Hi, there, can somebody help my - my leaves are tunring brown - frist i thought this is thripes but there aren’t any signs of long body’s to find - and I am checking since weeks regularly. Can you help me.
Hello @Sam!
Great to have you growing!
At first, it looked like the plant was starting to fade due to being too old. When the fruits start to ripen the pepper plants also start to degrade, it’s part of their cycle in smart gardens. How old is the plant?
But you are most probably right. It looks like the most common thrips damage. Thrips can be very hard to notice because they can be really small and have very pale to dark-colored bodies. On the bottom of the leaf, the damage is clear - uneven spotting and dark spots of thrips feces. THey can be oval shaped too, later they grow to have longer and darker bodies.
Now with thrips infestation, it’s important to clean the whole smart garden and get rid of the infested plants. But of course, throwing away plants that you have carefully grown and nurtured is devastating and if the plants have not yet produced fruit I’d want to keep them longer too, even with pests. It’s your choice if you clean the whole garden and start from the beginning or you can minimize the infestation until the plant ripens.
Be aware that thrips can move over to your other houseplants too! That’s why it’s best to scrap infested plants and keep the garden in quarantine for some weeks.
If you need any specific help please contact Click and Grow support here: https://support.clickandgrow.com/hc/en-us
Hello @Debora,
thanks a lot for your help. You might be right - the plants are quite old. 6 months i guess. I also found out that it might be problems with nutrients.
Thrips are definelty not - i asked already 2 gardener - they confirmed.
How should i treat plants which are grown with pro cups and have their roots fully in the tank after 4-5 months? How do they get nutrients?
Thanks a lot.
best
Samir
Hi again,
The plant pods are designed to last up to 4-6 months depending on the plant and the temperatures around the garden. With higher temperatures, the fertilizer dissolves more quickly.
I still think it’s thrips damage on the leaves because the leaves are covered with black dots; this is the most common way to be sure that pests have been eating there.
You have multiple options for what to do with your plants. One is to transplant them into a new substrate. Definitely look for a suitable substrate for tomato or chilies. Repotting will give the roots extra room and nutrients for growing for many years. See any repotting video guides or articles on how to repot.
If you want to keep them longer in the smart garden then I advise adding some hydroponic liquid fertilizer into the water tank, where it mixes with water and will eventually get to the roots and plants. (Hydroponic) liquid fertilizers can be bought online or at your local gardening center.
Debora
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Thank you so much for the help!!!
I will do.
Best
Samir
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