by Deformation, ugly growths, thinning or thickening of the walls and unnatural fruit shape can occur in a variety of pepper varieties. Each of these problems has a cause, and an experienced gardener can determine it to avoid a recurrence next season.
Most often, peppers are deformed due to unsuitable temperature and humidity at different stages of ovary formation. And if it is impossible for ordinary summer residents to regulate weather conditions when growing in open ground, then it is quite possible to control the main parameters in a greenhouse or at the seedling stage.
Why do deformed fruits form?
Fruit deformation can be detected in peppers at the earliest stages, literally when the ovaries appear. It is clear that in the future these fruits will hardly straighten out and will continue to develop with external deviation. It is also very likely that many of them will fall off or be affected by diseases and will not ripen.
There are three main reasons for this process:
- low temperature during flower formation;
- low air humidity during the same period;
- lack of nutrients in the soil.
As a result, the flowers are weak, poorly pollinated and form defective fruits. During further growth, the deformation increases, the walls develop unevenly, the seed carrier does not appear or remains underdeveloped.
Strongly pronounced ribbing of peppers is most often a characteristic of the variety, and not a deformation.
Why do pepper walls become thinner and thicker?
Low temperatures during the flowering and fruit formation period can also cause bilateral flattening of peppers or uneven wall thickness. This is especially noticeable in large-fruited varieties, conical or prismatic in shape.
Also, slow-growing fruits of irregular shape can appear as a result of poor pollination and uneven seed setting. By the way, although the wall of the pepper does not directly touch the seed-bearer, you can be sure that where the seeds have not formed, the fruit will be modified.
Why does a tail appear on top of a pepper?
On some pepper fruits you can find “tails” or “noses” – thin elongated growths that should not be there according to the list of varietal characteristics. These formations are overgrown pistils that should have fallen off after pollination.
Getting rid of them is easy – just pinch or cut them off carefully when the fruit is filling in. This will not affect the pepper itself.
Where do the growths on the outside and inside of peppers come from?
Have you come across a pepper with strange growths near the stalk in your garden? Don’t be alarmed, this is not a terrible GMO, but just an overgrown anther. At temperatures below 18°C, which is established for a long time during the formation of fruits, the anther does not fall off, but continues to grow, acquiring unusual shapes and spoiling the appearance of the peppers. Most often, this happens in April-June, when the nights are still cold, but if the peppers grow in open ground, they are not insured against such “surprises” throughout the summer.
Often, when inspected externally, the pepper looks normal, but when cut, it is discovered that there is an outgrowth inside the fruit, and sometimes another full-fledged (but very small) pepper. This is already an overgrowth of the honey glands, which is caused by a lack of growth hormones and unbalanced nutrition of the bush.
Which varieties of pepper are not subject to deformation
If the two main problems that lead to deformation of pepper fruits can still be partially solved in a greenhouse, then in open ground this is not possible. However, there are varieties of pepper that react less actively to temperature changes, lack of moisture and poor pollination. These are the ones that are recommended for those gardeners who have already tried other methods and have not seen any improvement.
These varieties include: Bison Yellow, Bison Red, Freeze Me, Golden Autumn, Cockatoo, Cockatoo Yellow, Chocolate Cup.
How to avoid pepper deformation
As you can see, the main causes of all types of deformation are insufficient humidity, low temperature and poor pollination. To protect your plantings, you need to follow these rules:
- grow seedlings in a warm (20-24°C) room;
- regularly spray the seedling bushes or install a humidifier in the room;
- plant seedlings in a permanent location only after the threat of frost has passed and the nights become warm;
- grow peppers in greenhouses or under film shelters;
- ventilate greenhouses daily, avoiding overheating (above 30°C) and over-watering of plants during the flowering period, so that the pollen does not become sterile or damp;
- Regularly inspect and preventively treat peppers against thrips.
Most fruit deformations do not affect the taste or nutritional quality of the fruit. These vegetables are still suitable for consumption fresh or canned. However, if you grow peppers for sale, you will have to determine the cause of the deformation and eliminate it.
