Hello,

I have written in the past about my back porch habanero pepper plant.
It has quite a bit of powdery mildew, and about 10 days ago I bought
some fungus control spray that is supposed to control future attacks.
It's hard to tell if the stuff has been effective, with only two
treatments in 8 days (every seven days it gets treated). Anyway, the
whole plant has seemed lethargic for several months now. Maybe it's
the mildew or something else. The leaves are less profuse than last
year, with the majority of the tips turning brown. And right now,
there are no peppers, and my neighbor's is loaded. The 2 and 1/2 year
old plant is about 2 feet tall, and rests in a huge pot thats about
16" deep, full of regular potting mix. It sits on the back porch,
where it gets to about 90 degrees in the day, and around 70 at night.
It gets direct sunlight in the afternoon hours, probably about 4 hours
or so total a day. I water it every couple of days, and I'm wondering
if the root system is too shallow to grab the water, as the soil is
16" deep. It gets some Miracle Grow once a month. I haven't churned up
the soil or otherwise aeriated it since it's been in the big pot,
probably about a year. Any doctoring ideas will be welcome.

Thanks,

Moo

"MOO112" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

I have written in the past about my back porch habanero pepper plant.
It has quite a bit of powdery mildew, and about 10 days ago I bought
some fungus control spray that is supposed to control future attacks.
It's hard to tell if the stuff has been effective, with only two
treatments in 8 days (every seven days it gets treated). Anyway, the
whole plant has seemed lethargic for several months now. Maybe it's
the mildew or something else. The leaves are less profuse than last
year, with the majority of the tips turning brown. And right now,
there are no peppers, and my neighbor's is loaded. The 2 and 1/2 year
old plant is about 2 feet tall, and rests in a huge pot thats about
16" deep, full of regular potting mix. It sits on the back porch,
where it gets to about 90 degrees in the day, and around 70 at night.
It gets direct sunlight in the afternoon hours, probably about 4 hours
or so total a day. I water it every couple of days, and I'm wondering
if the root system is too shallow to grab the water, as the soil is
16" deep. It gets some Miracle Grow once a month. I haven't churned up
the soil or otherwise aeriated it since it's been in the big pot,
probably about a year. Any doctoring ideas will be welcome.

Thanks,

Moo

I was under the impression that Habaneros are annuals. Where do you live?
I don't know, but they may only be productive for one or to years, if they
survive that long.

-Adam

If he is far enough south they can be a tender perennial. I had
various chilies that grew year after year in a protected spot in
Jacksonville, Florida. Stems got over an Inch in diameter and produced
prolifically. Piquins in particular.

Dave

On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 22:55:21 GMT, "Adam Schwartz"
wrote:

"MOO112" wrote in message
. com...
Hello,

I have written in the past about my back porch habanero pepper plant.
It has quite a bit of powdery mildew, and about 10 days ago I bought
some fungus control spray that is supposed to control future attacks.
It's hard to tell if the stuff has been effective, with only two
treatments in 8 days (every seven days it gets treated). Anyway, the
whole plant has seemed lethargic for several months now. Maybe it's
the mildew or something else. The leaves are less profuse than last
year, with the majority of the tips turning brown. And right now,
there are no peppers, and my neighbor's is loaded. The 2 and 1/2 year
old plant is about 2 feet tall, and rests in a huge pot thats about
16" deep, full of regular potting mix. It sits on the back porch,
where it gets to about 90 degrees in the day, and around 70 at night.
It gets direct sunlight in the afternoon hours, probably about 4 hours
or so total a day. I water it every couple of days, and I'm wondering
if the root system is too shallow to grab the water, as the soil is
16" deep. It gets some Miracle Grow once a month. I haven't churned up
the soil or otherwise aeriated it since it's been in the big pot,
probably about a year. Any doctoring ideas will be welcome.

Thanks,

Moo

I was under the impression that Habaneros are annuals. Where do you live?
I don't know, but they may only be productive for one or to years, if they
survive that long.

-Adam


Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR
http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey
Southeastern Lower Michigan
42° 35' 20'' N,
82° 58' 37'' W
GMT Offset: -5
Time Zone: Eastern

Dave Fouchey wrote:
If he is far enough south they can be a tender perennial. I had
various chilies that grew year after year in a protected spot in
Jacksonville, Florida. Stems got over an Inch in diameter and produced
prolifically. Piquins in particular.

Dave

Ditto on that. Here in PR the piquins grow into nice little permanent
shrubs.
I had a habanero plant that kept growing and got quite large. However,
the habanero peppers (not the piquins) lost all of their fire and the
plant looked really scraggly anyway so I reclaimed its space. Its rare
here to find 'hot' habaneros because most of the locals selling to the
supermarket are harvesting off of such plants.
-Bill

I reside in Central Florida about a block west of the Atlantic. Any
ideas on how to revitalize ol' Habby? Maybe some of Granny's
"rhumitiz" medicine.

Moo

More info: this evening I discovered that about 500 or so ants have
moved into the habenero pot. This is probably not the ideal situation.
Is it time for a good old fashioned re-pot?

MOO112 wrote:
More info: this evening I discovered that about 500 or so ants have
moved into the habenero pot. This is probably not the ideal situation.
Is it time for a good old fashioned re-pot?

