Pepper Problems in Santa Cruz County: Troubleshooting Guide
Your pepper plant is covered in flowers, but none of them are turning into peppers. Or your peppers have been sitting green on the plant for weeks with no sign of color change. Maybe the leaves are curling, or you've found soft, rotting spots on the bottom of your fruit.
Sound familiar? These problems frustrate pepper growers everywhere, but they're especially common in Santa Cruz County. Our cool nights, foggy summers, and variable microclimates create conditions that challenge even experienced gardeners.
The good news: most pepper problems have identifiable causes and workable solutions. This guide covers the issues most likely to affect your peppers in our area, explains why they happen, and offers realistic strategies that actually work in our climate.
| What You're Seeing | Most Likely Cause | Common in Santa Cruz? | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers drop without setting fruit | Night temperatures below 55-60°F preventing pollination | Very Common Especially coastal areas | Grow shishitos/padrons; use containers near warm walls |
| Peppers stay green, won't ripen | Insufficient warmth for color change; cool nights slow ripening | Very Common All microclimates | Enjoy green or bring indoors to ripen; choose faster varieties |
| Dark, sunken spots on pepper bottom | Blossom end rot from inconsistent watering | Common During hot spells | Water consistently; mulch; remove affected fruit |
| Bleached, papery spots on fruit sides | Sunscald from sudden sun exposure | Moderate (warmest microclimates) | Stake plants; maintain foliage; shade cloth if needed |
| Leaves curling downward | Overwatering (most common) or aphids | Common | Let soil dry between waterings; check for aphids |
| Yellow leaves (lower first) | Overwatering, nitrogen deficiency, or cold stress | Common | Adjust watering; apply balanced fertilizer; protect from cold |
| Small insects on leaf undersides | Aphids (clusters of soft-bodied insects) | Common | Spray with water; encourage beneficials; insecticidal soap |
| Purple-tinged leaves | Cold stress or phosphorus deficiency | Common Early season | Wait for warmer soil; provide protection |
| Lots of foliage, few flowers/fruit | Excess nitrogen fertilizer | Moderate | Stop nitrogen fertilizer; use balanced or low-nitrogen during fruiting |
| Large holes in leaves | Slugs/snails (slime trails) or caterpillars | Common Coastal/moist areas | Hand-pick; iron phosphate bait; Bt for caterpillars |
| Stunted plant, won't grow | Cold soil, root damage, or disease | Common Early season | Delay planting; check roots for damage/rot |
Blossom Drop: Flowers But No Fruit
This is the single most common pepper complaint in Santa Cruz County, and our climate is largely to blame.
What You're Seeing
Pepper plants produce flowers that look healthy, but the flowers fall off before setting fruit. Sometimes tiny peppers begin to form, then drop off. The plant keeps flowering but never produces mature peppers.
Why It Happens
Blossom drop occurs when pepper plants are stressed, usually by temperature. Peppers need specific temperature conditions for successful pollination and fruit set: daytime temperatures between 70-85 degrees F and nighttime temperatures between 60-75 degrees F.
In Santa Cruz County, our challenge is almost always cool nights, not heat. When night temperatures drop below 55-60 degrees F, pepper pollen becomes nonviable and flowers fail to set fruit. This is extremely common in coastal areas, where summer nights regularly stay in the 50s.
UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County note that peppers planted in cold soil may go dormant and the signal to set fruit may not activate properly.
Other causes of blossom drop:
Inconsistent watering (drought stress or overwatering)
Too much nitrogen fertilizer (promotes foliage over fruit)
Poor pollination (calm conditions, lack of pollinators)
Humidity too low or too high (affects pollen viability)
Solutions for Santa Cruz County
Choose the right varieties. Cool-tolerant varieties like shishitos, padrons, and manzanos handle our conditions far better than standard bell peppers. These varieties evolved in cooler climates and set fruit at lower temperatures.
Plant in the warmest microclimate. South-facing walls, heat-absorbing surfaces, and protected spots can be 10-15 degrees warmer than surrounding areas.
Use containers. Container-grown peppers can be moved against warm walls at night and protected from cold.
Delay planting. Wait until soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees F (65 degrees is better) and night temperatures are consistently above 55 degrees F. Planting earlier doesn't help if conditions cause blossom drop.
