Rotten Sweet Peppers

JerryL · July 27, 2011

My Sweet Peppers are turning to mush.

It looks like BER but is not on the blossom end. It starts in the middle of the side.

As you can see in the pics it affects both green and red fruit.

It seems to only be affecting my Sweet Peppers (Fat & Sassy, Big Early Hybrid) but not my Ancho or Anaheim Chile.

Anyone have any thoughts? Could it be too much water?

TIA

RayR · July 27, 2011

Anthracnose maybe? Any spotting on the leaves. Are the rotted areas water soaked or dry?

One of my Shepard's Rams Horn peppers developed a soft sunken tan area on the side the other day. Not sure what that was, maybe gray mold.

Skaggydog · July 27, 2011

Looks like torch burn to me.

DiggingDogFarm · July 27, 2011

Sunscald!!!

mecktom · July 27, 2011

Looks like sunscald to me.

Stepheninky · July 27, 2011

Same sun scald I had one do that as well. If you peel back the damaged part the seeds behind it will be very dark or black.

roper2008 · July 27, 2011

I have the same thing on some of mine.

lurley · July 27, 2011

Sorry to hear that Jerry, last year I had tons with what looked like BER, never had that on peppers before, and many had tiny spider like bugs inside when you cut them open, always when they were finally turning their ripe colors, but it was on the end, not on the side like that one. Whatever I had didn't bother the hot peppers either, only the sweet ones.

JerryL · July 28, 2011

Thanks for all the input folks.

I looked closely at the plants and it only seems to be happening on exposed fruit. So the Sunscald theory is probably correct. We've hade some really hot/bright days here in Cincinnati.

Has anyone used row cover to protect from Sunscald?

How about tulle? It seems a bit light the keep out much sun.

Is there a better solution?

**mdvpc** · July 28, 2011

You can use some shading-like a shade cloth, row cover, etc.

pinakbet · July 29, 2011

i thought BER was the worst problem but this one is new to me.

Ruth_10 · September 21, 2011

I'm glad I read this post. I have quite a few peppers with this "affliction" and was not sure what caused it. The ones afflicted are indeed the later season fruits at the top of the plant that are exposed to the sun. I guess I had not associated the black with sunscald.

July 27, 2011	#1
JerryL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.W. Ohio z6a Posts: 736	Rotten Sweet Peppers My Sweet Peppers are turning to mush. It looks like BER but is not on the blossom end. It starts in the middle of the side. As you can see in the pics it affects both green and red fruit. It seems to only be affecting my Sweet Peppers (Fat & Sassy, Big Early Hybrid) but not my Ancho or Anaheim Chile. Anyone have any thoughts? Could it be too much water? TIA __________________ Jerry

July 27, 2011	#4
DiggingDogFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New York State Posts: 286	Sunscald!!! __________________ "The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can shoot and trap out of it!"

July 27, 2011	#6
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	Same sun scald I had one do that as well. If you peel back the damaged part the seeds behind it will be very dark or black. __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com

July 28, 2011	#9
JerryL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.W. Ohio z6a Posts: 736	Thanks for all the input folks. I looked closely at the plants and it only seems to be happening on exposed fruit. So the Sunscald theory is probably correct. We've hade some really hot/bright days here in Cincinnati. Has anyone used row cover to protect from Sunscald? How about tulle? It seems a bit light the keep out much sun. Is there a better solution? __________________ Jerry Last edited by JerryL; July 28, 2011 at 11:08 AM. Reason: Another thought

July 28, 2011	#10
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	You can use some shading-like a shade cloth, row cover, etc. __________________ Michael

July 27, 2011	#2
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	Anthracnose maybe? Any spotting on the leaves. Are the rotted areas water soaked or dry? One of my Shepard's Rams Horn peppers developed a soft sunken tan area on the side the other day. Not sure what that was, maybe gray mold.

July 27, 2011	#3
Skaggydog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern California Posts: 131	Looks like torch burn to me.

July 27, 2011	#5
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	Looks like sunscald to me.

July 27, 2011	#7
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	I have the same thing on some of mine.

July 27, 2011	#8
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	Sorry to hear that Jerry, last year I had tons with what looked like BER, never had that on peppers before, and many had tiny spider like bugs inside when you cut them open, always when they were finally turning their ripe colors, but it was on the end, not on the side like that one. Whatever I had didn't bother the hot peppers either, only the sweet ones.

July 29, 2011	#11
pinakbet Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Pearl of the Orient Posts: 333	i thought BER was the worst problem but this one is new to me.

September 21, 2011	#12
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I'm glad I read this post. I have quite a few peppers with this "affliction" and was not sure what caused it. The ones afflicted are indeed the later season fruits at the top of the plant that are exposed to the sun. I guess I had not associated the black with sunscald. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.