Tomatoes and chili peppers not doing well...

[Moh]

Hi,

I was away for three weeks during which my friend took care of my plants. When I came back, I was shocked to see that all my tomato plants were half dead (no green leaves remaining) and my chili peppers were not in good shape either.

I cut all the yellow leaves, and the tomatoes are now left with no leaves! I hope new leaves would grow :-(. Please have a look at the picture of one of the tomatoes and see if you can recognize what the problem is (first pic).

Also, I spotted many insects on my chili pepper plant (second pic). And found out that many of the chilis are now turning black :-( (third pic).

Thanks,

Moh.

 

[Chuck]

Hi,

I was away for three weeks during which my friend took care of my plants. When I came back, I was shocked to see that all my tomato plants were half dead (no green leaves remaining) and my chili peppers were not in good shape either.

I cut all the yellow leaves, and the tomatoes are now left with no leaves! I hope new leaves would grow :-(. Please have a look at the picture of one of the tomatoes and see if you can recognize what the problem is (first pic).

Also, I spotted many insects on my chili pepper plant (second pic). And found out that many of the chilis are now turning black :-( (third pic).

Thanks,

Moh.
View attachment 43034 View attachment 43035 View attachment 43036

Wow! With friends like that who needs enemys. First the tomato plant. You may as well pull it up. It is too late in the season for it to do much of anything even if you could bring it back which is doubtful. I can see red spider mites and what appear to be fruit flies. The fruit has been damaged by sucking insects too. See how the tomato skin is of two colors? Red with gold specks all through it? Have you eaten a tomato yet? Try one. The peppers are going to be much easier to save as the insect damage is limited.

You need a fast kill on all those different types of bugs. You need to hit those bugs and make them DRT. In Texas that means Dead Right There. An instant kill. And if these plants are indoors the entire space is contaminated with insects. If you can get it, get pyrethrin, not a pyrethroid. The peppers turning black might or might not be a serious condition. From the pictures I don't think it is anything to worry about as some varieties naturally turn black for reasons I don't fully understand. If they just turn black they should be OK but if they turn black and soft that's bad. Get the insects off of the pepper plant and it will be fine and you can over winter it

 

[Moh]

Wow! With friends like that who needs enemys. First the tomato plant. You may as well pull it up. It is too late in the season for it to do much of anything even if you could bring it back which is doubtful. I can see red spider mites and what appear to be fruit flies. The fruit has been damaged by sucking insects too. See how the tomato skin is of two colors? Red with gold specks all through it? Have you eaten a tomato yet? Try one. The peppers are going to be much easier to save as the insect damage is limited.

You need a fast kill on all those different types of bugs. You need to hit those bugs and make them DRT. In Texas that means Dead Right There. An instant kill. And if these plants are indoors the entire space is contaminated with insects. If you can get it, get pyrethrin, not a pyrethroid. The peppers turning black might or might not be a serious condition. From the pictures I don't think it is anything to worry about as some varieties naturally turn black for reasons I don't fully understand. If they just turn black they should be OK but if they turn black and soft that's bad. Get the insects off of the pepper plant and it will be fine and you can over winter it

Haha, yes I got to know him better.

Ow, that's sad to see tomatoes go this early. Yes, I picked all the tomatoes and ate them. They tasted very good :-(.

Thanks, I will buy this killer soon and make them DRT, as you say in Texas ;-).

 

[Moh]

Wow! With friends like that who needs enemys. First the tomato plant. You may as well pull it up. It is too late in the season for it to do much of anything even if you could bring it back which is doubtful. I can see red spider mites and what appear to be fruit flies. The fruit has been damaged by sucking insects too. See how the tomato skin is of two colors? Red with gold specks all through it? Have you eaten a tomato yet? Try one. The peppers are going to be much easier to save as the insect damage is limited.

You need a fast kill on all those different types of bugs. You need to hit those bugs and make them DRT. In Texas that means Dead Right There. An instant kill. And if these plants are indoors the entire space is contaminated with insects. If you can get it, get pyrethrin, not a pyrethroid. The peppers turning black might or might not be a serious condition. From the pictures I don't think it is anything to worry about as some varieties naturally turn black for reasons I don't fully understand. If they just turn black they should be OK but if they turn black and soft that's bad. Get the insects off of the pepper plant and it will be fine and you can over winter it

Hi again Chuck,

Today I went to the shop and asked for pyrethrin but they didn't have it. The guy showed a few alternatives but I wasn't sure if any of them would help. Could you please have a look at them and see if you have any idea. Unfortunately, nothing English is written on them.

 

[Chuck]

Hi again Chuck,

Today I went to the shop and asked for pyrethrin but they didn't have it. The guy showed a few alternatives but I wasn't sure if any of them would help. Could you please have a look at them and see if you have any idea. Unfortunately, nothing English is written on them.

View attachment 43135 View attachment 43136 View attachment 43137 View attachment 43138 View attachment 43139 View attachment 43140 View attachment 43141 View attachment 43142

I couldn't translate the active ingredients on any of the pictures. However, all but the last product should be satisfactory. These are all chemical compounds so follow the directions. The last product appears to be a Neem Oil product and if so works too slow for your application.

 

[Moh]

I couldn't translate the active ingredients on any of the pictures. However, all but the last product should be satisfactory. These are all chemical compounds so follow the directions. The last product appears to be a Neem Oil product and if so works too slow for your application.

Yes, as you see I have this big language barrier here .
Thanks for your help I will buy one of them and apply it. Hopefully it will make them DRT .