When growing on the site of pepper, gardeners often face the problem of the appearance of black spots on the fruits and leaves.
Causes of blackening peppers
Among the causes of blackening are the defeat of viral and fungal diseases, severe temperature changes, and the invasion of pests.
Fungal diseases
The most common fungal diseases are:
- Alternaria - manifests itself with dark brown and black spots, first on the lower leaves, then on the fruits and stems. The fungus grows after heavy rains and very hot weather. Affected pepper bushes die.
- Phytophthora - affects nightshade crops, so there is a high probability of infection of peppers from neighboring crops: tomatoes, potatoes. The spots are black with a whitish coating. The provoking factors include irrigation with ice water and close planting of bushes, which prevents ventilation.
- Fusarium - affects the vascular system of the plant and promotes decay of roots and fruits. The causative agent is activated by increased soil acidity or moisture stagnation, an excess of chlorine in the soil and insufficient watering.
- Black rot - the fungus destroys the fruits, sometimes the stems and leaves, the root of the plant is not damaged. The bush can be saved by arranging treatment and removing the damaged fruit. Risk factors: high humidity and small distance between bushes.
- Sclerotiniasis - the fungus damages the stems and fruits, covering them with a film. Such bushes must be removed. The disease is promoted by humidity over 85% and air temperature below +20 ° C.
Viral diseases
A dangerous viral disease is apical rot - it occurs with a calcium deficiency and an excess of nitrogen. The affected areas on the peppers dry out and flow into the fruit. A risk factor is irregular watering.
Sudden temperature changes
Pepper does not tolerate cold and temperature extremes. A sudden cold snap does not allow the root system to receive nutrients from the soil, and the plant feeds on fruits and leaves. Because of this, the stems and fruits turn black.
Invasion of pests
Insect pests cause great damage to the pepper crop. Among them sucking juices - aphids, whitefly larvae and spider mites and a bear that damages the root system.
Control methods
There are various methods of dealing with blackening of peppers. It is important to correctly determine the cause of the disease.
In the fight against viral and fungal diseases, the following are effectively used:
- Biologicals.
- Chemicals - fungicides.
- Folk remedies: spraying with a solution of laundry soap, potassium permanganate, herbal infusions.
- Agrotechnical techniques: removing infected seedlings, using warm water for irrigation, loosening the soil, drying the soil with sand and ash, observing crop rotation.
In the fight against sudden temperature changes for peppers in open ground, it is advisable to use a covering material. For greenhouse plants, avoid condensation of air on the walls of the greenhouse.
In the fight against the invasion of insect pests, the following measures are effective:
- Planting next to "good" neighbors - dill, coriander, caraway seeds. They attract the ladybug, the natural enemy of aphids.
- Chemicals.
- Pharmacy products: iodine, boric acid solution, tar soap.
- Folk remedies: dusting with ash, spraying with infusions of salt, burdock, onion husks, mustard.
To preserve the harvest of pepper, it is important to monitor the bushes, timely detect and remove infected fruits and leaves, and correctly determine the cause of the disease. This will allow taking effective control measures and preserving the harvest.
Read also: The perfect selection for your flower garden: these plants are the most tenacious
Friends, do not forget to subscribe to the channel and LIKE if the article is useful!