Help to ID these lesions on my peppers?
 

Hey All,
Any help in identifying what is happening to my peppers would be much appreciated. I keep getting these decaying lesions on my peppers just shortly before they reach maturity. First pic is from just now, the first jalapeno I was hoping to harvest this season. The other two are from later in the season last year, but I got distracted by other issues and forgot to ask for help here.

What am I dealing with, and how do I address? The plants are completely healthy otherwise. I'm growing in self irrigating 5gal buckets, with new planting mix this year (Raybo's 3-2-1 recipe), so my gut says it is pest-related, but I can't find any other than the occasional aphid/thrip/etc.

Thanks in advance!!!

It looks like sunburn to me.

Sunburn on the last two or maybe not. Blossom end rot occurs not only on the bottom of peppers but on the sides too.



Usual culprits -

Lack of calcium in the soil
Excess nitrogen
Excess potassium
Excess sodium
Excess ammonium


I left out overwatering since you're using self irrigating buckets but it could still be the problem if there's times when it gets dry and then is watered.

l

I think that you hit the nail on the head with blossom end rot. Here's a link.

Just like with tomatoes it is rarely a calcium problem in the soil but a water stress problem.

[url]https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/files/86509.pdf[/url]

I really don't think there has been any water stress. These are self-irrigated buckets, and they have never gone dry (I'm in one of the most aggressive counties for shelter in place, so I'm always here keeping an eye on the garden LOL).

I guess I'll try to figure out how to get them some calcium...

There is one other culprit that could be involved and that is snails.

It doesn't look like blossom end rot to me. I have had it in the past during droughts and very uneven watering. It could be sun scald but that usually looks like a whiter area sunken in just like that early on then turning darker as the tissue rots some. Keep an eye out for any lighter spots that look almost bleached at first and then turn soft and darker looking and if you see that then you can be pretty sure it is sun scald.

Bill

I lean towards BER. Even if water is consistent you can still get ber, if the heat starts suddenly or it's just too hot and the water gets too warm.

We certainly have had big swings in temp here in the last couple weeks, with daily high temps over 100 one day followed by 70 the next, so that could be it.

Just wanted to follow up with an update here. I hit the bucket with a TTF top drench, and so far so good. That one pepper was the only one with the issue, and there are about a half dozen more maturing with no sign of the issue.

Thanks again for the assist!

That happens to all the first peppers that form on my plants before I plant them out to the garden. Is that the case with these?

I know I should remove them when they form while they are still in the pots, but for some reason I never do. I do take time to harden the seedlings and the leaves handle the transition just fine, but once they go out to full sun any peppers On the plants develop sunken, sunburned patches that look a lot like your pictures.

This was on the first fruit of the plant, yes. But there were no peppers (not even blossoms) when i planted these out. Last year it happened on many of the peppers throughout the season.