deformed peppers

by Tim
(Miami,Florida)

I am in Miami Fl. and am growing bell peppers in containers. I am having a problem with bugs or a disease. The plants were beautiful and now the new growth is coming out deformed. The leaves are curling under and the fruit is deformed and slow to develope,if not falling off just after setting.under the leaves are very tiny brown dots and dusty white powder. Do you have a solution.
Thank you in advance.

Doug says it could be several things. The first is aphids. They'll transmit viral problems (usually tobacco mosaic virus) that create a leaf curl in later plants. Mites will also do this and they're a lot harder to see (small dots and fine webbing much like a dusty white powder) :-)

Deformed peppers come from both problems as well as some cultural conditions (too variable heat and watering and feeding).

But I'd be checking for mites first given the webbing underneath.

A good insecticidal soap will knock them back. You'll have to continue spraying every 5-7 days (read the label for up to date recommendations) because you wont' kill all the mites with any single spray.

If you're giving the pepper the right growing conditions, it might grow out of it.

Good luck