags have holes in them, the polytunnel is quite humid is that why they enjoy being in there?

[marninator80]

I'm not sure, i haven't watered them today as the soil was still quite damp, but as its been so warm im worried im not giving them enough

[simon12]

When my peppers have wilted due to lack of water they come back within minutes of watering them them and you would never know they ever wilted.

[jacob]

i haven't watered them today

I think that's your answer. Twice a week will be plenty, possible less depending on the size of the plants at the moment.

[marninator80]

These are my pepper plants, the one on the far left seems fine and even looks to start flowering, but the other 2 look a little droopy!
Today i noticed some whitefly around could they be the cause?

I left the soil to dry out before i watered again but they still didnt perk up!!

[Philthy]

Also, if when you transferred the plants from pot to growbag, you disturbed the roots excessively, and then in their new home failed to water them in sufficiently (particularly if it was very warm), that would cause the droopyness, And it'd take a week at least for the plant to recover it's vigour regardless of your watering routine after that point. Transplant shock I guess you'd call it.

[marninator80]

Have to say i'm normally pretty careful when transfering, and if i did its been well over a week since i put them in the grow bag so they should have perked up i would of thought by now?!?

[taff]

Weird, because those two droopy ones look like basil.....

Is the whole bag at an angle? Like the first one is higher than the next two so water is pooling under them?
Did you leave all of the soil to dry out or just the top? Did you stick finger in up to first or second knuckle?

[marninator80]

Weird, because those two droopy ones look like basil.....

Is the whole bag at an angle? Like the first one is higher than the next two so water is pooling under them?
Did you leave all of the soil to dry out or just the top? Did you stick finger in up to first or second knuckle?

No i think the bag is pretty even. I havent put my finger in that deep about midway but lately its been damp still so havent watered at all.
Ive noticed some whitefly around the middle one most could it be them affecting them? I gave them a check yesterday and didnt find any eggs on the underside of the leaves!!

[Scarlet]

Have you grown these from seed or did you buy them in and transplant as soon as you got them? What are your night time temperatures in your poly tunnel?