Gardening & Landscaping Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gardeners and landscapers. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Some of my bell peppers have rotting spots that look like blossom end rot, but in each case, the rotten spot is high on the side of the pepper, nearer the stem than the end. Could this be blossom end rot? Or is it some other problem?
The weather has been perfect for causing blossom end rot (hot and dry, followed by days of heavy rain).
Update: See photo.
It definitely isn't blossom end rot, although once rot has set in, you could be forgiven for wondering if it is! If the affected areas on the fruits all face the same direction, and from your description of weather conditions, the most likely causal explanation is sunscald or sunburn. If the plants have a good leaf canopy and most of the fruits are shaded by the leaves, then sunburn is less likely. Heavy rain can cause the fruits to grow more quickly, which renders them even more susceptible to sunscald during very hot,sunny weather. The rot you see doesn't always happen, but often a patch of serious sunburn will start to rot. Shading during the middle of the day when temperatures are high and the sunlight is strong should help to alleviate the problem. More info here http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/hot_and_sunny_days_promote_sunscald_in_peppers_and_other_vegetables
