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I've heard some people feed their squirrels sunflower seeds intentionally so that they avoid touching their more precious stuff. If you can resist hiding in the bushes with a spray hose...
I harvested about 6 bell peppers and yesterday the plant had about 5 more. This morning the tops are eaten off the entire plant and the fruits are all damaged. IF it wasn't in an enclose yard I would swear a deer got it. Some seem to be sun scalded, but I think it is blossom end rot, so out with the plant now!!. So bummed. I am concerned about my tomatoes now as they are plentiful BUT, not redding up to any great degree. I am wondering if it is a calcium deficiency.
I harvested about 6 bell peppers and yesterday the plant had about 5 more. This morning the tops are eaten off the entire plant and the fruits are all damaged. IF it wasn't in an enclose yard I would swear a deer got it. Some seem to be sun scalded, but I think it is blossom end rot, so out with the plant now!!. So bummed. I am concerned about my tomatoes now as they are plentiful BUT, not redding up to any great degree. I am wondering if it is a calcium deficiency.
Blossom end rot is more often caused by inconsistent watering than by a true calcium deficiency. Did you have any dry stretches when your peppers were setting fruit? It's not reason to pull the plant in any case, just because one set of fruits had blossom end rot, doesn't mean future fruits will, you just need to make sure you water them during dry stretches going forward. Last year I had blossom end rot on one cluster of tomatoes (~6oz Mountain Merit variety), but then had 5 lbs of perfectly nice fruits on the later clusters.
What pepper variety are you growing that you have 11 bell peppers on one plant? Most bell peppers have much lower yields than that, unless they're overwintered plants on their 2nd year.
I harvested about 6 bell peppers and yesterday the plant had about 5 more. This morning the tops are eaten off the entire plant and the fruits are all damaged. IF it wasn't in an enclose yard I would swear a deer got it. Some seem to be sun scalded, but I think it is blossom end rot, so out with the plant now!!. So bummed. I am concerned about my tomatoes now as they are plentiful BUT, not redding up to any great degree. I am wondering if it is a calcium deficiency.
At work, I heard another person from our area making the exact same complaint about tomatoes not turning red. I had the same problem and we discussed wildfire smoke/smog, more rain and less sun, and temperatures all over the map.
Then we had a flood in my town and when the waters receded, all my still-green tomatoes sprouted fuzzy white mold and that was that.
At work, I heard another person from our area making the exact same complaint about tomatoes not turning red. I had the same problem and we discussed wildfire smoke/smog, more rain and less sun, and temperatures all over the map.
Then we had a flood in my town and when the waters receded, all my still-green tomatoes sprouted fuzzy white mold and that was that.
Not a good gardening year.
I have a lot of varieties of peppers that are turning red now. Shepherd, Roulette (habanada), Shishi-to, Pepperoncini, Orange You Sweet (a pimiento type), Cherry, Targu Mures (hot chinense type), Holy Italian, Chocolate Cake, Criola de Cocina, Stuffing Scotch Bonnet are all starting to blush, if not already fully red (or orange or brown, if that's how the variety ripens).
I've also gotten ripe fruits from both my cherry tomato varieties. Big tomatoes not yet, but that's typical - they normally ripen in early-mid August.
This is in Zone 5 outside of Toronto, so it's been quite a bit cooler than in the NYC area, and about equally smokey (I think).
I harvested about 6 bell peppers and yesterday the plant had about 5 more. This morning the tops are eaten off the entire plant and the fruits are all damaged. IF it wasn't in an enclose yard I would swear a deer got it. Some seem to be sun scalded, but I think it is blossom end rot, so out with the plant now!!. So bummed. I am concerned about my tomatoes now as they are plentiful BUT, not redding up to any great degree. I am wondering if it is a calcium deficiency.
Quote:
Originally Posted by memph
Blossom end rot is more often caused by inconsistent watering than by a true calcium deficiency. .
I agree with this. When I changed my watering habits the BER issue stopped. Haven't had BER in years. Also been adding compost to garden in Fall and feeding in spring so its been getting good nutrients.
BER is because the plant isn't absorbing nutrients, especially Calcium.
Memph & Cam, I have physically watered daily at the same time so that is not it. It was (already pulled) in a very sunny location sun from noonish - 4 so it does have a tendency to get dry and need watering. The only thing I can think of is that we have had some downpours and mean downpours and possibly I am misjudging when to skip the watering for a day due to the heavy rain.
It is the only spot I can grow veggies so there is that sun factor that I always struggle with.
Re: Last year I got maybe 5 small peppers. Bonnie Bell pepper. No idea what so many this year, but the ones I got were nice size this year except for the ones I pulled before trashing the plant yesterday. I know it was drastic but there were no more flowers and I thought compared to last year this was a bonanza.
Thunderstorm dropped beneficial rains on the garden. 1/4" rain fell. 67°F at 5pm on July 25th. Awesome. Heat wave coming after today though.
A few pepper plant varieties. A look at both the plant itself and the pepper
Here are the ones I harvested today and we'll look at
Red Marconi. Interesting how the one on the left is shortest and the one on the right is tallest.
Sh-ish-ito Sweet.
Dr Martin Carrot Red
Serrano Purple
Banana
Naga Jaloki
I'll have some more once they ripen
I like banana, bell and jalapeños because the flesh is crunchy and skin is tender. Better for stir fry and fresh salsa and salads. Are any of these varieties like that?
My garden is pepper heaven. Always get great yields froze a lot of them whole last year and that worked well. but looking for new varieties.
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