Last Updated on April 22, 2021 by cmoarz

Why are my pepper plants turning yellow? There are many reasons that this may happen. Some of the most common causes are nitrogen deficiency, watering stress, cold weather, or lack of sunlight. In this blog post, we will go over how to identify each cause and what you can do to fix it!
Nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen deficiency is a common reason for your pepper plants turning yellow. Nitrogen aids in the formation of chlorophyll that gives plant leaves their green color and helps your peppers grow healthy and strong. This lack can be caused by insufficient nitrogen in the soil, over fertilizing with rich sources of nitrogen or not enough time between applying fertilizer to water before it rains (nitrogen leaches out). To fix this problem, you should start fertilizing with slow release organic-based composts like kelp meal or other natural source of nitrates such as blood meal manure tea. Adding more nitrogen will help restore leaf health but may cause an increase in weeds if left unmanaged. In addition, make sure to add mulch around your pepper plants to maintain a constant temperature and keep the soil moist.
You can identify Nitrogen deficiency by the yellowing leaves, stunted growth and smaller than normal peppers.
If you suspect your pepper plants are suffering from nitrogen deficiency, there is a few things you can do to help them get back on track.
- -Add more compost or fertilizers that contain Nitrogen such as kelp meal or blood meal teas
- -Water less often but make sure they’re getting enough water when it does rain
- -Ensure they have plenty of light exposure by putting in place some shade cloths if needed
- -Maintain mulch around their roots so that soil won’t dry out too quickly.
Watering stress
watering stress is also known to cause yellowing of a pepper leaf. If your plants are showing signs of drought even with adequate water supply, follow the steps below to help them get back on track.
- -water more often and make sure they’re getting enough water
- -ensure there’s no blockage in their drainage system so that excess moisture can flow through
- -add organic matter such as compost around the plant roots for optimum soil health and aeration. Make sure you mulch over this layer to keep it from drying out too quickly.
Cold weather
Tempreture can play a role in a pepper plant turning yellow. If you live in an area with cold weather, your plants may be displaying signs of yellowing leaves and stunted growth.
- -monitor the soil temperatures by using a thermometer
- -if the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, move plant inside or to a warm place (like a greenhouse) where they can grow healthily without being affected by temperature fluctuations.
Lack of sunlight
If there’s not enough natural light reaching their foliage, pepper plants will begin to turn yellow and produce fewer fruits than usual. The lack of sun exposure also has the potential for affecting other parts like leaf size and shape which could lead to more susceptibility to pests and disease as well as decreased yields.
So always make sure your pepper plant is getting enough sunlight
- -if the plant is in an outdoor location, it might need to be relocated closer to a window or under a different light fixture.
- -If there’s not enough natural light coming through your home windowsills or skylights, you should consider getting artificial lighting if that doesn’t disrupt your electricity costs and obligations.
sunlight is important for pepper plants; they need between six hours of direct sunlight every day (during spring) and eight hours during fall/winter months.