Bell Peppers Turning Black?

[Chuck]

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?

We need more info. In earlier post it was stated that it was garden soil used to pot up the peppers and plant them in the ground, from all over the yard starting the first year which leads me to believe it is some type of soil pathogen, possibly even a herbicide like Scotts Weed and Feed, maybe even Piclaram being blown in. This is in Michigan where the growing season is a lot shorter than in Texas so I am not familiar with the growing climate. Since this problem does not affect the leaves it is not BLS nor is it mildew. The random black spots eliminates Blossom End Rot too. So that leaves what? Watering? I don't think it is a watering issue because the leaves would be the first affected. Fertilizing? The plants weren't fed. That would explain why the plants didn't grow but not the spots. They would just set a few small fruits and be stunted. Insects? There are numerous insects that will do this type of damage to peppers. Insects and lack of fertilizing could possibly be the cause, but 4 years in a row seems a bit far-fetched to me. We need to know what else is being planted and what their growth is like. We need to know the size of the pots, how deep they were planted in both the pots and in the ground. We need to know what type of soil it is. It may be calciferous like mine is and very alkaline which can be a factor.

 

[headfullofbees]

I vaguely suspect two problems, possibly three, acting in conjunction.

1) Pots too small.
2) Cold
3) Flowers/fruits starving.

If the plant is a slow to fruit variety, that is better suited to more southerly climes, pots so small as to have permanently dwarfed the plants, and they're out too late, is a possibility.

Elitemittens, did the black spots appear after a bit of cold, but not frost?

 

[Elitemittens]

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.

Usually almost every day. Its usually a mix between soil from one of the gardens, soil around/slightly under the deck,soil in a bag(the kind you buy I guess?) and a bit of chicken manure. I take dirt from wherever theres extra. The pot is about the size of a five-gallon bucket. There's only one plant in a pot. When I plant them in the garden they're usually about a foot away from each other.

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?

If I'm starving them what should I start feeding them? My mom thinks the problem is just that we have bad luck with peppers. And carrots(thats another story though). Everything else we plant does wonderfully except peppers and carrots lol.



Does it matter that we've had success with hot peppers just not bell peppers?

I vaguely suspect two problems, possibly three, acting in conjunction.

1) Pots too small.
2) Cold
3) Flowers/fruits starving.

If the plant is a slow to fruit variety, that is better suited to more southerly climes, pots so small as to have permanently dwarfed the plants, and they're out too late, is a possibility.

Elitemittens, did the black spots appear after a bit of cold, but not frost?

I havent noticed any cold spurts around the time of the black spots appearing. They usually get planted sometime between the end of may and the beginning of june, so its fairly warm out.

 

[Chuck]

Usually almost every day. Its usually a mix between soil from one of the gardens, soil around/slightly under the deck,soil in a bag(the kind you buy I guess?) and a bit of chicken manure. I take dirt from wherever theres extra. The pot is about the size of a five-gallon bucket. There's only one plant in a pot. When I plant them in the garden they're usually about a foot away from each other.


If I'm starving them what should I start feeding them? My mom thinks the problem is just that we have bad luck with peppers. And carrots(thats another story though). Everything else we plant does wonderfully except peppers and carrots lol.



Does it matter that we've had success with hot peppers just not bell peppers?



I havent noticed any cold spurts around the time of the black spots appearing. They usually get planted sometime between the end of may and the beginning of june, so its fairly warm out.

Is the chicken manure you are using composted? By that I mean dry and powdery. The bell peppers that you plant, are they true bells or are they varieties of sweet peppers that are a different shape than bells. True bells don't like heat whereas sweet peppers like a warmer growing climate than bells do. Hot peppers like a hot growing climate. If it were me I would try growing a sweet pepper like Sweet Banana or Marconi or Cubanelle or Aconcaqua instead of bells. Your pots are plenty big enough and if everything else is growing good it is not a soil pathagen. You are watering too often. Only water when the soil is dry down to about 2 inches and then give it a good soaking, usually about every 7-10 days. Chicken manure is good as far as a nitrogen source but it lacks in other areas. Use a good organic fertlizer and set you up a compost tea maker and water all of your plants with the tea. Just remember that you can and will kill a plant by watering too often and that you will not harm a plant by watering too much at one time if there is adequate drainage.

 

[Elitemittens]

Thanks for your help! It is not. We usually just clean it out every so often and put it on the gardens. I'm buying some seeds from baker creek this year and I was planning on getting golden Marconi and lemon drop peppers. Got any tips for carrots? Lol. They never seem to grow either. Its kinda the same deal except no black spots. They only get an inch long and stop growing. I don't water the carrots as much as I did the peppers.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for your help! It is not. We usually just clean it out every so often and put it on the gardens. I'm buying some seeds from baker creek this year and I was planning on getting golden Marconi and lemon drop peppers. Got any tips for carrots? Lol. They never seem to grow either. Its kinda the same deal except no black spots. They only get an inch long and stop growing. I don't water the carrots as much as I did the peppers.

Make sure your chicken manure is composted before using Find a spot somewhere and spread out the manure and water it down with molasses or anything with a lot of sugar in it. Stale beer, coke, dr pepper, rc will all work. As for carrots. First of all what kind of soil do you have? Is it deep and soft or clay or rocky etc. There are different types of carrots for different types of soil. I think the hardest thing about planting carrots is sowing the seeds as to not get them too close together. Here is how I do it. First I spread a good layer of organic fertilizer on the planting bed and rake it in well, about 2 inches deep. Water the planting bed well. Then I get a bucket and put in 3 or 4 big handfulls of sand or something that you can see when it is on top of you planting bed. Put in about a half to 1 teaspoon of seeds and thoroughly mix it all up. Carrot seeds are tiny so a small amount of them goes a long way. It all depends on how big your planting bed is as to how many seeds you plant and how much sand to use. Stand upwind of your bed, grab a handful of the sand and seeds and broadcast the mix like you would pitch a softball, but don't do it when windy. You can see where the sand is so don't put anymore there. Try to get an even covering of sand on the wet planting bed. This will give an even distribution of seeds and will save a lot of time and energy thinning them. They should end up being about 2 inches apart after thinning. Next, pat down the sand and seeds so as to make good soil to seed contact. You don't have to bury the seeds but I like to sprinkle enough dirt on the sand as to barely make it disappear. Keep the bed damp with light spraying until they germinate and don't let the top layer of soil dry out. Carrots are heavy feeders so keep them damp, not wet, and keep them fed. I use a watering can with compost tea to keep mine fed and watered.

 

[Elitemittens]

Its deep and soft. Thanks!

 

[headfullofbees]

Does it matter that we've had success with hot peppers just not bell peppers?

To a small extent, yes.
If anything I'm more convinced it's unlikely to be a fungal problem, or disease at all.
What's the weather like in your area when the peppers fruit?

 

[Chuck]

To a small extent, yes.
If anything I'm more convinced it's unlikely to be a fungal problem, or disease at all.
What's the weather like in your area when the peppers fruit?

Me too

 

[Elitemittens]

Its usually sunny and warm and dry

 

[headfullofbees]

Do you buy your plants at the same place every year?

 

[Elitemittens]

Do you buy your plants at the same place every year?

No. We buy from two places.

 

[headfullofbees]

There's nothing can be done.
You're just going to have to give up growing them.

 

[Elitemittens]

We buy them from two local greenhouses. I was going to buy a pack of seeds this year instead of buying already started plants. Hopefully that would work.

 

[headfullofbees]

Why? Do you think it's possible that two suppliers' plants have the same problem every year?