DROOPING LEAVES ON A CHILI PLANT
August 20, 2023
My chili plant had fallen into a state of weakness. There were no insects to be seen on the leaves.
“Why the chili plant is in a state of weakness?” "Um, I don't know whether the soil in the pot has dried out quickly, in the hot sun”.
The plant had drooping leaves. All the leaves bent down. I thought that this was due to a lack of water. I was trying to keep the plant hydrated. However, the watering wasn't helping the plant. The plant leaves remained bent down for days.
What caused leaves to bend down?
It could be a symptom of something happening below the soil surface. “Has the soil become compacted?” “Does it prevent water from draining properly?” The soil had not become hard. This pot had a drainage hole to allow excess water to drain out.
Are there any insects living in the soil that are bad for the plant?
One evening, I saw some ants below the pot when I lifted it to look at the underside of the pot. When the pot was tilted to have a look at its underside, I saw a large number of ants moving inside. So, I put the pot with the plant away from other plants. The following day the pot was tilted but I did not see the ants.
“How do I know they are in the soil?” While I was slowly removing the plant from the pot, I saw a large number of ants moving in the soil. “It’s a colony!” The big ant is about 10 mm long—it’s the queen with several small ants (about 2.5 mm long) that are protecting and moving her.
After removing the plant from the soil, I put the chili plant into another pot with new soil. By the 2nd week, the plant showed clear signs of recovery. It had begun to bear new leaves.
Three weeks later, I looked at the plant. It has slightly bent old leaves and new healthy leaves.
Oh, there is a hole right next to the plant!
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