Sweet pepper question

[Jared77]

Anybody ever deal with some rot on the pepper as they develop? I've got a few that have the bottom portion of one of the walls that is brown and very soft. The rest of the pepper looks good and they are continuing to grow. It seems to only affect a few of the peppers that I'm growing. Even if the plant has multiple peppers only one of them might be affected.

My question is it worth leaving them on there? I don't mind cutting around the affected area after they've been picked. Or should I remove them so the plant can focus is efforts on growing better peppers? I've got no shortage of pepper plants so either way I'm ok. I just wasn't sure which was a better choice.

I've never experienced this with sweet peppers before, but then I've never planted 60 sweet pepper plants either. I figured Id have some kind of issue just by the volume of peppers I planted. I can get a picture if it helps. I was out watering the pumpkins and when checking for ripe tomatoes I noticed this so I thought to ask.

 

[chris09]

Sounds like Blossom End Rot. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/3117.pdf
You may be able to save some of them.

Chris

 

[4grandbabies]

Anybody ever deal with some rot on the pepper as they develop? I've got a few that have the bottom portion of one of the walls that is brown and very soft. The rest of the pepper looks good and they are continuing to grow. It seems to only affect a few of the peppers that I'm growing. Even if the plant has multiple peppers only one of them might be affected.

My question is it worth leaving them on there? I don't mind cutting around the affected area after they've been picked. Or should I remove them so the plant can focus is efforts on growing better peppers? I've got no shortage of pepper plants so either way I'm ok. I just wasn't sure which was a better choice.

I've never experienced this with sweet peppers before, but then I've never planted 60 sweet pepper plants either. I figured Id have some kind of issue just by the volume of peppers I planted. I can get a picture if it helps. I was out watering the pumpkins and when checking for ripe tomatoes I noticed this so I thought to ask.

I thought mine were just cooking!!

 

[journey11]

I've had a few that got sunburned (wind blew the plant over and exposed them to this 90+ heat) and the side rotted out but the rest of the pepper kept going. I suppose I should pull them off, but I didn't, just to see what they would do.

 

[Jared77]

Thats it Chris thanks.

 

[hoodat]

It's best to remove the peppers as soon as the first sign of blossom end rot shows. You can salvage the unaffected parts for cooking or canning. Removing them will allow the plant to concentrate what calcium is available in the new fruits. It's important to kep the plants evenly watered. Never too wet or dry and water DEEP. A trickling hose is the best way.
You can easily tell the difference between BER and sun scald. BER will turn black immediately whereas sun scald will turn white before it starts to rot.

 

[Jared77]

Thanks Hoodat I'm off to go remove them now.

 

[Dave2000]

I usually end up with BER on the first one or two bells per plant. Sometimes it gets dry like a brown scab and though the scab area gets bigger as the pepper continues to grow, I leave the pepper on and just harvest it and cut out the area IF the fruit makes it to maturity.

Other times the rotten area turns wrinkled and mushy looking in which case I get the fruit off and throw it out. Not sure what the cause is thought, I've "tried" to follow best practices about watering, using plenty of calcium, etc and after the first couple fruits the rest do pretty good if the temperatures stay reasonable. It's still frustrating though, so I grow more hot peppers which never seem effected by BER... at least mine don't. They seem like a better crop investment anyway, during peak of the season I can buy three giant bells for $1 at roadside stands.