Pepper Picker? Not Us, Sadly

By Michael Buck and Michelle Pittman

Lately, it seems as if there is a chorus of sad trombones hovering over our green pepper plants. Sagging, drooping, wilting and otherwise miserable aren’t the words we would prefer to use in describing our plants. But that’s what we have.

It’s not just the leaves, either. The fruits look sad, too. They tend to show sign of shriveling and are soft to the touch. Some have been scorching easily and most are not very big.

We poked around the Internet a little bit, but didn’t really find anything to fix the problem. We’ve tried watering the garden, not watering it and even asking our plants to “get better, please.” They haven’t had fertilizer in about three weeks, so they aren’t overfed.

Take a look for yourself. What do you think? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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This is the first major issue we have come across since we started our backyard lasagna garden in May. Broccoli, spinach, onions, garlic, tomatoes and jalapenos have all been great. The green peppers were even good the first time around. Big, juicy, firm and deep green.

Last week, we offered up some suggestions on how to preserve your tomato crop. But this week we need your help. While you’re at it, now would be a perfect time to consider a CSA for next year. It’s all the farm fresh taste with none of the “why isn’t this working?” heartache.