How to save a dying thai paper plant?
May 21, 2011 6:58 PM Subscribe
How do I tell if my pepper plant is dying, or can be saved?
Last year, I moved from one apartment to another. The 'thai pepper' plant was doing quite well in the ground there, however I didn't transplant it to a pot before planting it back in the ground again.
It doesn't seem to have 'died' in the sense of, all leaves turning brown, fruit falling off, branches turning brown.
I did trim most of the supposedly 'dead' branches today. The ones left over are still green, and there's still green leaves on it, but I think they may be left over. In fact, I'm very sure no new fruit or leaves have sprouted on it. Here's two photos.
So my question again, how do I tell if it's dead? I'd like to revive it if possible.
Thanks!
Last year, I moved from one apartment to another. The 'thai pepper' plant was doing quite well in the ground there, however I didn't transplant it to a pot before planting it back in the ground again.
It doesn't seem to have 'died' in the sense of, all leaves turning brown, fruit falling off, branches turning brown.
I did trim most of the supposedly 'dead' branches today. The ones left over are still green, and there's still green leaves on it, but I think they may be left over. In fact, I'm very sure no new fruit or leaves have sprouted on it. Here's two photos.
So my question again, how do I tell if it's dead? I'd like to revive it if possible.
Thanks!
Response by poster: I'd say, maybe about 2 years, 3 years at the most? I transplanted it sometime in October or November last year. It was out of the ground, a day at the most.
I was told adding B complex would help, but I was also told this a month or two after transplant. I don't know if it would help now?
posted by jasmeet at 7:28 PM on May 21, 2011
I was told adding B complex would help, but I was also told this a month or two after transplant. I don't know if it would help now?
posted by jasmeet at 7:28 PM on May 21, 2011
Pick the peppers, it's devoting all of its food to making peppers not leaves.
posted by Max Power at 8:27 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Max Power at 8:27 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have never used B complex for plants (as an aside we do use it in animals when they give blood/various other reasons for stregnth/boosting them up) but I have no advise on it's use for plants.
Since it's been a couple of months since the transplant you might want to try taking off a large-ish part of the main stem (the whole plant will get bushier) and anything that doesn't seem very vigorous (stragglers), but save as many leaves as are reasonable (they do the photosynthysis). Feed and water well.
Also: Its little microclimate; the sunlight hours and intensity ... if they are different than before the whole plant is trying to adjust to its new world ...
And yeah, on preview, Max Power is right, strip the fruit for sure.
IANY Horticulturist, right? But anyway, that's what I would do.
posted by bebrave! at 8:34 PM on May 21, 2011
Since it's been a couple of months since the transplant you might want to try taking off a large-ish part of the main stem (the whole plant will get bushier) and anything that doesn't seem very vigorous (stragglers), but save as many leaves as are reasonable (they do the photosynthysis). Feed and water well.
Also: Its little microclimate; the sunlight hours and intensity ... if they are different than before the whole plant is trying to adjust to its new world ...
And yeah, on preview, Max Power is right, strip the fruit for sure.
IANY Horticulturist, right? But anyway, that's what I would do.
posted by bebrave! at 8:34 PM on May 21, 2011
Best answer: Mature plants will often go into shock when transplanted. Sometimes it's irreversible but usually they just take a while to reestablish themselves. Transplanting is stressful and probably some roots get damaged no matter how careful one is. It seems counterintuitive but sometimes cutting back the plant will help. Also, if the soil is different, the plant will will need a little time to adjust to that. Don't let it dry out or stand in water but give it regular water, maybe a little extra humus and a small amount of 5-10-5. Don't judge it too much by the top growth until it gets it roots settled in.
posted by Anitanola at 8:48 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by Anitanola at 8:48 PM on May 21, 2011
Pepper plants set ridiculously long tap-roots. For this reason, they're very difficult to just pick up and move. Do keep nursing this plant, but be aware that it might not survive the transplant.
posted by Gilbert at 8:54 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by Gilbert at 8:54 PM on May 21, 2011
Agreed on removing all the peppers. The wilted leaves tell me it can't keep up with its water requirements, probably because of damaged roots or just shock from transplanting. Baby it, make sure it gets water and sunlight, and feed it with nitrogen-rich plant food to encourage new leaf growth.
posted by WasabiFlux at 2:19 PM on May 22, 2011
posted by WasabiFlux at 2:19 PM on May 22, 2011
Sorry, a thai pepper that looks like that is unlikely to get better. You can try stripping all the fruit if you like, but those fruits have already taken up the energy they need- they are beyond ripe. The plant isn't devoting any energy to them. Pruning it means you're taking away it's main energy source- photosynthesis, and if it has root damage it needs that energy source to grow more roots. However sometimes pruning works as a last gasp effort on nightshades, so it won't hurt to try. Don't fertilize with nitrogen when a plant is stressed, you'll just stress it more by forcing leaf growth when it is not capable of doing it on its own.
If it were mine, I'd buy a new one.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:40 PM on May 22, 2011
If it were mine, I'd buy a new one.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:40 PM on May 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
How old is the plant and where do you live? How long has it been since the transplant? How long was it out of the ground? Since it's springtime it might just burst into amazing-ness if you prune it judiciously. Depends on a lot of things ...
posted by bebrave! at 7:12 PM on May 21, 2011