Bell Peppers Turning Black?

[Elitemittens]

Hi all! I am new here and I have a question- for the last few years me and my mom have tried to grow Bell peppers. Every single plant we've tried will stay small and start to bear fruit. But when the fruit gets to be about the size of a cherry tomato the peppers get black spots and fall off, so we never get anything decent. We've tried planting in pots and different areas of the yard but it happens where ever we plant. Any idea what it is? Any help is appreciated! I live in Michigan if that helps.

 

[Chuck]

Hi all! I am new here and I have a question- for the last few years me and my mom have tried to grow Bell peppers. Every single plant we've tried will stay small and start to bear fruit. But when the fruit gets to be about the size of a cherry tomato the peppers get black spots and fall off, so we never get anything decent. We've tried planting in pots and different areas of the yard but it happens where ever we plant. Any idea what it is? Any help is appreciated! I live in Michigan if that helps.

This sounds like bacterial leaf spot. Try different varieties of peppers that are BLS resistant and start a spray regimen of every 10 days with copper hydroxide

 

[headfullofbees]

Do the spots start off black, or do they start yellow/brown?

 

[Elitemittens]

They start off black. They start small and get bigger until it falls off. It also makes the flowers fall off before it can produce any peppers. Any tips for growing them? lol

 

[Chuck]

They start off black. They start small and get bigger until it falls off. It also makes the flowers fall off before it can produce any peppers. Any tips for growing them? lol

Are the leaves infected too?

 

[Elitemittens]

Nope, just the fruit.

 

[Chuck]

Nope, just the fruit.

If the leaves are not or do not become infected what you probably have is a soil born fungus. You can fix this by spraying whole milk on the plant and the fruit. You can spray whole ground cornmeal tea. Also copper hydroxide. Sprinkle a big handfull of whole ground cornmeal at the base of the plant. Try not to water the leaves or fruit and mulch the plant to keep rainfall from splashing soil onto the plant

 

[Elitemittens]

Okay. Thank you!

 

[Mechanic]

Just a shot in the dark here but it sounds like to much fertilizer , especially nitrogen. Try calcium nitrate just in case it's back end rot. Bell peppers like water and summer heat.

 

[headfullofbees]

Can I ask where and in what you grow these peppers?
When you plant them in pots, do you use garden soil or compost?
How often do you water them?
How big do your plants grow?
With what, and how often, do you feed them?

 

[Chuck]

Okay. Thank you!

I forgot to ask. Are the black spots at random on the pepper or just on the end?

 

[Elitemittens]

Can I ask where and in what you grow these peppers?
When you plant them in pots, do you use garden soil or compost?
How often do you water them?
How big do your plants grow?
With what, and how often, do you feed them?

When I plant them in pots I use mostly garden soil. I've tried to grow them for about the last 4 or so years and its the same problem every year.
They get around 8-12 inches tall. We usually just buy them at a green house and they don't get too much bigger than that. I really don't think I've ever really fed them.

 

[Elitemittens]

I forgot to ask. Are the black spots at random on the pepper or just on the end?

They're random.

 

[headfullofbees]

OK
The watering; how often do you water them?

The soil you use, is it near any other plants?

How big are your pots, how close together do you plant your peppers.

 

[headfullofbees]

Chuck, here's what I'm thinking; see if you agree, or disagree, and can add anything.

It sounds to me that these plants are only flowering and fruiting because they are already under extreme stress.
I'm minded not to reckon it's soil-borne pepper fungal diseases as Elitemittens has NEVER had any success, and diseases usually build up in soil, PLUS, soil-borne disease wouldn't infect both the plants in the garden AND the pots in the first year.
I tend to think it's a management problem, probably watering/feeding and I think the answer is this:
We, (or more likely, whichever one of us has the climate closest to Elitemittens') teach Elitemittens how to grow peppers, planting the ones in pots in compost, or soil from a different location, apart from one, which can be garden soil.

If EM notices anything different to the regime previously used, there's a good chance we have the culprit.
If the peppers in pots grow well, but the odd one and those planted in the garden fail, we have a soil-borne problem.

If they ALL still fail, we have to conclude that peppers are allergic to Elitemittens.

Elitemittens, would that help?