Peppers rotting on the plant

[DigitalVinyl]

Is there a condition that causes this... I'm thinking maybe too much water. The rot points are varied. Sometimes on the sides, sometimes from the tip, sometimes multiple small spots all around. Three groups of plant are showing the problems, each in different soils or pots.

Last year I had none of this issue. On bell, anaheims, & jalapenos I'm just finding them rotting. On the anaheims especially they rot AS they blush to red. Literally the parts that have turned sickly pale white and soft are surrounded by rings of ripening red. Last year I left all my peppers on the plant until I slowly used them. I think I lost two from bugs. I just pulled 6 rotting ones today and a good two dozen during the season. DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY,

[fieldfarms]

I sell peppers hot and sweet at our local farmer's market here in Michigan. The cause of your rotten ends of your peppers,(can happen on tomatoes too)is inconsistent watering. This year we have had abundant rain and I have not one pepper or tomato with this problem. I know it sounds crazy, because it looks like it is from overwatering, but it's not.

[Jim Carlock]

I'm seeing that can happen with cucumbers as well. They got a heck of alot more water than they normally get yesterday. They looked so droopy. That combined with the winds beating them up, twisting and turning and cutting off the supply of water to a couple leaves that wrapped themselves up wrongly... ouch.

The soil was dry this morning and I gave them some water. If the soil is dry I see improvements within the leaves within

5 to 15 minutes, they perk up and lose their droopiness.

I've killed a couple belle peppers and a bannana peppers by letting the soil dry for out for longer than a day.

[Concordia]

Not sure what you have from the description; likely the problem is fungal, possibly bacterial. Anyway, tomatoes and peppers are subject to many of the same pests and diseases, so you may find this site helpful in making an identification. Plenty of pictures.

[SVTKate]

Posted above is a question about tomatoes rotting on the vine. The general consensus is that the problem is blossom end rot. Could that be it with the peppers too? A calcium deficiency?

Kate

| >Last year I had none of this issue. On bell, anaheims, & jalapenos I'm | >just finding them rotting. On the anaheims especially they rot AS they | >blush to red. Literally the parts that have turned sickly pale white | >and soft are surrounded by rings of ripening red. | >

| >Last year I left all my peppers on the plant until I slowly used them. | >I think I lost two from bugs. I just pulled 6 rotting ones today and a | >good two dozen during the season. | | Not sure what you have from the description; likely the problem is | fungal, possibly bacterial. Anyway, tomatoes and peppers are subject | to many of the same pests and diseases, so you may find this site | helpful in making an identification. Plenty of pictures. | |

[Concordia]

(snip)

No, poster here indicated "rot points are varied".

Well, sort of. It's really more of an uptake problem.

BER is rarely fixed by adding calcium to the soil, as was once thought (*). Most soils contain enough calcium, the problem is usually that plants may not be uptaking what is already available due to environmental stresses -- water fluctuations, cool weather, young plants/immature root system, etc.

(*) Potted plants being a possible exception