Provide protection. Row covers, cloches, or Wall O' Waters can moderate temperature swings during cool periods.
Be patient. Peppers often resume fruit production when conditions improve. A plant that's dropping flowers in June may set fruit successfully in August when nights warm slightly.
Accept realistic expectations. In foggy coastal areas, some blossom drop is inevitable. Focus on varieties bred for these conditions rather than fighting your climate.
Peppers Won't Ripen: Stuck at Green
Your peppers reached full size weeks ago but refuse to change color. They stay stubbornly green while you wait for red, yellow, or orange.
What You're Seeing
Peppers that should ripen to a specific color remain green indefinitely. The fruit is full-sized and looks healthy, but color change doesn't happen or happens extremely slowly.
Why It Happens
Pepper ripening requires warmth. Most peppers need sustained temperatures above 65 degrees F (and preferably warmer) to trigger color change. They also need time, often 2-4 weeks of appropriate conditions after reaching full size.
In Santa Cruz County, our moderate summer temperatures and cool nights slow this process dramatically. A pepper that would ripen in 2 weeks in a warm inland valley might take 6-8 weeks (or longer) in a foggy coastal garden.
Contributing factors:
Cool nights slow ripening
Fog reduces the warmth needed for color development
Short warm seasons don't provide enough accumulated heat
Heavy fruit load can slow individual pepper ripening
Solutions for Santa Cruz County
Grow them anyway. Most pepper varieties taste excellent at the green stage. Jalapenos, serranos, poblanos, and many other peppers are commonly harvested green. If ripening is slow, enjoy your peppers green rather than waiting.
Leave peppers on the plant. If you have the patience, leave peppers on healthy plants as long as possible. Some will eventually ripen, especially if fall brings warm, clear weather. Just watch for frost forecasts.
Bring peppers indoors. At the end of season, peppers that are close to ripening can be brought inside and placed in a warm spot (65-75 degrees F) with indirect light. They'll continue ripening off the vine.
Grow faster-ripening varieties. Smaller peppers ripen faster than large ones. Shishitos, padrons, and mini sweet peppers ripen more quickly than large bells.
Container growing helps. Containers in warm spots (against south walls, on patios) provide warmer conditions that speed ripening.
Accept that some won't ripen. In heavy fog zones, full color ripening may simply not happen for many varieties. Plan your variety selection accordingly, and appreciate green peppers for what they offer.
Blossom End Rot: Soft, Sunken Spots
Dark, leathery spots appear on the bottom of your peppers, ruining what looked like healthy developing fruit.
What You're Seeing
A dark, water-soaked spot appears on the blossom end (bottom) of the pepper, opposite the stem. The spot enlarges, becoming sunken and leathery. UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County describe how it starts as a small, discolored spot that looks water soaked, then enlarges, darkens, and becomes sunken and leathery.
Why It Happens
Blossom end rot results from calcium deficiency within the developing fruit, but it's rarely caused by lack of calcium in your soil. Most soils have adequate calcium. The problem is usually that the plant can't move calcium to the fruit fast enough, typically due to inconsistent watering.
UC Master Gardeners explain that blossom end rot results from a low level of calcium in the fruit and a lack of water balance in the plant. It's more likely to occur earlier in the season when plants are rapidly growing, and during hot, dry weather.
Common causes:
Inconsistent watering (drought followed by heavy watering)
Rapid plant growth outpacing calcium transport
Root damage (from cultivation or transplanting)
Too much nitrogen fertilizer (can tie up calcium)
Cold soil temperatures (reduce calcium uptake)
Solutions for Santa Cruz County
Maintain consistent moisture. This is the most important factor. Water deeply and regularly, not sporadically. Mulch helps maintain even soil moisture.
Don't disturb roots. Avoid cultivating near pepper plants, which can damage feeder roots.
Reduce nitrogen during fruiting. UC Master Gardeners advise that too much nitrogen during the early fruiting period can tie up calcium and make blossom end rot worse.
Remove affected fruit. Peppers with blossom end rot won't recover. Remove them so the plant can direct energy to healthy fruit.
Wait for conditions to improve. Blossom end rot often affects early fruit when plants are growing rapidly. Later fruit frequently develop normally.
