Sunscald: how to recognise and treat it

Growing conditions

Symptoms

A pale yellow or white patch on the side of the fruit that faces the sun, most often on tomatoes and peppers in hot weather.
The patch sinks, wrinkles and dries to a thin, papery, greyish-white spot; it never ripens properly.
Black, grey or green mould later grows on the scalded patch and the fruit may rot.
Brown scorched patches on leaves on the sunny side of the plant, not on lower or shaded leaves.
Often follows sudden loss of leaf cover — leaf-spot diseases, wilts, hail, wind or heavy pruning.

Shade exposed fruit with a light cloth such as cheesecloth or shade netting during hot, sunny spells.
Pick badly scalded fruit; this encourages new fruit to set. Lightly damaged fruit can be eaten once the scalded part is cut out.
Move scorched houseplants out of strong midday sun and away from radiators.

Reference information, not a guarantee. Read and follow the label of any product: dose, safety and the days to wait before harvest.

Keep the leaf cover — control leaf-spot diseases and pests, and do not strip too many leaves from tomatoes.
Space staked or caged tomatoes so the foliage shades the fruit, and handle the plants gently when picking.
Choose tomato and pepper varieties with dense foliage; peppers with hanging fruit suffer less than those with upright fruit.
Harden off plants raised indoors over two to three weeks, covering them with fleece at first to prevent sun scorch.
Do not water over the leaves in bright sunshine — droplets can focus the sun and burn the leaves.

Figures checked against these sources.