(Question)
Could you please let me know what went wrong with the pepper leaves? Please see the attached picture.
(Answer)
It looks like something is eating holes in the leaves and edges of the leaves of your pepper plants. Without actually seeing the insect it is difficult to know what it might be, although possible culprits include cutworms, hornworms, European corn borers, corn earworms and other caterpillars, all of which can attack pepper plants.
There are a few steps you can take to control the pest:
- handpick the caterpillars and crush or drop into a pail of soapy water
- spray with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (BTK), a biological control used to kill many common pest caterpillars. As it is indiscriminate in its effect and might harm butterfly larvae, you should apply carefully and only to the plants you want to treat. You can purchase BTK at hardware stores or garden centers and should use only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions
- keep area near peppers free of tall weeds and grasses which can shelter the insects
Good luck. As the leaves of your plants do not appear to be severely at this point, take steps now to stop the damages from increasing.