What to do if pepper ovaries are dropping: why this happens and how to treat it

Pepper

Peppers are a capricious and demanding crop, requiring special care. Gardeners should be aware of any potential problems that may arise during cultivation so they can be addressed promptly. For example, a bush's stems begin to wilt, and everything on them dries up and falls off. This is a common problem faced by gardeners.

Symptoms and causes

Problems can arise at any stage of pepper growth and development. If the plant experiences a deficiency, it will immediately manifest itself adversely in its root system, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Therefore, just because a pepper has flowered doesn't guarantee a bountiful harvest. For example, the seedlings may have grown well, without any particular problems, but after planting in the ground, the flowers and leaves fall off. Symptoms of possible bud and fruit drop may include:

weak root system of seedlings;
too much sprouted green mass;
dull, weak leaves;
transparent web on pepper leaves;
the presence of other stress factors.

Please note!

Such problems mainly arise with peppers that are grown in a greenhouse.

If your bell pepper has started to shed its inflorescences and ovaries, the following could have happened:

the emergence of diseases and pests;
lack or excess of fertilizers;
humidity less than 60%;
high air temperature (temperatures above +23C are harmful for seedlings, and temperatures above +26C are harmful for adult plants).
harmful weather conditions (drought, constant rain);
lack of pollination;
unorganized watering.

If any of the above factors is not met, the pepper sheds its flowers or ovaries.

Too bright or insufficient lighting

Poor light is a common cause of flower and ovary drop in peppers, especially in greenhouses. Pepper seedlings are particularly susceptible to this deficiency because they poorly absorb nutrients. Under these conditions, seedlings:

grow poorly;
stretch upwards;
produce a small harvest.

The ideal daylight duration for full development is 12 hours. Furthermore, even if such a plant flowers, the chances of a harvest are still slim. Insects dislike shade and are therefore unlikely to pollinate the plant, and without this, the crop will not bear fruit. The flowers will fall off, and no ovaries will form on the pepper plant.

Elevated temperature

The ideal temperature for pepper seedlings is considered to be +20-22°C. Mature plants are more resilient to temperature fluctuations; a drop in mercury of 5-7°C is acceptable for their growth and development. However, if the temperature drops below this level, there is a risk of fruit loss.

Please note!

Increasing the temperature to 30°C can negatively affect the quality of pollen, and the pepper ovaries will also fall off.

An increase in temperature to 35°C or more can not only cause the ovaries to fall off, but also destroy the vegetable.

Insufficient humidity level

https://youtu.be/OFzveFIGiSc

Air humidity is essential for the favorable growth and development of the crop. The optimal humidity for peppers is considered to be 60-80%. If the plant lacks moisture, it will have difficulty absorbing beneficial micronutrients, will dry out, and eventually die.

Peppers are sensitive to lack/excess of moisture:

If there is a deficiency, the plant will dry out due to lack of oxygen.
If there is an excess, it will stop growing due to the salts accumulated in the soil.

To stabilize humidity levels in a greenhouse, it's necessary to ventilate the room frequently. Irrigation should also be systematic and sufficient. You can spray water over the peppers using a spray bottle or other device, or simply water the beds with a watering can.

Harmful insects and diseases

Pests and diseases are rarely considered the cause of pepper death. This usually occurs in the most advanced cases, when little or no care is given to the plant.

Fighting infections, diseases, and insect pests takes up all the plant's energy, so it sheds the excess burden in the form of flowers and growing peppers. Peppers are often attacked by spider mites or greenhouse whiteflies.

Pepper is susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases:

Verticillium wilt is caused by two types of pathogenic fungi that invade the root system, causing wilting and rotting of the crop.
Bacterial spot. Dark spots appear on the leaves. They interfere with photosynthesis, slowly killing the plant.
Late blight. A fungal disease that causes the plant to become covered in brown spots and lose its reproductive capacity.
Phytoplasmosis, or stolbur, is a disease caused by microorganisms. It is transmitted to plants by insect pests and results in the complete drying out of the plant. There are no varieties resistant to this disease.
Cladosporiosis is a fungal disease that most often affects vegetables grown in greenhouses with high humidity.

Incorrect soil fertilization

When the soil lacks essential nutrients and microelements, the plant loses its immunity to disease, weakens, and slows its growth and metabolism. This leads to the pepper plant failing to bear fruit.

Attention!

When experiencing a stressful situation, the bush sheds excess load in the form of flowers and ovaries.

The most important microelements for pepper are:

nitrogen – necessary for the correct formation and development of the stem and green mass;
Potassium – increases the pepper bush’s resistance to temperature changes and promotes the ripening of peppers;
Phosphorus – makes roots stronger and promotes the formation of ovaries.

