What Do I Use to Cover My Sweet Bell Pepper to Stop Sun Scald?

Direct sunlight can scald bell peppers of any color.

Direct sunlight can scald bell peppers of any color.

Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) may be grown in any U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 through 11 as an annual, but they will also grow as perennials in USDA zones 9 through 11. While these plants prefer hot climates for growth, the peppers do not do well in direct, hot sunlight. Just as human skin gets burned from a day out in the sun without protection, so can the skin of bell peppers, and once scalded, the peppers may progress to rot completely on the plant. The best treatment for this condition is prevention.

Sun Scald Damage

The damage suffered by peppers from too much sun is easily distinguished from diseases or disorders like blossom end rot that produce dark-colored lesions on the fruit. Sun scald causes large, pale areas on the peppers wherever the fruit was exposed to the sun.

Preventing Sun Scald

Sun scald is most often seen on pepper plants that have not been watered or fertilized enough, which results in fewer leaves on the plant to protect the peppers from the sun. The best way to prevent sun scald is to maintain good growing practices that improve the overall health of the sweet bell peppers so the plants grow enough large leaves to act as a natural canopy over the growing bell peppers.

Shade Cloth

A shade cloth installed over your bell peppers is one of the best ways to prevent sun scald in a small garden. Shade cloths block out just enough sunlight to prevent damage to the plants while still allowing photosynthesis to occur. In a study done at the University of Georgia Tifton, Georgia, campus, pepper plants covered by shade cloth had only a 10 percent loss of peppers from diseases or other problems, but uncovered plants had up to 50 percent of their peppers lost to pepper growing problems. The shade cloth-covered plants were less stressed since they were protected from the strong summer sun.

Staking Peppers

Another option is to cover your bell peppers with the leaves of the plants by staking the pepper plants. This ensures that the plants grow upright and prevents leaning that could put the peppers at an angle where they are exposed to sunlight that could result in sun scald. The University of Delaware cooperative extension reports that staked bell pepper plants only lost 2 percent of their peppers to sun scald, compared to 17 percent of peppers that were lost from plants that were not tied to stakes. Use a single tie to attach pepper plants to stakes that are the same height as the plant to prevent the plants from being blown over by the wind and exposing the peppers to sun scald.

Growing Healthy Bell Peppers

Pay close attention to your watering and fertilization to ensure your pepper plants produce adequate foliage to cover the growing peppers. When you plant each bell pepper in a sunny location in soil with a pH between 6.2 and 7.0, add 3 to 5 inches of compost into the hole dug for the transplant. (see ref 5 Soil, Planting and Care sec) During the growing season, at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after planting, sprinkle 1/4 tablespoon 21-0-0 fertilizer 6 inches from each plant and water it into the soil. (see ref 1 pg 2 Fertilization) Watering should only be done frequently enough to maintain soil moisture down to 1 inch below the surface. The frequency depends on the soil type, weather and temperatures outside. (see ref 5 FAQs How Often Should I Water My Bell Peppers?)

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Suggest a Correction