Help ID Problem - Cayenne Pods Shriveling on Plant

NeedsWork

NeedsWork

Plants look great...
 
54E0C976-F002-40D0-B3FE-266F128F722B_zpsygtecftw.jpg

 
Still good...
 
C02EE055-7C94-4958-9300-93094A6499AE_zpsmqqmlj8y.jpg

 
 
Gah! What is wrong with my pods?!
 
91C59DF1-379D-4CB9-8BFA-CB341B68933A_zpsmo2zeeui.jpg

 
They start off pretty and green.
 
042BBBFC-198D-42AC-AEC0-8A9F58BD661D_zpsovdgernw.jpg

 
But it is all downhill from there.
 
2F447C9D-1801-4CE6-9DB3-987789385FF0_zpsj3mhmkjc.jpg

A01C8F45-FA4A-4006-9C59-6ADA9F9058C2_zpssz9o9xwd.jpg

F0E4D287-1650-4141-A285-1FEA19B4AD96_zpsfmtfsoab.jpg

 
I bought the seeds for all for impacted varieties from Burpee.  I'm not putting any blame on the supplier, I just find it a strange coincidence at this point.  
 

51925A

PEPPER HOT DRAGON CAYENNE

 

52829A

PEPPER HOT LARGE RED CAYENNE

 

62195A

PEPPER HOT CAYENNE HEIRLOOM
Hot Big Thai
 
It may also be effecting my Hangijao #5 which is also an annuum.  The jury is still out.
 
 
The soil isn't too dry or too damp. I can't find any pests.  Chinense's are doing fine.
 
 
Any thoughts?  Thanks!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Birds


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They won't touch green pods but as the change colour they are attracted to them and peck them . Once the hole opens , the pod rots


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Suggest you cut all the bad pods off and wrap netting or shade cloth around plant to keep animals / birds out, to rule that out as the problem


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Malarky said:
Cut one open? Bug holes?

 
Click to expand...
 
I cut open six peppers at all different stages.  I put them on a white cutting board without washing them.  I wasn't able to find any evidence of critters.  It appears to be dehydration that starts at the tip of the pod and works toward the stem.  The tips of the pods become leathery and difficult to cut before drying completely out.    
 
turbotvl said:
Birds


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They won't touch green pods but as the change colour they are attracted to them and peck them . Once the hole opens , the pod rots


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Suggest you cut all the bad pods off and wrap netting or shade cloth around plant to keep animals / birds out, to rule that out as the problem


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
Hmm I hadn't thought about the cause/effect of pecking.  I'm going to try that.  I might do a light coat of neem oil on one plant to diversify the experiment.  
 
 
 
Edit more pictures:
 
20189F8C-7682-4E09-80FB-806E3EB9CCB6_zps6xlaj8xx.jpg
  
41AF4797-C41D-43A5-89DE-413275578BA4_zpsevmjahka.jpg

66E57995-5852-44B6-8054-DC09E2D393B5_zpsebhjmc9z.jpg


mrgrowguy said:
Is it happening to the neighboring pepper plants, or just a single plant?
Click to expand...
 
Five cayenne plants on one side of the garden and two big thai plants on the opposite side.  The garden is maybe 12' wide. 
 
NeedsWork said:
 
Five cayenne plants on one side of the garden and two big thai plants on the opposite side.  The garden is maybe 12' wide. 
Click to expand...
 
How many of those are showing the shriveling symptoms? Or, is it just one plant?  Sorry, I see in the OP you mentioned which plants were affected.
 
 
OH, one more thought, do you happen to know either the PH of your soil or the PH of the water/feed you put into the soil?
 
.
 
mrgrowguy said:
 
How many of those are showing the shriveling symptoms? Or, is it just one plant?  Sorry, I see in the OP you mentioned which plants were affected.
 
 
OH, one more thought, do you happen to know either the PH of your soil or the PH of the water/feed you put into the soil?
 
.
Click to expand...
 
No worries, my OP was all over the place :D
 
As of tonight: 
 
My city tap water has a pH of ~7.
 
A test of soil soaked in tap water and then filtered generated a slightly alkaline result.  I'm not sure how much I believe this without using distilled water.    
 
I've only fed the plants once with FoxFarm Big Bloom.  Other than that, it's leaves and peat moss that I mixed in before planting.  
 
This tends to happen on the first lot of pods on Cayennes. Don't worry too much about it, things will improve as the plant matures. Happens to me all the time.
 
Also, there is a very short window from ripe/red to the natural shriveled appearance as pods dry out on the plant. It's best to harvest as soon as the pods turns red to avoid this.
 
Me, I often let them shrivel up on the plant and turn them into powder.
 
 
SR. 
 
austin87 said:
Any chance it's blossom end rot showing up a little differently? I'm fairly new to this but that's the only thing I could come up with.
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Hmm... I'll keep an eye out.  It could be a lack of calcium combined with dry/wet cycles.  The next round, I'll water in some leftover FoxFarm Tiger Bloom from earlier in the season.  The calcium in it should help if it is low in the soil.  If I remember, I'll start tossing some clean egg shells for long term help.
 
Shorerider said:
This tends to happen on the first lot of pods on Cayennes. Don't worry too much about it, things will improve as the plant matures. Happens to me all the time.
 
Also, there is a very short window from ripe/red to the natural shriveled appearance as pods dry out on the plant. It's best to harvest as soon as the pods turns red to avoid this.
 
Me, I often let them shrivel up on the plant and turn them into powder.
 
 
SR. 
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, that is reassuring!  We grow cayenne for the sole purpose of making powder.  We put it on everything.   :dance:
 
 
After checking for mold/critters, and cutting off any unripe bits, we made some on 5/30.  It turned out great, and they dried in half of the time.  
Some of said pods from 5/30:
pepeprs_zpsoxha1wge.jpg

 
 
Now I need to go find some bird netting.... 
 
i left some mature so long they started to looked like urs. pulled some red ones and left them on table 2 days later they started drying out as in ur pic. i now take them off when they green or as soon as they turn red
 
To close my story:
 
I picked all of the pods on all of the affected plants and made a deer resistant spray.  (Note to self, cook this outside next time.)    
 
9E6A096C-ACD5-4919-933D-667BB6B705B0_zpscpeowah6.jpg

 
 
Before I could implement any other solutions, I had to do a bunch of traveling for work.
 
When I returned the problem was gone.  It has been several weeks and it has not returned.  (knock on wood)  The weather really hasn't changed.  My garden is still weedy.  
 
As of now, the solution was: Pick every pod, ripe or not ripe.  Let the plants do their thing.     
 
Here is a shot from today:
4B1F49C5-5B38-4933-8B1F-44E233D38FED_zpsys2ky1u8.jpg

 
 
Thanks everyone for stopping by.  I appreciate you pepper people!    :cheers:
 
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