I think its time to get a new plant.

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:233034

Gary Flynn wrote:
MOO112 wrote:

More info: this evening I discovered that about 500 or so ants have
moved into the habenero pot. This is probably not the ideal situation.
Is it time for a good old fashioned re-pot?


I think its time to get a new plant.

As per a previous post I don't like "old" hab plants so I'd tend to do
away with it unless its actually performing.
However, here in PR where we are plagued with fire ants, a bit of
pancake syrup+boric acid mix nearby or even on the pot soil will usually
take care of the ant farm within a few days.
-Bill

On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 21:36:51 -0400, --Bill--
wrote:

Dave Fouchey wrote:
If he is far enough south they can be a tender perennial. I had
various chilies that grew year after year in a protected spot in
Jacksonville, Florida. Stems got over an Inch in diameter and produced
prolifically. Piquins in particular.

Dave

Ditto on that. Here in PR the piquins grow into nice little permanent
shrubs.
I had a habanero plant that kept growing and got quite large. However,
the habanero peppers (not the piquins) lost all of their fire and the
plant looked really scraggly anyway so I reclaimed its space. Its rare
here to find 'hot' habaneros because most of the locals selling to the
supermarket are harvesting off of such plants.
-Bill


Hmm haven't had that happen but then I don't live in Florida any more
so can't quite experiment! G

Dave
Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR
http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey
Southeastern Lower Michigan
42° 35' 20'' N,
82° 58' 37'' W
GMT Offset: -5
Time Zone: Eastern

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 18:58:18 -0400, --- Bill --- wrote:

Gary Flynn wrote:
MOO112 wrote:

More info: this evening I discovered that about 500 or so ants have
moved into the habenero pot. This is probably not the ideal situation.
Is it time for a good old fashioned re-pot?


I think its time to get a new plant.

As per a previous post I don't like "old" hab plants so I'd tend to do
away with it unless its actually performing.

If it is that sickly I too would chuck it and start over.

However, here in PR where we are plagued with fire ants, a bit of
pancake syrup+boric acid mix nearby or even on the pot soil will usually
take care of the ant farm within a few days.
-Bill

Oh if only that worked in the yard.......


Dave
Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR
http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey
Southeastern Lower Michigan
42° 35' 20'' N,
82° 58' 37'' W
GMT Offset: -5
Time Zone: Eastern

Dave Fouchey wrote:

Oh if only that worked in the yard.......

It does...to a degree.
But to rid your own yard of fire ants isn't a permanent solution...you
have to rid the whole COMMUNITY of them!
There have been some very successful tests done in various cities but
its an ongoing control thing rather than a magic bullet.

-Bill

Unfortunately Bill I am all TOO familiar with the problems attendant
fire ant control...


Just glad they don't like OUR cold weather HERE in Michigan!

(Moved back here three years ago from Jax. FL)

Dave

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 19:52:11 -0400, --Bill--
wrote:

Dave Fouchey wrote:

Oh if only that worked in the yard.......

It does...to a degree.
But to rid your own yard of fire ants isn't a permanent solution...you
have to rid the whole COMMUNITY of them!
There have been some very successful tests done in various cities but
its an ongoing control thing rather than a magic bullet.

-Bill

Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR
http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey
Southeastern Lower Michigan
42° 35' 20'' N,
82° 58' 37'' W
GMT Offset: -5
Time Zone: Eastern

Under normal circumstances, I would have transplanted the habenero
into the yard somewhere, and let nature run it's course, good or bad.
However, the plant was a gift and has great sentimental value. This is
the reason I am trying to revive it. Unless this is the natural path
this species takes, I am going to try to restore it's previous health.
On a side note, the ants didn't like the watering the other day, and
packed up. Where they went is another question.

Thanks,

Moo

(MOO112) wrote in message . com...
Under normal circumstances, I would have transplanted the habenero
into the yard somewhere, and let nature run it's course, good or bad.
However, the plant was a gift and has great sentimental value. This is
the reason I am trying to revive it. Unless this is the natural path
this species takes, I am going to try to restore it's previous health.
On a side note, the ants didn't like the watering the other day, and
packed up. Where they went is another question.

16" pot sounds big: unless your neighbour's contented plant is in the
same size. Here in Britain I use 12" for tomatoes, and only 9" for
peppers (grown as annuals except once as an experiment when I got a
weak crop in the second year). Under these skies the root system
wouldn't get a growing season long enough to fill such a big pot. It's
easy to believe that's different where you are! but *if* the roots
don't reach all through the pot you could get stagnant water in the
potting mixture, which would rot the roots -- which might well give
you brown tips on the leaves. But maybe it was only the ants to blame.

I wonder if it'd be worth trying some cuttings: I've even done it with
tomatoes, more for fun than anything else. That way you'd preserve and
even multiply the sentimental link.

Mike.

MOO112 wrote:
Under normal circumstances, I would have transplanted the habenero
into the yard somewhere, and let nature run it's course, good or bad.
However, the plant was a gift and has great sentimental value. This is
the reason I am trying to revive it.

Ah. How about planting one or more of its seeds? The "children and
decendants" can keep the memory alive.