There are 6 reasons why your Chilli plant leaves are not growing.

No growing season goes exactly as planned, but it is still distressing to see your plants decline when you have no idea what is causing it.If the cause is something else, like too much water, then the well-intentioned gardener could be making the problem worse.

It is possible to determine what the cause is, and in most cases, it is fixable.

Pepper plants need more frequent watering during hot weather and will dry out faster if grown in containers.

Push your finger into the soil about 1 or 2 inches.It is time to water if it is dry at least one inch below the surface.Keep your soil or potting mix moist, but not soggy.

If you notice the soil around your plants is drying out quickly, it is a good idea to add a layer of mulch like wood chips.

Even though the soil is still moist in the middle of summer, your pepper plants might be starting to die.It is most likely that high temperatures and too much hot sun are the reason for this, if you notice it only in the middle of the day.

Plants can only take so much water at a time, so if you drink a big glass of water all at once, you will feel it sitting in your stomach for a while.Most of the water plants absorb isn't used for growth and is lost through transpiration, which is the movement of water from the roots to the leaves.

transpiration will happen more quickly when the sun is hot.If it happens so fast that the roots can't keep up, your pepper plants will suffer a net loss of water and end up dying even if the soil is wet.

There are a few things you can do if your pepper plants are dying.If you have container peppers, you can either move them to a partially shaded area or use shade cloth to reduce sun exposure.

Too much water is a less common reason why your chilli plant leaves are drying out.If the soil is constantly soggy, the roots can die and rot away.

If the cause of root rot is not fixed, it can kill the entire plant.

Make sure that your soil is draining and not soggy.Compost can be used to increase the amount of organic matter in your soil.When the top inch of the soil is dry, water mature plants.

It's a problem in some pepper plants without proper aeration and in Kratky-style Hydroponics when aerial roots are kept under water.

Chilli seedlings are prone to die from a disease called damping off, which attacks both the roots and base of the stem, causing them to flop over and die.

If you have recently taken your plants outdoors after starting them indoors, it is not unusual for them to start to look sick.

When you transplant a Chilli, the plant goes through an adjustment period as it gets settled in its new location.It's more likely to happen when it has to adapt to different conditions or when the roots are damaged.

Pepper plants have only ever been exposed to the gentle conditions of your home, always within a stable temperature range, little to no wind, and with some relatively weak lights.

If you take pepper plants outside for the first time, the sun could be strong enough to cause damage to the leaves, and they could flop over from the wind.If you transplant them outside, they can stress out and weaken your pepper plants.When you take your plants outside, it is always a good idea to protect them from the elements.

Plants are exposed to the conditions outside gradually.If the sun isn't strong or the weather is cloudy, leave them out for a few hours a day.Leave them out for an extra hour or two before bringing them back inside.The pepper plants will adapt to the bright sun over time.

Some people do it for up to 10 or even 14 days, while I usually only take my peppers off for 5 to 7 days.You can transplant as you normally would.

Chilli plants are prone to overfertilization.Too much fertilization kills roots which eventually kill off the entire plant, whether you are dealing with nitrogen toxicity or salt build up.

It is often too late to wash away the nitrogen and salt build up if your pepper plants are dying due to the burn.If the roots are still alive, the plant may be able to recover.This approach works better for chilli plants in containers since you can flush the soil multiple times and let it drain out the bottom of the containers.

If you want the roots to have less support as they recover, you should flush the soil with water and peck back some of the branches.

Most of the time it will be obvious to the home gardener that your plants are being affected by a disease.

Pepper plants can be affected by severe aphid damage.It can also get worse during hot and dry conditions.It is relatively easy to get rid of aphids.You can wash aphids with a hose and use an insecticidal soap or spray for organic pest control.