Why Are The fruits On My Peppers Poorly Developed?

Are the fruits of your peppers misshapen?

Were the temperatures in your area unusually hot (over 85°F) or unusually cool (below 60°F)?

Is the ripening fruit blotchy and are there visible maggots on the plants?

Does the fruit have dark-brown, raised, wartlike spots on it?

Does the fruit have faded or gray-white, sunken patches or pits?

Did the temperature drop below 37°F?

Does the fruit have water-soaked, sunken areas at the blossom end?

Does the fruit have water-soaked areas near the stem and the entire fruit collapses into a slimy mess?

Does the fruit have concentrically ringed, sunken spots?

Temperatures over 85°F or below 60°F can damage flowers of peppers and prevent complete pollination. The result is lopsided and deformed fruit that ripens evenly.

Pepper maggots cause blotchy ripening fruit. Adults are small yellow-and-brown flies. Destroy infested fruit. Other symptoms may show fruits with small, rotten spots or shallow depressions. Spray plants with pyrethrin when they begin to set fruit and repeat if damage occurs and you have had severe problems in the past.

If ripening fruit is blotchy but no maggot feeding is found, the plants may have a viral disease. Viral diseases are incurable. Destroy all infected plants. Control aphids and leafhoppers as they often carry viruses.

Disease bacterial spot causes dark-brown, raised, wartlike spots on pepper fruits. Spray infected plants with copper to prevent the development of further symptoms. Infected fruits are edible if they are not rotted.

Pepper fruits are damaged by temperatures below 37°F and develop small, sunken pits or large, discolored areas. Cover plants with row cover if temperatures near freezing are predicted.

Green or ripe fruit can be sunscalded. Damage shows up as a large, sunken patch on the exposed side. Patches turn dry and may develop black mold. Control leaf diseases to prevent defoliation. The fruit should be shaded and protected from direct sun.

These symptoms usually indicate Blossom end rot. This condition is due to calcium deficiency in the fruit. Prevent problems by keeping the soil evenly moist and by spraying plants with seaweed extract when the first flowers open and again when green fruit is visible.

Your peppers are suffering from Bacterial soft rot. Pick fruit as soon as water-soaked areas appear, and discard soft portions. Destroy rotted fruit. Prevent problems by controlling insect damage, staking and spacing plants so they dry out rapidly and mulching to prevent soilborne bacteria from splashing up on plants during watering.

These symptoms often indicate the fungal disease - Antrachnose. Destroy infected fruit. Spray fruit with copper when they are almost full-size and begin to feel solid if you have had problems in the past.

European corn borers and Corn earworms often attack peppers and cause the fruit to color prematurely. Small holes and sawdust-like material can be visible near stems. Once caterpillars are feeding in fruit, it is too late to control them by spraying. Pick and use or destroy infested fruit. Spray BTK it they haven't entered inside the fruit.