Hi there,

I've signed up to this forum as I have recently started to grow vegetables out on my patio/balcony in pots and am having varied success.

A couple of weeks ago I bought some (very) reduced pepper plants from a shop, in the hope that some tender loving care would restore them to a healthy plant. When I got them home I realised I may have been a bit hasty - once I cut the dead off the plants, only one was left with any leaves (though it seems to be quite well!). The other two, now just sticks, are sitting in 'miracle grow' soil having been repotted. They remain sticks, and as hard as I look I see no signs of new growth.

I just followed some advice from a site which suggested cutting off all dead/ sick leaves (already done), then watering with cold coffee and tying a plastic bag around the entire plant to create a mini greenhouse. I have done this on all three pepper plants, including the healthy one, plus a half-dead kiwi plant I also purchased.

I am now worrying that I may have sealed their fate, and was hoping that someone might be able to offer me some advice, such as what else I can do and when (if at all) I should expect to see some new growth? Or have I out-and-out now killed them?

Thank you in advance,

Jeni