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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: <mary AT whitneysorchard.com>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Blushing Bell Peppers, last market!
  • Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 09:00:05 -0500

Two possibilities for the rot spots on the bell peppers.

1) Blossom End Rot. It's the same as on tomatoes but very dry. It'll develop
the same black sporulation on the surface but will be a dry patch, usually
near the basal end of the pepper. The answer to this problem is providing
water consistantly to the crop. It results from lack of water movement
through the plant. Calcium in the water fails to reach the rapidly
developing fruit tissue. The tissue can't develop properly without the
calcium, which is a fundamental building block so the tissue withers and
becomes the subject of saprophytic fungi, which normally only eat dead
tissue.

2) European Corn Borer. Especially near the end of the season when other
crops are less attractive, this insect will lay eggs on pepper plants. The
larvae which hatch out then crawl down to the fruit and burrow in just under
the edge of the calyx (stem cap). Once into the fruit, they feed, damaging
the fruit. The damaged tissue then becomes infected by soft rot bacteria,
which spread, creating rotting fruit. Smelly, messy, ugly. But you'll find
the small (about 1"x1/8") larvae inside.

These are two common possibilities. In your area, something else may prevail
as well.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Whitney <mary AT whitneysorchard.com>
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2003 11:06 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] Blushing Bell Peppers, last market!


>Our last market was today..yipppee!! and then tears..then yippee again! We
will continue the greenhouse for a short time as the boyscouts have some
bazaar we've been invited to sell at. Apples keep.. only one very mild
frost yet so the tomatos are still ok for now. We had eggplant, some
cucumbers and picklers, all out of the greenhouse. Our Striped German's
were the nicest we've had all year. Guess they like the cooler weather,
though the Brandywine and BrandyBoy almost stopped production all together..
>
>The west had a warm summer, and it still can't totally decide if it's gonna
be fall or not. A year ago next week it was 5 degrees one night!! That
wasn't usual for here thankfully! Killed almost all our strawberries and we
had to replant this spring. Seascape is a great everbearer!! Large berries
even in the hot weather we had.
>
>Our bell peppers had problems with year with rot spots. The Blushing Bells
were the worst, but some of the others weren't far behind. Any
suggestions???
>
>We are putting up a 24x96 hoop house with roll up sides. We'll see how
much earlier we can get to market that way.
>
>Mary Whitney
>
>--
>www.whitneysorchard.com
>SweetBriar Rabbits - Fryers available
>Growing the best Fruits and Vegetables, in and out of season
>
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