Don't bother with calcium sprays. Foliar calcium applications don't help because calcium doesn't move from leaves to fruit. The solution is consistent watering, not calcium supplements.
Sunscald: Bleached, Papery Patches
Pale, papery areas appear on pepper fruit, often on the side facing the sun.
What You're Seeing
Light-colored, bleached spots on the side of peppers, usually where fruit was exposed to direct sunlight. The affected area becomes papery, may turn tan or white, and sometimes develops black mold.
Why It Happens
Sunscald occurs when fruit is suddenly exposed to intense direct sunlight, especially during hot weather. It's most common when foliage has been reduced by disease, insects, or pruning, leaving fruit unprotected.
While Santa Cruz County isn't as hot as inland areas, sunscald can still occur, particularly in our warmest microclimates and when plants lose leaves to pests or disease.
Solutions for Santa Cruz County
Maintain healthy foliage. The best protection is adequate leaf cover. Manage pests and diseases to keep plants leafy.
Stake and support plants. When pepper plants lean or fall over, previously shaded fruit becomes suddenly exposed. Staking prevents this.
Don't over-prune. Excessive pruning removes the leaf canopy that protects fruit.
Use shade cloth if needed. In the warmest Santa Cruz microclimates (Watsonville, sunny Boulder Creek), shade cloth can protect fruit during heat waves.
Harvest promptly. Don't leave ripe fruit on plants longer than necessary during hot weather.
The fruit is still edible. Cut away the affected area before using.
Leaf Problems: Curling, Yellowing, and Spots
Pepper leaves tell you a lot about plant health. Different leaf symptoms indicate different problems.
Leaf Curl
What you're seeing: Leaves curl downward or inward, sometimes becoming cup-shaped.
Common causes in Santa Cruz County:
Overwatering: The most common cause. Curling with yellowing often indicates too much water.
Aphids: Check undersides of leaves for clusters of small, soft-bodied insects.
Cool temperatures: Leaves may curl during cold snaps.
Herbicide drift: Rare but possible if neighbors spray.
Solutions: Check watering first (let soil dry slightly between waterings). Inspect for aphids. If cool weather is the cause, leaves often uncurl when temperatures warm.
Yellowing Leaves
What you're seeing: Leaves turn yellow, either uniformly or in specific patterns.
Common causes:
Overwatering: Yellow leaves throughout the plant, especially lower leaves.
Nitrogen deficiency: Uniform yellowing starting with older (lower) leaves.
Cold stress: Yellowing after cold nights.
Root problems: Yellow leaves that don't respond to watering adjustments.
Solutions: Adjust watering if too frequent. Apply balanced fertilizer if nitrogen deficiency is suspected. Provide protection during cold periods.
Leaf Spots
What you're seeing: Circular or irregular spots on leaves, possibly with yellowing around them.
Common causes:
Bacterial spot: Angular, water-soaked spots that turn brown. A common pepper disease.
Fungal diseases: Various fungi cause leaf spots, especially in humid conditions.
Sunscald on leaves: Pale, papery spots from sun exposure (less common than fruit sunscald).
Solutions: Remove affected leaves. Avoid overhead watering. Improve air circulation. For persistent problems, copper-based fungicides can help prevent spread.
Common Pests on Peppers
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth and leaf undersides. They suck plant juices and excrete sticky honeydew.
UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo note that beneficial insects often arrive several days to several weeks after aphids begin to multiply.
Signs: Sticky leaves, curled new growth, visible clusters of small green or black insects, ants farming aphids.
Solutions:
Spray with strong water stream to knock off aphids
Encourage beneficial insects (lady beetles, lacewings)
Insecticidal soap for heavy infestations
Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer (promotes lush growth that attracts aphids)
Hornworms
Large green caterpillars that can defoliate pepper plants quickly. They're actually more common on tomatoes but occasionally attack peppers.
Signs: Large irregular holes in leaves, defoliation, dark droppings, the caterpillars themselves (often well-camouflaged).
Solutions:
Hand-pick and destroy (they're easy to see once you spot them)
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray for heavy infestations
Leave hornworms with white cocoons (parasitic wasps are already killing them)
Spider Mites
Tiny spider-like pests that cause stippled, bronzed leaves. More common in hot, dry conditions (less common in foggy coastal areas).
