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Too much rain - Too much green

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Heard Ohio has been getting pounded for months.  We've had it since the start of July.  Pounding rain almost every day, lots of thunder too.  Peppers are in raised rows, on a slope, with run off trenches going to the ponds behind them.  So not talking swamp, but the beds dont have time to dry out between rains.

Currently, growth is fine except for some chocolate scorpions that are planted in a new section.  Still too much clay in that soil.  When opening a new section, each year it gets better as I flip the row and amend the soil.  Even there, growth is not horrible it is just slow and the plants do not look very vigorous sitting in all that damp.

The result seems to be that things are slow to ripen.  Pods continue to grow, but remain green.  Having to stake the hell out of things this year to keep them from falling over under all that weight.  Not all varieties, but enough to keep me busy.

Have never had a season like this, one with weeks of near constant rain.  Is this normal?  If it keeps up, what can I expect? 

Not complaining.  We bought our property on top of a ridge in part in case of weather like this.  Feel bad for anyone in the flats.  Just curious about what to expect if the angels keep pissing off the side of their clouds.  Must be a party up there.
 
Dang aj, please send that rain to So. Cal man :p

This place is going to be one big fire soon!
We are supposed to be getting another "El Nino" pattern again where California gets hammered from the warming Pacific.
I ain't holding my breath.
 
I'm in Louisville, and was commenting today that it seems like it has been raining/chance of rain for the last 5 weeks.

My peppers need some good sunshine for a change
 
I am the Pepper Daemon.
 
I had a situation like you describe growing a couple of years ago. It rained or stayed wet for about 3 weeks. The peppers did not have a chance to dry out enough. A few different things happened because of the constant rain/wetness. Many of the peppers developed small black spots on the skins of the peppers. I don't think this was a disease, but it certainly made me hesitant to eat the peppers. In addition to the small black spots on many pods, a few of the pepper plants began to develop diseases on the leaves - only a couple of the plants eventually perished due to the disease(s) - the rest came back. Another thing that happened was the dirt around the peppers got green with algea and in some spots white with mold. Also, many of the pepper plant's leaves got yellow splotches from overwatering on them. A couple of purple bell peppers eventually developed what I assume was blossom end rot.
 
However, despite the fact that things were looking very bad in Pepper Daemon's pepper garden at the end of the 3 straight weeks of rain and wetness, three fourths of the pepper plants bounced back when it dried out again and eventually produced a lot of good peppers.
 
Our rain spell was in May. By July all was happy and goodness again in the Pepper Daemon's pepper jungle, except for a couple of purple bell peppers that did not do well (fruits rotted from the inside sometimes) and two yellow bell peppers that would not stop producing bell peppers covered in black spots on the skin. So, out of 8 pepper plants that year 2 perished due to the rain (but it took them 3 months to fully perish) and 2 more were strongly effected for the rest of the season (all pods had black spots).
 
In the Seattle area it rains a lot, particularly in Sept/Oct. When this happens, most of the peppers I grow develop tiny black spots that are not necessarily diseases but just reactions to too much rain. I would guess you might see this happen to your peppers.
 
Speaking for Cincinnati, it has been nothing but rain.
I WISH we'd only had 3 weeks worth.
The storm that blew through here on Monday with 70mph winds did a # on my 32 plants. I had at least 14+ planters blown over as well as most of those plants uprooted with the soaked soggy conditions. Tons of green pods also meant a lot of snapped of branches. All my plants had to be restaked or caged as a result. I was /am more mad at that than losing our $350 giant offset patio umbrella in the storm.
You should have seen me out there shakint my fist at the sky & cursing... Smh
I'd be a bit worried about developing tiny black spots on my pods. Espescially if they develop only after wet soggy conditions.
 
stoney's_ghost said:
Dang aj, please send that rain to So. Cal man :P

This place is going to be one big fire soon!
We are supposed to be getting another "El Nino" pattern again where California gets hammered from the warming Pacific.
I ain't holding my breath.
Click to expand...
Was just telling my husband today that I would love to send some your way (CA).  It didn't rain today, but we still had the fast moving black clouds.  It was definitely threatening rain...  At least it has been drying somewhat quick on my patio.  Haven't watered anything in over a month.  Certainly makes life easier, although some sun would be nice.
 
If you send me a plane ticket I can bring the rain.  Every time I go to Vegas it floods.   People looked at me like I was from mars when I kidded that Pittsburghers always take the rain with them.   My daughter once moved to a temperate area that rarely sees snow and they got MANY 3-4 foot blizzards.  :P  She moved away and it stopped.
 
As far as rain goes in Ca.
We need it now,BUT I finnally beleive that we'll get El Nino this time.
It's already humid as heck here in the San Fernando Valley.
Not anywhere near as hot as the last 5+ years when it was 90 at Christmas and dry as a bone.
Last few years,by May it was 90-100 degrees and dry.
 
This looks to me like the early 80's when it rained everyday for an hour or so and was hot and humid after that.
I was a painter,we couldn't put up the paint because of the daily rain in the afternoon.We couldn't make any $,we had a ton of houses preped but couldn't finnish them.
Water based paint could only be put up after the rain...
Instead of spraying a couple houses at a time in a day,we got 1 done a day.
I think,hope El Nino kicks in.I'll be catching Stripers all winter (usually El Nino seems to start in Sept. +/-).
I work nights now,I can fish all day. YEE HAA! Bring on El Nino!
I won't have to water my pots.I'd love it.
 
