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

Blossom end rot is mostly common in tomatoes, which seems to affect certain types more (Roma, San Marzano ...my experience). But Calcium deficiency seems to be a hypothesis. I read a lot a lot of discussions (here on GW) that IT IS NOT really CALIUM DEFICIENCY BUT PLANTS" INABILITY TO TAKE IT AND DISTRIBUTE IT properly. The common consensus is that irregular watering (from too much to too little, from too wet to dry ..) is to blame. Normally, calcium is one of the abundant elements in most soils(NOT talking about soiless potting mix). Calcium can exist in many chemical compositions that some are not readily available to plants. It is also most common soil sweetner(in Lime, gypsum, ...) IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING that ROTTING is the outcome of bacterial action(fermentation, infection ...) Most bacteria grow and thrive in moist environment where also the air is stagnant. it is also a fact that MOST(not all) BACTERIA CANNOT SURVIVE AND MULTIPLY IN ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT. So, then it is more likely that roting starts in an environment of prolonged wetness, and where the environment is also alkaline. When I weigh all of these, I can say that growing atmospheric environment is also crucial, in addition to the soil chemistry. I would take the following precautions: 1- keep the plants reasonably pruned near the ground, to prevent wetness, to provide air circulation. 2- Always water my pepper plants, tomatoes during the day(preferably early in the morning) so that it will have a better chance dry up fast. But then we cannot do anything about rain and wet weather 3- Avoid sprinkler/spray watering . Because if pepper fruits are dry, there will be a less chance for rotting. In effect, in lieu of knowing the actual causes, all we can do is try to improve our odds. This post was edited by seysonn on Tue, Jul 16, 13 at 4:14

Hi Capoman, I'm trying not to blame the peppers! :-) I'm a pepper (and gardening) newbie, so my first instinct would be to blame myself . . . but my other peppers are doing great. I'm in East TN (Zone 7a), and all of my peppers (9 plants) are growing in a 4x8 foot raised garden bed in a mix of topsoil and compost. I have fertilized with a slow-release synthetic, as well as alfalfa meal and fish emulsion. The cayenne lives between a jalapeno plant that has done well (I haven't had the patience to wait for them to ripen, though), a Big Bertha bell that has been slow but given me some nice peppers, and a habanero that is producing ripe fruit like mad. I will say, if it matters, that I sustained some frost damage a couple of weeks after planting, and growth was stunted in all 9 plants. But they all responded and took off in June, and have looked very healthy ever since. None of the others have shown any signs of disease or stress. Thanks for any input.

containerted - that's not BER, that's fruit abortion from inadequate pollination. badlydrawndee - I had a problem with BER, but resolved the issue by moving the plant to a bigger pot and providing it with a source of calcium. If you will review the BER FAQ here or the many discussions about it, you'll find that while moving to a bigger pot was likely a great thing for your plant, the disappearance of the BER was coincidental. ;) BER is not caused by a lack of soil calcium but by inconsistent soil moisture levels - too much or too little - that interferes with the plants ability to move the existing calcium to the fruit at the proper time as it develops. And BER is a problem for many this year because of the weird weather, heavy rains, etc. Your BER will disappear just as it did last year, once the weather settles and the plant matures. I have linked many of the discussions currently going on here for your review below. As to the early ripening fruit - no, the symptoms are not related and no neither is a sign of some serious problem. It happens normally, again in response to coincidental weather at the time the bloom is pollinated. It is not a problem. You don't tell us the variety name or whether it is a determinate or an indeterminate or what size container you are using and we need to know that info. It would also be helpful to know how much and how often you water and what and how much you have fed the plant? What container mix are you using? All of those factors can affect the health of your plant. Meanwhile you'll just have to wait out the BER like the rest of us. Be patient. ;) Dave Here is a link that might be useful: BER Discussions