Question
My green bell peppers are turning soft and black.  Do they need calcium like tomatoes?  This is my first time trying to grow them.

Answer
Norma, you are correct. Like tomatoes and eggplant, peppers need calcium in the soil. Otherwise, the first flush of tomatoes will experience blossom-end rot, the condition you described. Although most soils have calcium, younger plants have a difficult time absorbing it. Epsom salts help young plants with the absorption of calcium and other nutrients.

To prevent blossom-end rot, I add two tablespoons of Epsom salts to the planting hole and mix it in before transplanting. I then spray a solution of 3 tbs. of Epsom salts per gallon of water in a hose-end sprayer once every 10 days until after the first harvest. Once the plants are mature and the roots established, they will have no problem absorbing the nutrients needed to produce clean and healthy tomatoes.

I hope this answered your question. Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike