Dark Lesions on Stems

[orangehero]

Was wondering if anyone could help me identify what may be causing these dark lesions on my overwintering peppers' stems...

The new growth appears healthy, the plants are flowering again. I believe these lesions are some kind of infection that may have entered through the cuts I made, though I tried keeping everything sterile.

It was spreading on one plant (all plants except one have some lesions), but it does not appear to be on the others. Strangely, some of the best new growth is above the lesions. I Cut off the branches on which it was spreading and sealed cuts with wax. No new lesions on that plant. On the others the lesions just sit there.

The symptoms don't exactly match, but it may well be phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici), simply I am not seeing a full-blown infection due to the low temps and dry air (they're sitting on a windowsill with below freezing outside). One reason I do not think it is phytophthora blight is because the lesions are located at the top of the cut stems. Also all peppers were growing healthy when they were still in the garden. I dug them up, cut them down, trimmed the roots, and placed in pots to overwinter. I believe the lesions appeared afterward, but perhaps I was not attentive and they were present on the stems previously.

It could possibly be Phytophthora capsici (Late Blight), which had infected my tomatoes, and was a big problem in Northeast USA. The university plant pathologists claim that there has not been a case of Late Blight on peppers in the past 50 years, but that mild infections could possibly occur. http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/Facilities/lihrec/vegpath/lbfaq.pdf. Looks similar. http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/Facilities/lihrec/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

I worry that if it is Late Blight, I could reinfect my tomatoes next year when I plant my peppers out. I suppose as a last resort I can get a sample tested by a plant pathologist.

There are no symptoms other than these lesions.

Hoping that someone on this forum may know what I am dealing with.

Thanks in advance!

[Fatalii]

Hmm... looks like something that I wouldn't even probably worry of.
After seeing all kinds of symptoms in the greenhouse that necessarily won't affect the growth or more important,
the fruiting at all.
I rarely get worried.
Only if the symptoms start to look worse and affect the growth itself, then there might be a reason to worry.

In most cases, chile plant problems start from the saturated roots, they like to be a bit drier side on average for most vars.

How does the plants look now? The growth is okay?

[orangehero]

Yes, the growth is fine. I will keep them as an experiment...if my tomatoes suffer, well I will know for certain what it is (will be first documented case of LB on peppers in 50 years; I will be famous!).

I have at least one flower that has set. Do you ever get mature pods on winter window light?

Thanks!

[Fatalii]

Without any extra artificial light it might be possible to get some small pods from a few varieties, like C. baccatums, Ulupica large etc.

I get most pods from the bonchis under lamps in the winter time.
Large plants need so much light that they usually won't bear as well as bonchis which can be very close to the lamps.

I mean the overall yield, it's much higher with bonchi plants!