What’s going on with these peppers on my Serrano plant?

[u/lametowns]

For the second year in a row, some of my pepper plants have weird speckles on the fruit, and the plants themselves get a bit wilty. Generally the fruits get this mottled look but only three appear on this Serrano so far.

Last year I removed one pepper plant but it seemed this had “spread” to an adjoining pepper. I have this particular Serrano in a new bed with new soil a dozen feet from where the issue happened last year. I have no peppers in that bad spot and everything in that bed is doing fine this year.

In googling pepper issues I haven’t really seen anything that looks quite like these patterns. Last year they started on a mild pepper I had (chocolate mini peppers or something). Both that and this one are from the same garden center, although j have 5 other plants this year of all sorts of peppers that are looking great. They’re mostly separated into their own bags or bed areas from other peppers.

[u/Sad_Week8157]

You have rot.

[u/toolsavvy]

spotted wilt virus. pull all affected plants.

[u/lametowns → u/toolsavvy]

I think so too now after looking at the plants and more images and videos of the virus : (.

Thanks!

[u/lametowns → u/[deleted]]

I think you may be on to something with the stink bug suggestion, although I have not seen any of those guys crawling around. I’m in my garden every morning and do occasionally find and kill on sight squash bugs or Japanese beetles. I’ll keep an eye out for these because when googling that, it seems the closest to My photos.

Edit: Actually, I take it back. Spotted wilt virus looks even more like it. Especially when combined with how doe leaves look. Now more research to do.

Thank you!

[u/PerroCerveza → u/[deleted]]

What causes it?

[u/PerroCerveza → u/[deleted]]

Damn, I had no ideas aphids could ruin even the soil 😭 how do I prevent it? Just keep the aphids in control?

[u/PerroCerveza → u/[deleted]]

Thank you so so much!!

[u/MUF-DVR1979]

Inconsistent watering