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fortyonenorth · April 17, 2012

I've seen the same thing on some--but not all--of my peppers. My guess is that it's a (high) pH induced iron deficiency. Often, an iron deficit manifests as a yellowing of the new growth, but with dark green veins. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes it is an overall yellowing.

In my case, the higher pH is from the irrigation water (tap water) rather than a high substrate pH. You can lower the pH of your water by adding household vinegar or lemon juice in the amount of roughly 2-3 teaspoons per gallon. The exact amount will vary according to your water's buffering capacity. To get really crazy about it, buy some pH test strips and test your amended water. You want a pH between 6 and 7.

April 17, 2012	#5
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	I've seen the same thing on some--but not all--of my peppers. My guess is that it's a (high) pH induced iron deficiency. Often, an iron deficit manifests as a yellowing of the new growth, but with dark green veins. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes it is an overall yellowing. In my case, the higher pH is from the irrigation water (tap water) rather than a high substrate pH. You can lower the pH of your water by adding household vinegar or lemon juice in the amount of roughly 2-3 teaspoons per gallon. The exact amount will vary according to your water's buffering capacity. To get really crazy about it, buy some pH test strips and test your amended water. You want a pH between 6 and 7.