Peppers rotting on the plant? Doesn't look like blossom rot

[oxygene]

Hi all,

I have three gypsy pepper plants (zone 3). The other day I noticed that two of the peppers had small and sunken brown spots on the end. I thought they were from a bit of sun scald, insect damage, or from the pepper rubbing on a nearby stem. Both peppers were touching another leaf stem near or on the brown area. The spots started out somewhat similar to this:

[img]https://I.imgur.com/PiXJD.jpg[/img]

The areas have steadily grown to this (though it's much less severe on the second pepper):

[img]https://i52.tinypic.com/157226v.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i53.tinypic.com/oh4ayd.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i56.tinypic.com/140xe15.jpg[/img]

The brown spot was noticeably soft. The second pepper is still on the plant and the spot is definitely bigger than it was yesterday. While the temperature has been quite hot (25-33*C) to somewhat cool for July (18*C in the day, 12-15*C at night), I'm not sure if it sun scald as there are smaller brown spots on the side of the pepper that faces away from the sun. The third plant has no brown spots.

Some of the top leaves on all three plants are crinkled/bubbled:

[img]https://i56.tinypic.com/1o0x2s.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i56.tinypic.com/33wb4gj.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i54.tinypic.com/a0flsl.jpg[/img]
(old pictures, but some of the leaves look the same)

I haven't done a ph soil test but I have sprayed them with epsom salt and watered them with crushed up Tums tablets for calcium. Some of the leaves have small white indents on them:

[img]https://i54.tinypic.com/103y5jp.jpg[/img]

I water them every day or two unless they start drooping and they get Miracle Gro once a week or more. I haven't seen any insects nearby except for small spiders and some silvery type of flying insect.

So after all those photos... what could be wrong with my peppers - specifically the fruit, that is? I'm pretty disappointed as I've lost two peppers to these brown spots and it looks like a third one is heading that way.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't know what your problem is, but I don't think it is sunscald. That is usually a light tan color and dry and crispy, not soft and rotting.

What I've seen suggests this kind of thing can result from inconsistent watering, but if you are watering every day or two, that should be sufficient. Tell us a little more about how you water (how much, how deeply). My honey has a way of standing out there sprinkling things for three minutes and thinking they are watered....

[gumbo2176]

I think RBG hit the nail on the head. I've been getting a lot of rainfall these past few weeks and my peppers are suffering due to it. Many of my peppers look just like yours and it's gotten to the point a few of my plants are drooping because I don't believe they are getting enough oxygen at root level with the ground so wet.

[Francis Barnswallow]

I've had a few look like that as well.....the affected areas of the pepper were soft and rotten looking.

[mansgirl]

Call me crazy, but I think that looks like insect damage. Do you weed often or walk through your garden a lot? Pay special attention to whats on or under your leaves when you do.

As far as watering goes, I never stick to a regimen. The weather always changes, so watering should too. Peppers like heat and can survive on very little water. The only other thing that I can think of that would make a pepper look like that besides bugs is being to wet. Your leaves don't like they're thirsty or drowned.. I'd say its a bug.

[Halfway]

The peppers in the raised beds experiencved some of that while those in containers did not. The containers stayed drier during our wet early-summer, so my conclusion was overwatering / damp conditions.

It has cleared up now that we are back to extreme heat and near drought.

[oxygene]

double post

[oxygene]

It hasn't been all that wet or rainy (mostly fluctuating temperatures), but I don't think my watering is very consistent... I usually water them about every two or three days but sometimes it changes depending on how dry the soil is. I just use a garden hose but I'm not sure how much I give them - usually whatever looks good at the time probably a centimeter or two of water.

How long should I be watering each plant for? Do I stand there for a minute, five minutes...? The gypsies are in rather large containers, about 20" across and 15" tall.

I haven't seen anything under the leaves. Sometimes I see tiny spiders/webs or those fly-like things that I haven't identified yet. They're grey/black striped and a bit bigger than a grain of rice.

The other day (after I posted this) I noticed one of the smaller gypsies, about 1 1/2" long, had some insect damage. Something had been chewing through the cap but I forgot to take a picture of it. The other plant and its peppers are still free of the rotting brown spots, so why wouldn't bugs hop on over to that one?