Pepper plant disease identification
I'm curious to learn about what is happening with my pepper plants. I have 3 plants (sweet, bell and jalapeno) in a wooded planter box with drainage holes at the bottom. I started with a mix of miracle grow garden soil and some rich black dirt from my parents family farm (their garden). I have the planter box, so it receives mostly sun for a large portion of the day. All plants have been growing quite well all summer despite an onslaught of aphids and ants earlier in the year. I never applied any chemicals to them and eventually they went away. However, I've noticed on all 3 plants, the peppers in particular, 90% have what I believe I've identified as blight - a rotten looking brown/black spot on the bottoms or lower part of the peppers themselves (one poor pic i took included). I ate one just cutting around it, seemed fine but it is disappointing to see this. The planter box is roughly 36" x 20" so I don't believe there is an overcrowding issue. Though I might be guilty of over watering. I’ve read that it’s a fungus in the soil and can be activated by over watering. For what it’s worth, my parents garden where the black dirt came from is clean, zero blight or fungus. My questions: First, are the peppers still safe to eat? Second, what caused this and what (if anything) can be done to cure it for future peppers yet this year? What can I do to prevent this in the future (next season)? FYI, the planter box sits at the edge of our house, near our lawn where I have fertilized it with scotts weed and feed. I don’t believe any of the grains drifted into the box, but the spreader does throw them so it is possible. Not sure if this would have caused any of these issues? The peppers themselves were very small but present at the time, no blight like spots. Not sure if the two are related. Scotts suggested digging up and destroying all plants and soil in case it did. Not sure if this is extreme or not ?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Your Peppers are suffering from Blossom End Rot, which is caused by a Calcium deficiency. Yes, you can cut the rotten portion away from the pepper.
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