Pepper trouble

[Rooted]

It seems I keep having peppers that are rotting:(
The plants look healthy, the fruit looks healthy, and then the next day I find fruit with rotten places on them. I have heard its from watering irregularities, but we have had lots of rain lately... how many inches do they need per week?

[SQWIB]

You sure it isn't Sun Scald?

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, that would be my thought also.... sun scald from too much direct hot sun on that spot and not enough leaf cover. Maybe arrange a little afternoon shade for them?

The burned spot will not recover, but you can prevent more damage.

[applestar]

Yep. If the fruit is developed enough, you can just cut that part out and use it for cooking.

[imafan26]

If you have good leaf cover that should help otherwise a 35% shadecloth over head will help.

[Rooted]

Well! My peppers are doing awesome... I figured out it was not enough water. We've now had 8 inches of rain this month and my peppers are loving it (well most of them)
2 days ago I went out and 2 of my plants looked droopy (1 green pep, and 1 orange, not next to each other). So, I picked the fruit that looked close to ready and it was already softer than normal. Then, today I went out and they were dead. It's crazy... any thoughts?

[jeff84]

not dead. either over or under watered

[rainbowgardener]

Well 8 inches of rain in a month sounds like a lot, but it depends on how it was distributed ( a quarter of an inch of rain every day all month? 4 inches of rain in one day and then no more for two weeks?) and what the weather was like in between (hot and sunny?) and what your soil is like.

Both your soil and your poor plant look totally dried out and your plant looks like it is thirsting to death. Jeff is right that over-watering can cause wilting also, but usually has yellowing with it. There's an easy test. Go out in the morning and pour a gallon of water slowly on the soil around your plant and then wait a few hours. If the plant perks up, that was what it needed.

If so, then continue watering until all the soil around it is well moistened at least four inches deep. Water what you think is a lot and then dig down with your trowel to see how far down the soil is damp. I bet you will be surprised that it isn't very much. After you have thoroughly moistened the soil, then mulch over it with several inches of organic mulch. This will help keep the water in.

[rainbowgardener]

So did you try watering your pepper plant, to see if it perked up?