Signs: Fine webbing on leaf undersides, stippled or bronzed leaves, tiny moving dots visible with magnification.
Solutions:
Spray with water to increase humidity and knock off mites
Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
Introduce predatory mites for persistent problems
Slugs and Snails
Particularly problematic in Santa Cruz County's moist climate. They chew large holes in leaves and may damage fruit.
Signs: Large irregular holes in leaves, slime trails, damage worse in the morning or after rain.
Solutions:
Hand-pick at night or early morning
Iron phosphate bait (safe for gardens)
Copper barriers around plants
Reduce hiding spots (debris, boards, mulch right against stems)
Environmental Issues
Cold Damage
Even without frost, cold temperatures below 50 degrees F can damage peppers.
Signs: Purple-tinged leaves, stunted growth, leaf drop, blossom drop, failure to set fruit.
Solutions: Wait to plant until soil warms. Use row covers during cold snaps. Choose cold-tolerant varieties. Grow in containers that can be protected.
Wind Damage
Coastal winds can physically damage pepper plants and increase water stress.
Signs: Broken stems, torn leaves, stunted growth, excessive water needs.
Solutions: Plant in sheltered locations. Use windbreaks. Stake plants securely. Choose sturdy, compact varieties.
Nutrient Problems
Too much nitrogen: Lush foliage, few flowers, poor fruit set. Common when using high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Phosphorus deficiency: Purple-tinged leaves, poor flowering, slow growth. Can occur in cold soil.
Magnesium deficiency: Yellowing between leaf veins on older leaves.
Solutions: Use balanced fertilizer. Reduce nitrogen during fruiting. Ensure soil is warm before planting. Epsom salts can address magnesium deficiency.
Problem Prevention Checklist
Many pepper problems can be prevented with good cultural practices:
Before planting:
Choose varieties suited to your microclimate
Wait for soil to reach 60-65 degrees F
Select the warmest, most protected planting spot
Prepare soil with compost for good drainage and moisture retention
During the growing season:
Water consistently (avoid drought-flood cycles)
Mulch to maintain even soil moisture
Use balanced fertilizer (not high nitrogen during fruiting)
Stake plants to prevent toppling
Monitor for pests weekly
Remove diseased leaves promptly
When problems occur:
Identify the specific issue before treating
Address cultural problems (watering, temperature) first
Use least-toxic pest control methods
Accept some losses; pepper growing has inherent challenges here
When to Give Up on a Plant
Sometimes a pepper plant is beyond saving, and it's better to remove it than let it spread disease or harbor pests.
Consider removing plants that:
Have severe bacterial or viral disease
Are heavily infested with pests that spread to other plants
Have root rot and won't recover
Haven't produced any fruit by late August despite healthy foliage
Removing struggling plants frees up space and resources for healthier plants.
| Root Cause | Problems It Causes | Solutions That Work | What Won't Help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Night Temperatures | Blossom drop, slow growth, purple leaves, failure to set fruit, slow ripening | Grow fog-tolerant varieties (shishitos, padrons, manzanos). Use containers near warm walls. Wait to plant until nights above 55°F. Row covers during cold snaps. | More fertilizer. Earlier planting (makes it worse). Standard bell peppers. |
| Inconsistent Watering | Blossom end rot, blossom drop, wilting, leaf curl, stunted growth | Water deeply and consistently. Mulch to maintain moisture. Check soil moisture before watering (top 2" dry = time to water). Drip irrigation helps. | Calcium sprays (don't fix the real issue). Overhead watering (promotes disease). |
| Overwatering | Yellow leaves, leaf curl, root rot, stunted growth, wilting despite wet soil | Let soil dry slightly between waterings. Improve drainage. Water deeply but less frequently. Check for root rot. | More water. Adding fertilizer to "boost" struggling plants. |
| Excess Nitrogen | Lush foliage with few flowers, blossom drop, poor fruit set, blossom end rot | Stop nitrogen fertilizer. Use balanced or low-nitrogen formula during flowering/fruiting. Wait for plant to use excess nitrogen. | More fertilizer of any kind. Blossom set sprays. |
| Cold Soil at Planting | Stunted growth, purple leaves, root rot, failure to thrive, blossom end rot on early fruit | Wait until soil is 60-65°F at 4-6" depth. Use black plastic mulch to warm soil. Container soil warms faster than ground. | Planting earlier. Fertilizer (won't help cold-stressed plants). |
