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Hi. I have various sweet peppers in my polytunnel, and all plants look in reasonable condition and have lots of fruits of various sizes on them. However, lots of the fruits get small holes in them, and often then turn brown and start to rot. Some of them get black or brown marks on the skin as they start to change colour, and sometimes go on to rot. I did find an earwig inside one today - do earwigs eat peppers?? If so, is there anything I can do to get rid of them (preferably not spaying with something toxic)? I do water regularly but maybe I'm not giving them enough? I'll be really disappointed if all those lovely peppers rot away before we've managed to sample them...
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sigpicGardening in France rocks! -
blossom end rot? -
I don't 'think' so Martin - the holes look like something an insect or whatever has made, and the brown patches aren't at the bottom or top, but spreading around the sides.sigpicGardening in France rocks!Comment
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Have also found little holes in peppers with earwigs inside healthy fruit.
Equally, have seen fruit turn brown and slimy, looks like something fungal so hopefully there will be someone along with an answer soon.Are y'oroight booy?Comment
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The holes in the fruit will be caused by pests, probably caterpillars.
The rotting is caused by a combination of the damage and fungal infection.
You need to increase the ventilation so the air inside the tunnel is not so still and humid.Comment
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I've had the problem with peppers turning brown and the patch spreading. I don't think I got an answer for it, other than a possibility of scorch. As for the insects, well not much to do about that. You Generally lose a few to the blighters. Apparently a good way of catching earwigs is to leave a pot full of straw or grass upside down and they'll gather inside it for a nap. You can then dispose of them as you see fit.Comment
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I've had the rotting without the holes though, so may not be connected.Comment
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I didn't know caterpillars ate through pepper fruits?? What kind of butterflies are they from? Naughty things... there's no damage to the leaves, only the fruits.Originally posted by rustylady View Post
I don't know how to increase ventilation RL - it's a 30' long tunnel, but has double doors at both ends permanently propped open, and a netting skirt all along one side. There's nothing else I can open really, so I guess I have to find out what's causing the damage so the fungal infection can't get in ...Last edited by kathyd; 30-07-2013, 07:31 AM.sigpicGardening in France rocks!Comment
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Some of mine the same SL - I'm assuming 2 different problems. Can't help the humidity problem, but would love to find out what's causing the holes...Originally posted by Shadylane View PostsigpicGardening in France rocks!Comment
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Does the rot look like this? Mine do although they start off darker than that. Doesn't sound like ventilation problems, if you've got both doors open and vents round the side too. Maybe a bit of shading would help and keep them well watered. I've only had one this year, but a couple of years ago nearly every one was rotting. I didn't water them as much so could have been that.
As for the holes, could it be slugs? Try some beer traps maybe.Last edited by Shadylane; 30-07-2013, 08:36 AM.Comment
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Thx, useful linkOriginally posted by Shadylane View Post
. Some of the rotting bits have looked like that, and some more like the one described as bacterial soft rot, which is interestingly associated with insect damage. So controlling the pests is the way forward with that one... might be slugs but the holes look wrong, and I've had pellets down too. I'll break some more open and see what I find.
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