Common Chilli Plant Problems

Here is a list of a couple of common chilli plant problems with some possible causes and potential solutions.

Yellow Leaves
Caused by:
- Over-watering - let the plant dry out in between watering
- Nutrient deficiency – use a magnesium and/or nitrogen rich tomato food
- Certain bugs (whitefly, aphids) suck nutrients out of the plant – try organic bug sprays
- Soil based fungus – start again!

Yellow Spots on Leaves
Caused by:
- Bacterial diseases (from infected seeds, soil or bugs) – use different seeds and/or soil and keep an eye out for bugs

Brown Leaves
Caused by:
- Too much nitrogen
- Plant death caused by one of the ‘Yellow Leaves’ problems

Holes in the Leaves
Caused by:
- Bugs munching on your plant

Brown Stems
Caused by:
- Not enough water
- Bacterial disease

Wilting
Caused by:
- Too much or not enough water
- Poor root development – try re-potting in a larger pot and giving nutrients

Leaves Falling Off
Caused by:
- Over-fertilizing

Plant Not Growing or Growing Slowly
Caused by:
- Poor quality compost
- Not enough light
- Not enough heat
- Some chilli species are naturally slow growing – read up on your variety
- Read more on slow growing chilli plants

Chilli Fruits Not Growing
Caused by:
- Lack of nutrients - try a tomato feed
- Lack of pollination (especially on indoor plants) – use your finger or a small paintbrush to move pollen around the flowers
- Poor root development – try re-potting in a larger pot and giving nutrients

Flowers Not Growing
Caused by:
- Lack of nutrients - try a tomato feed
- Over-watering – let the plant dry out between watering
- Poor root development – try re-potting in a larger pot and giving nutrients