Planatus, I think a number of people on the Hot Pepper forum would disagree with your statement about the first year being the most productive year for pepper plants. Many of them claim better production on the second year, if my memory serves me correctly. Yume, I would suggest reading some of the threads on the Hot Pepper Forum about overwintering peppers inside, they usually clip off the pods and let the plants rest without the burden of trying to produce fruit during the low light conditions of winter. Anyway, are these spots on green fruit as well as ripe fruit? Do you have the plants under any additional lights or are they just on a windowsill? Are they very close to a cold window or a hot heating vent? Are you watering too often? Something about the pocture just makes me feel like the plant is struggling in sub-prime conditions and that is being reflected in the fruit.

Most (better than 8 out of 10) of those affected pepper on that link are not BER. victims. Yeah I guess you could say that since 8 out of 10 of the pics aren't even of peppers. But the pics that are of peppers was the point and they are pics of BER on peppers. Bacteria? Sure. That's how BER works - a damaged portion of the fruit is created by the mal-distribution of calcium in the fruit and bacteria invade the damaged area causing the discoloration and rot. That doesn't mean it isn't BER. Just as all varieties of tomatoes are subject to BER given the right conditions, so are all varieties of peppers. There is ample credible info available about BER. Unfortunately there is also a ton of highly INaccurate, anecdotal info about it available. One has to evaluate the credibility of the source of the info when it comes to understanding its symptoms, its causes, and its controls. The only reason I say the BER or sunscalded fruit isn't salvageable is that many find the taste affected, off, bitter, etc. if it tastes fine to you by all means use it. Dave

http://img300.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pepp2ij0.jpg

That's just peppers getting ripe and drying out. It's normal this time of year. The second one looks like something took a bite out of it. This is the time of year you replant peppers, but I've had luck with some by cutting them back by half and fertilizing them. Calcium won't hurt them, but I think they just need a good trim and fertilzation. I have a cayenne I'm about to do that with. You can use that dried pepper's seeds to plant more.