| Aphids | Curled leaves, sticky honeydew, sooty mold, distorted new growth, ants on plants | Strong water spray to knock off. Encourage beneficial insects. Insecticidal soap for heavy infestations. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer. | Broad-spectrum insecticides (kill beneficial predators, making problem worse). |
| Insufficient Light/Heat | Slow ripening, leggy plants, poor flower production, small fruit | Plant in sunniest spot. Use containers on patios or against south walls. Choose compact, early varieties. | Fertilizer (doesn't replace sun). Forcing earlier planting. |
| Poor Pollination | Blossom drop, misshapen fruit, few fruit despite many flowers | Gently shake plants to distribute pollen. Plant flowers to attract pollinators. Ensure some air movement. | Blossom set sprays (mixed results). More fertilizer. |
Growing peppers in Santa Cruz County means accepting that some problems are inevitable while others are entirely preventable. Cool nights will cause some blossom drop no matter what you do, but choosing fog-tolerant varieties like shishitos and padrons dramatically reduces frustration. Blossom end rot and most leaf problems stem from inconsistent watering, something you can control. The gardeners who succeed with peppers here aren't the ones who never face problems; they're the ones who've learned which battles to fight and which to avoid by selecting the right varieties for their microclimate. Start with varieties suited to your conditions, maintain consistent moisture, and accept that our climate simply doesn't support every pepper variety. With realistic expectations and appropriate variety selection, you can grow abundant peppers even in the foggiest corners of Santa Cruz County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my pepper flowers fall off before making peppers?
Blossom drop is almost always caused by temperature stress in Santa Cruz County. Night temperatures below 55-60 degrees F prevent successful pollination. Cool-tolerant varieties (shishitos, padrons, manzanos) handle our conditions better. Other causes include inconsistent watering, too much nitrogen fertilizer, and poor pollination.
My peppers have been green for weeks. Will they ever ripen?
Ripening requires warmth, and our cool climate slows the process dramatically. Peppers that would ripen in 2 weeks in a warm valley might take 6-8 weeks here. Options: enjoy them green (most peppers taste great at the green stage), leave them on the plant and hope for warmer weather, or bring nearly-ripe peppers indoors to a warm spot to finish.
What causes the dark, leathery spots on the bottom of my peppers?
That's blossom end rot, caused by calcium not reaching the developing fruit, usually due to inconsistent watering. Maintain even soil moisture, don't over-fertilize with nitrogen, and don't disturb roots. Remove affected fruit; they won't recover. Calcium sprays don't help.
Are peppers with sunscald safe to eat?
Yes. Cut away the affected area (the bleached, papery portion) and use the rest normally. Prevent sunscald by maintaining healthy foliage and staking plants so they don't lean and expose fruit to sudden sun.
How do I know if my pepper problem is pests or disease?
Look closely at affected areas. Pests usually leave visible evidence: insects themselves, holes with irregular edges, sticky honeydew, webbing. Diseases often cause spots with defined edges, wilting despite adequate water, or patterns spreading from plant to plant. When uncertain, bring a sample to your local UC Master Gardener help desk.
Should I remove flowers early in the season to get more peppers later?
It depends on your goals. UC Master Gardeners recommend pinching early flowers while waiting for soil to warm, which directs energy to root and plant development. Once plants are established in warm soil, let flowers develop. In Santa Cruz County's short warm season, removing too many flowers may reduce your total harvest.
Why are my pepper leaves curling?
Most often overwatering in our climate. Let soil dry slightly between waterings. Also check for aphids on leaf undersides. Cold stress can cause temporary curling that resolves when temperatures warm.
Can I save seeds from peppers that had blossom end rot or other problems?
Yes, for environmental problems like blossom end rot, sunscald, and nutrient issues. These aren't genetic or disease-related; the seeds should be fine. Don't save seeds from plants with viral diseases, as these can be seed-borne.
Downloadable Guides
Garden Troubleshooting Guide: Diagnose common vegetable garden problems.
Know Your Microclimate Worksheet: Understand your specific growing conditions.
Seasonal Planting Calendar: Optimal timing for your area.
