I don't know the actual translation for what is called "Blütenendfäule" in germany, so I tryed google translator which said "blossom end rot" would fit... I'm pretty sure that isn't correct, but anyways...
I wrote an article on that topic on a german facebook group and got very positive feedback, so I thought, I'd share it here, too, as it might be usefull to some of you.
"Blossom end rot" (BER) looks like this: https://www.google.de/search?q=bl%C3%BCtenendf%C3%A4ule&biw=1640&bih=1052&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=e2ujVY-UCsPkyAP7-YP4BA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
It's caused by a shortage of calcium affecting the plant. So if chilis (or tomatoes) are getting brown and squishy at the lower end, it's a good chance, that your plant has BER.
Since this is no real disease, there's no reason to separate the affectet plants from the others, neither you'll have to be concerned about the BER taking over on other pods/fruits of the same plants - as long as you fight the reason for the BER. Anyway, it's good to remove affected pods/fruits, so that the plant would no longer waste calcium on the "lost" fruits.
The problem itself is a metabolic one. Calcium in it's natural exist as calciumcarbonate is pretty hard for the plants to transportate. Only in good (not overly, but regularly) watered soil, calciumcarbonate can be taken by the plant. another factor on this is the ph-level of the soil - below 5 (sour) it's a problem, cause Ca is bound, above 8 all the other nutritions aren't available to the plant anymore.
BER is mostly observed on plants either having too small pots and/or after some very hot dry-periods (which must not last long).
The small pots are a problem, since the root-system of the plants is (in nature) at minimum as big as the plants "crown". If the pot is to small, roots will continue growing anyway. since they don't know where to stop, they somewhen hit the walls of the pot and beginn to grow around - like rings. Roots only get to take nutritions at their first few centimeters - so if they're pretty much out of the soil, metabolism and nutrition-exchange with the soil won't be that easy. If it's just hot, the plant takes unusual amounts of water, leaving the soil dry - since calciumcarbonate has to be in a watery enviroment to be usefull for the plant, there'll be some point, when it'll get a shortage.
Another reason BER can be observed is, when calcium is washed out of the soil and ph-levels are dropping to sour. This can be due "to extensive" watering (letting water just flow until it runs out of the pot...) and due to "sour" rain-water.
So basically to prevent BER, first, your pots should have some fair size (air-pots are an alternative), and your watering should be of regularly and thoughtful kind.
To fix the Problem, you can either add lime (as in form of CaO or CaHO) or calcium nitrate, which has nitrate as positve nutrition-side effect. Adding calciumcarbonate might be an option, too - but it won't be as effective, since it's not directly available to the plant.
If you plan to add lime or calclium nitrate, 1-2g per 10-20 Liter of soil would be a reasonable (pretty safe) amount. when using nitrate, be sure to have your nutrition right - most fertilizers will come with high amounts of nitrate, too. ;-)
I hope you can understand my creepy english - and I even more hope, this text helps.
I wrote an article on that topic on a german facebook group and got very positive feedback, so I thought, I'd share it here, too, as it might be usefull to some of you.
"Blossom end rot" (BER) looks like this: https://www.google.de/search?q=bl%C3%BCtenendf%C3%A4ule&biw=1640&bih=1052&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=e2ujVY-UCsPkyAP7-YP4BA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
It's caused by a shortage of calcium affecting the plant. So if chilis (or tomatoes) are getting brown and squishy at the lower end, it's a good chance, that your plant has BER.
Since this is no real disease, there's no reason to separate the affectet plants from the others, neither you'll have to be concerned about the BER taking over on other pods/fruits of the same plants - as long as you fight the reason for the BER. Anyway, it's good to remove affected pods/fruits, so that the plant would no longer waste calcium on the "lost" fruits.
The problem itself is a metabolic one. Calcium in it's natural exist as calciumcarbonate is pretty hard for the plants to transportate. Only in good (not overly, but regularly) watered soil, calciumcarbonate can be taken by the plant. another factor on this is the ph-level of the soil - below 5 (sour) it's a problem, cause Ca is bound, above 8 all the other nutritions aren't available to the plant anymore.
BER is mostly observed on plants either having too small pots and/or after some very hot dry-periods (which must not last long).
The small pots are a problem, since the root-system of the plants is (in nature) at minimum as big as the plants "crown". If the pot is to small, roots will continue growing anyway. since they don't know where to stop, they somewhen hit the walls of the pot and beginn to grow around - like rings. Roots only get to take nutritions at their first few centimeters - so if they're pretty much out of the soil, metabolism and nutrition-exchange with the soil won't be that easy. If it's just hot, the plant takes unusual amounts of water, leaving the soil dry - since calciumcarbonate has to be in a watery enviroment to be usefull for the plant, there'll be some point, when it'll get a shortage.
Another reason BER can be observed is, when calcium is washed out of the soil and ph-levels are dropping to sour. This can be due "to extensive" watering (letting water just flow until it runs out of the pot...) and due to "sour" rain-water.
So basically to prevent BER, first, your pots should have some fair size (air-pots are an alternative), and your watering should be of regularly and thoughtful kind.
To fix the Problem, you can either add lime (as in form of CaO or CaHO) or calcium nitrate, which has nitrate as positve nutrition-side effect. Adding calciumcarbonate might be an option, too - but it won't be as effective, since it's not directly available to the plant.
If you plan to add lime or calclium nitrate, 1-2g per 10-20 Liter of soil would be a reasonable (pretty safe) amount. when using nitrate, be sure to have your nutrition right - most fertilizers will come with high amounts of nitrate, too. ;-)
I hope you can understand my creepy english - and I even more hope, this text helps.
