New Pepper Problem
The peppers that were producing in my garden have started having peppers ruin on the plant.
The peppers (bell) look just fine until the side that is up starts getting soft. Finally it just gets so soft it falls in.
Been getting 100 F days here, with no rain. I've been watering them at night off and on.
Sounds like sunscald. This is caused by exposure of the fruit to direct sunlight and is not a disease, but a physiological problem. Sometimes the sunscalded areas will be colonized by a fungus, but the fungus is the result of, not the cause of, the lesions on the fruit. Sunscald is worse on plants that have been partly defoliated by pests or leaf diseases.
It would help if you could somehow shade the peppers in the heat of the day. It might also help to mist the plants during the hottest part of the day, when they might be stressed and drooping despite having plenty of soil moisture.
Wild chiles are found growing under 'nurse trees' where they are sheltered from direct sunlight, and where the air is just a bit more humid.
Most likely sunscald, like sunburn on fruit. Shading plants through the hottest part of the day should sort it out.
If not then look up 'blossom end rot' and 'anthracnose'. Regards Richard
Thanks all. I'll make it a shade and see if that helps.
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