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The first four peppers I have grown this year have all rotted before ripening. It's happened on the bottom and or sides of the fruit. The plants seem healthy and I haven't found any insects or grubs on or in the rotted fruits. I took a picture of some of the ones that recently rotted.
If it helps, I am container gardening on my balcony. I get about 7 hours of direct sunlight each day and have been using Jobes Organic fertilizer every two weeks through my watering can.
I'm new to this and by no means an expert, but any help would be great.
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Downhill, I can only guess what might be the problem. But here is my take. A plant needs water, nutrients, and sunlight to prosper. Without testing the soil, I wouldn't know when to add nutrients (fertilizer), but a soil test kit from the garden center is not very expensive and there would probably be enough test materials in there to get a feel for the cycle of fertilizing. It's really easy to overdo the fertilizer. Containers dry out rather quickly but it's still possible to keep the soil too wet. I have a moisture meter but have to confess I have hardly ever used it. I stick my finger in the soil and check the dampness that way. If the soil is dry, I water. You might want to find out where your state university's county extension office is located. They could be right there in Baltimore and they are usually staffed by master gardeners that are very helpful about local problems.
Thanks for the response!
The current batch of peppers on the plants seem to be doing well. I'm going to cut back on fertilizing for a bit and if I have another bad pepper ill bite the bullet and buy a test kit. Ironically, my tomatoes and jalapeños are thriving!
I've had peppers like this and I've had blossom end rot. The ones that looked like this I attributed to sunburn. While the leaves like sun the fruit likes to be shaded.
I've had peppers like this and I've had blossom end rot. The ones that looked like this I attributed to sunburn. While the leaves like sun the fruit likes to be shaded.
I was thinking this as well, especially because I get a good amount of direct sunlight and my leaf coverage doesn't seem the best. Is there a good way to prevent this? I have some new fruits coming in and I don't want to lose them.
It looks like some sort of fungus, which is a problem with a lot of vegetables, and can indeed effect just the fruit. You could try spraying your plant down every couple of days with a solution of one tablespoon baking soda to 1 litre of water. Baking soda is antibacterial, and will not burn the leaves of your plants. A spray bottle of inexpensive hydrogen peroxide also works wonders against molds and mildews, in my personal experience. Just wear a pair of gloves so your fingers don't get spray on them, and store the bottle in a cool dark place.
Good luck, and even though they have those bad spots, those are nice large peppers. Good job!
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