So, I planted a bunch of green peppers in my garden this year, right? I was all excited, checking on them every day, making sure they got enough water and sunshine. Everything was going great, they were growing big and looking healthy. But then, a few weeks in, I noticed something weird.
Some of my beautiful green peppers started getting these dark patches on them. At first, I was like, “What the heck is going on?” I mean, I’m no expert gardener, but I’ve grown peppers before and never saw this. They weren’t just turning a little darker, these were full-on black spots.
Naturally, I started freaking out a little. I thought maybe they were getting some kind of disease, or maybe I messed up the watering or something. I even considered that pests were ruining my lovely green peppers. I imagined all sorts of worst-case scenarios. Were they rotting? Would I have to throw them all out? Would it spread to my other plants?
I did what any normal person would do – I got on the internet and started searching. “Why are my green peppers turning black?” I typed into the search bar, fingers crossed for an easy answer. Thankfully, I found a lot of stuff about it. Turns out, it’s actually pretty common.
Here’s what I discovered:
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It’s Often Just Ripening
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Most of the time, when peppers turn a little black or dark, it’s just them ripening. Like, they’re getting ready to change color. It’s like when bananas get those brown spots – it means they’re getting sweeter. Peppers do the same thing, but sometimes they go through a blackish phase first. So I learned that peppers are not just green, red, or yellow, they can be dark as well.
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It Could Be Sunscald
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Another thing I read about was sunscald. Apparently, if peppers get too much direct sunlight, they can get these dark patches that look kind of like bruises. I guess it’s like a sunburn, but for peppers. I live in a pretty sunny area, so this was a possibility for me, too. But the dark patches did not look like bruises, so I ruled this out.
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Watch Out for Soft Spots
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The big thing everyone said to watch out for was if the peppers were getting soft or mushy along with the black spots. That’s a sign that they might actually be rotting, and that’s not good. I immediately checked my peppers, and they were firm to the touch. Thank goodness! This means they are fine!
After reading all this, I felt a lot better. I kept a close eye on my peppers, and sure enough, most of the ones that turned black eventually turned red. They were perfectly fine to eat, and they tasted delicious! I felt like such a dummy for worrying so much, but hey, better safe than sorry, right? Now I know that a little black on my peppers isn’t always a bad thing. I can keep growing them next year without having to worry. It’s all part of the growing process!
