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Gardeners’ Forum: “Bell Pepper plant - aphids land”

• Bell Pepper plant - aphids land

  Posted by Russell on Thursday, February 23, 2012 4:20 PM AST

  This Fall I had a Bell pepper plant that still had a few small peppers. So I dug it up put it in a large pot like 18inch high 16inch wide. I brought it inside however I would like to note things didnt go as planned. I moved it around a bunch of times , forgot about it in a closet for a few days and was slow to find the right plant. It almost died but I finnaly ended up putting it beside my furnace room and bought a grow light for it. plus it gets a little light from the windows for about 2 hours a day. Well after a few weeks in its new home it started to grow new leafs. All the old ones fell off and I cut a few side steams as well. The plant flourish for about a month to the point where it was bigger then it was outside and now has about 20 flowers. However here the bad news. The plant is full of aphids. ( I think ) little white bugs I can see them all over the leaves , steams , dirt in the pot. I read on google a tip to try. 1 tsp veg oil , few drops dish soap and mixed it with 1 liter or so of water in a spray bottle. This has been working and the aphids are much less. But I have been spraying the plant almost everyday for the last week and I still see atleast 20 aphids each morning, mostly on the dirt, Easy to see. The plant still hasn't started a single pepper even though its been about 3 weeks since the first few flowers. None are turning to peppers. Some flower buds fall off. others turn brown and some I have no idea what happens. I am not sure what to do. Should I keep spraying the plant each day? Also some leaves are shrivling inwards some leaves have holes in them. any info would be great. Plants about 20 inch tall Thanks

  • re: Bell Pepper plant - aphids land

    Posted by Brian T on Monday, February 27, 2012 4:09 PM AST

    Many pepper plants have both male and female flowers on them which means you might have to pollinate them yourself with a small paint brush or qtip. Some pepper plants do have perfect flowers with both male and female but with these you still have to shake the plant mid day a few times to release the pollen. Dropping flowers could also be a sign of lace of nutrients. You will continue to have bugs until all the eggs in the soil hatch or are otherwise destroyed. Your recipe for the bug killer is a good one but might be improved if you used ivory dishwashing soap. Something either in it or not in it that seems to make it superior. Removing the top half inch or so of the soil may also speed up the extermination process. Personally I would keep spraying and keep the plant alive till after your last spring frost then put it outside again to see what happens.

  • re: Bell Pepper plant - aphids land

    Posted by Sharon on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:56 PM ADT

    For me I always do this when I bring a plant (any plant) indoors, because insects like the soil. I turn the pot on its side and slide the plant out. Without brushing to hard I remove the soil off the roots and then run it under tepid water. Some people even take a pail (large like the ones ice cream companies may give you) the roots are dipped in this water to remove the soil. Replant in fresh Promix, I use this because I "never" have any problems with it. Keep spraying your plants with the insecticidal soap mix until you don't see any aphids. If you have other plants check and make sure the aphids haven't decided to check these ones out.

  • re: Bell Pepper plant - aphids land

    Posted by Gayle on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 10:16 AM ADT

    Speaking of Bell Peppers... I have planted Green Bell pepper plants in a large pot. It gets a reasonable amount of sun and moisture (and it sits right next to other pots of pepper plants all doing well). MY green pepper plant leaves are being eaten by... something. The leavesa are filled with holes (ringed brown). What can I use on pepper plants to deter pests???