It's easy to make a big mistake when fertilizing peppers, knowing how fussy they are. Gardeners often overfeed the soil, which is just as bad for this plant as underfeeding. Excess nitrogen is especially harmful, as it causes the plant to grow into stems and green mass, preventing it from flowering and fruiting. Excess potassium and insufficient phosphorus can result in large clusters of ovaries, which will later fall off. If there are too many fruits, the plant's phosphorus levels won't be able to handle them.

Nutrient deficiencies can be confused with the symptoms of a disease, but experienced farmers can easily identify the problem.

Soils	Micronutrient deficiency	Manifestation
Light sandy or sandy loam	Iodine, potassium, magnesium, bromine, sulfur	A yellow border appears on the leaves, the green mass becomes spotted and dries out, the pepper does not bloom
Carbonate or re-limestone	Manganese, boron, zinc	Leaves stop growing, remain small, and curl. Stem and root growth stops, and the plant doesn't bear fruit. Pepper seedlings lose their flowers.
Peat	Copper, potassium, boron, manganese	The plant grows poorly, loses green mass, and does not bear fruit.

Planting density also influences proper growth and development. Many gardeners believe that the denser they plant their pepper plants, the more they will yield. In reality, closely spaced peppers compete for nutrients in the soil. This means that some plants receive beneficial micronutrients, while others are starved, which is stressful and can lead not only to fruit drop but also to plant death.

Attention!

The ideal planting density in greenhouse conditions is considered to be 3-6 plants per 1 m² (depending on the size of the plant). This will ensure the roots receive adequate nutrients, and the leaves receive the necessary amount of air circulation to prevent various diseases.

Measures to combat the problem

To ensure a good harvest, it's essential to carefully monitor the plant's growing conditions. Peppers require adequate nutrition, light, humidity, and regular irrigation. An experienced grower should be able to adjust these conditions when growing the crop in a greenhouse.

There are time-tested and farmer-tested methods that help correct unfavorable agricultural or natural factors.

Method	Description
Planting method	Using row or staggered planting will ensure sufficient planting density. This factor is especially important for greenhouse conditions. This method will ensure the bushes receive sufficient light and air, and the fruit stalks will be healthy.
Creating a shadow	During hot or scorching weather, you can use any means to create shade. For example, plant taller crops such as tomatoes, beans, or peas around the pepper plants.
Phytolamp	If the weather is cloudy and there is little sun (12 hours of sunlight is needed), you can use an additional light source - a phytolamp, the bushes will bloom more actively.
Watering	In hot weather, watering should be done once a week, but it should be done thoroughly. After watering, be sure to loosen the soil to allow oxygen to reach the root system. Watering should be done in the morning/evening to avoid direct sunlight, otherwise the seedlings will fall before flowering.
Artificial humidity	To create optimal humidity conditions during dry weather, you can install special misting devices. In a greenhouse, simply sprinkle water along the paths around the bushes. Ventilation is essential.
Mulching the soil	Mulching the soil is covering the soil around a planted plant with a special mulch, which helps protect the soil from overheating and drying out.
Feeding regime	The plant's need for fertilizer mixtures should be assessed based on the plant's condition. Fertilizing can be done once every two weeks, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. If there are clear signs of nutrient deficiency, additional feeding can be given.
Feeding periods	During the flower-forming stage, plants require more nitrogen fertilizer. During the fruit-setting stage, plants require more phosphorus and potassium.
Stop feeding	If the bush's foliage is quite dense and the plant has begun to shed flowers and ovaries, this means it's time to stop fertilizing. Over-fertilizing is not recommended.

To combat insect pests, you can use biological and chemical preparations:

Aktara;
Actellic (whitefly);
Kleschevit (spider mite), etc.

Preventive measures

The surest way to prevent diseases and all sorts of problems is to create optimal conditions for the proper growth and development of peppers. In greenhouse conditions:

maintaining cleanliness;
proper soil preparation;
disinfection;
air circulation.

In a greenhouse, soil quality deteriorates, allowing pathogenic bacteria and fungi to develop, so it's essential to fertilize the soil before planting fruit crops. In the fall, manure can be used as a fertilizer. Over the winter, the soil becomes saturated, thereby eliminating harmful pathogens.

Please note!

In spring, the soil should warm up 2 weeks before planting and be fertilized with humus or mineral fertilizer.

Advice from experienced farmers

Gardeners who successfully grow peppers offer the following recommendations:

Peppers practically do not tolerate transplantation, so seedlings should be sown directly into separate containers;
flowers or onions planted nearby can help against harmful insects;
certain methods of shaping the bushes can affect the size or number of peppers;
To improve fruiting, stems and leaves below the first branching can be carefully removed;
You can pinch off the growth points of the bush (the crown of the plant) so that the plant stops growing and begins ripening the fruit (this method is best used 1-1.5 months before the end of the season).