I'm REALLY sorry to hear about other places getting screwed though.
I hope those People figure out a way out of living with too much rain.
 
The news shows a LOT of people getting flooded and going through some VERY hard times,not to mention the Tornado stuff.
 
Best wishes to those that nature is screwing with.
 
Maybe we should start a PEPPER RELIEF FUND after harvest for those in need. :)
 
I belong to a fishing site that after 911,we sent fish to N.Y. fire fighters(anyone in need),it was called Fish for America.
 
We fed a LOT of people.
Everything was donated-shipping thousands of LBS. of FRESH fish to the powers that be to spread around,for several months.
 
I'm not saying peppers are even in the same ballpark.
 
When your house is treading water,peppers don't matter.
 
I'm thinking it might be cool to send a box of pods to some one who JUST lost their garden to rain and they have a short season-so they can't start again.
I know what I was like after all my plants died when I was in the hospital,and then screwed up from Chemo for 6months.
(JUDY GOT ME THROUGH THAT TIME WITH HER POWDERS.)
An oz. or 2 of powder or dry pods might be cool or whatever.
Just help out giving some person in need an attitude adjustment after dealing with their garden getting rained out.
 
Don't know how to weed out the internet users though,This site is a LOT bigger than Allcoast was.
Things were different back then,Alcoasters all knew each other.
Heck I sent Lbs. of smoked stuff to people at times.They drove out of their way to fill my freezer with fish when I couldn't get out.
Different times I guess.
We fished together on charters etc.
I wouldn't know how to start a Care package thing to be cool these days.
Been burned too many times Especially during Chemo.I had Tons of people stopping by to get free stuff(I was told Chemo wasn't working at 1 time).Most stuff I needed to get rid of anyway,BUT some stuff I wanted 10 cents on a buck for or?
OOPPS,I didn't bring enough $....They never paid me for the stuff they owed for,that we agreed on earlier-that they got stuff Also I didn't want anything for.
 
What I'm saying is IF some one wants to set up a care package thing for the people who get over watered gardens,I'll contribute.
Might be something cool to do.
BUT THEY have to weed out the users that live in a/the desert that say their garden got rained out. LOL
 
OH NO,I just pissed of a few people who complain about my rambling writing style. TOO BAD. LOL
Crap,I work from 5pm - 8-10 AM.
I get bored. LOL
 
Yep, here in Maryland it's been a wet year too. I think I have only had to water my plants twice and that was back in May when we had days hitting close to 100 degrees.
 
-Alden
 
Verdade said:
I'm in Louisville, and was commenting today that it seems like it has been raining/chance of rain for the last 5 weeks.

My peppers need some good sunshine for a change
Click to expand...
THP seems to be collecting a bunch of members from KY.  Maybe soon we can get a KY get together going.  I will bring the snorkels and flippers.
 
Aden, same here.  Had to water the hell out of them to get them established.  Ponds ran dry for the first time in years.  No rain for about a month.  Then the clouds opened up and started dumping.  We are not usually so fickle.
 
All the CA folk, I am so very sorry for what is happening out west.  Have been adapting our land and gardens to the weather here year by year, storing more and more water, raising beds higher and higher, trying to be able to change with the crazy seasons.  I can not imagine trying to adapt to what you guys are experiencing.  If I had to buy my water, I would be out of business.
 
Thanks for the thoughts aj :)
Yeah, we need the rain desperately here in CA.
In the mean time, I water my plants as needed. Not worried about the water police..yet!
 
PepperDaemon said:
I am the Pepper Daemon.
Click to expand...
Nice to meet you Pepper Daemon. 
I am the Pepper Hippie.
Wait, I am a hillbilly hippie... maybe I am the Pepper HIpbilly?  Hillppie?  Hipper Billy?
 
Columbus had been getting pounder with rain as well. My garden is a mud pit in between raised rows. Hopefully this monsoon season will end soon...
 
smokemaster said:
 
Maybe we should start a PEPPER RELIEF FUND after harvest for those in need. :)
 
Click to expand...
 
Obviously you are not familiar with the effects of too much rain there in CA. :D   Right now I have the amazon in my back yard.  I have to whip my gardens into submission (besides my 1 hill garden) .  We hoisted my tomatoes and cucumbers to the right so they would not shade the stuff on the left.  Leaned them towards my quince bush.  And on a daily basis I tuck and untie and tie things over and over again,  My husband rips up shirts on a regular basis so I can tie the bastards up.  I likely have many many many thousands of peppers right now.  Our big problem though is heat in the milder peppers  My hot ones have been fine,
 
Oh and the tomatoes?  I counted 200 (suspected cherry tomatoes) on 1 plant (never fertilized) alone and stopped counting.  And that is just the RUNT plant the birds planted in my rose garden.   You can't count anything on tomato plants the size of a small mountain.  Which also have cucumbers vines flowing all throughout.   Egads I may never find all my cucumbers until winter.  LOL...   I have over 20 various tomato plants.  Oh my....  I wasn't counting on such a bumper ciop.
 
Amazon...  I am not kidding...  No one will ever see pictures of this it is so embarrassing.  Just mountains of green stuff intertwined.  And I never fertilized this garden after the initial sprinkling when  planted,  In fact it was grass back in may.  I haven't used that garden since 1990.
 
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