How's everyone's peppers doing?

This forum area seems kind of dead. Is everyone working in the garden? How's everyone's peppers doing? I got some of mine planted. I need to take some pics. I have Bhut Jolikia, Thai Pepper, Vietnamese Pepper, some Chili Pequins, and unknown Mexican type hot chili pepper. These were in 5-gallon pots that I recently planted several weeks ago.

Happy Gardening!

Dean,

Mine are planted, but they are just creeping along. Hopefully they will start to put on some growth to support some peppers during the summer!

David

Hey David,

I remember you came over to my house once and gave me some tomatoes. I believe that was you?

Good luck with the peppers. Mine are starting to put n some new growth after I fertilized them a bit.

Dean

That was me.

Peppers went into the ground Apr 15. They are almost a foot tall. Waiting for the heat to kick in so they can take off!


-Vaughn

Cool! How hot has it been there? It seems like it has been in the 90's here.

Dean, the whole month of March and first half of April was in the 80's. Got the peppers planted and it dropped into the 40's and 50's lol. Supposed to be in the upper 80's all this week.

-Vaughn

It was 84 here today with 80% humidity this afternoon, it got better this afternoon. I only have a few peppers in the ground, the rest I'm going to grow in pots on my deck. I have 45 Chilitepins in 3" pots on my deck it's amazing how slowly they grow until it gets really hot. This has been the first really hot week the tomatillos are finally starting to grow.

They should take off then, Vaughn. What types do you have? Are they hot peppers? Good luck!

1lisac, I thought it was something like that. I didn't really watch the thermometer that closely. That's a lot of chili peppers. You must really like them. You know I had one survive the winter in a ceramic pot. I've never grown tomatillos and wouldn't even know what the plant looks like. LOL!

Dean, I have a few different bells, ancho, numex, anaheim, jalapeno, tabasco, scotch bonnet, chocolate hab, serrano, and cubanelle. I expected to plant like 12 plants but ended up with 21 heh. First time going from seed so i kinda overplanted. Luckily the local community garden took my 30+ extra seedlings.

-Vaughn

Wow! That is a lot Vaugh. I'm thinking about looking through my pepper seeds and maybe starting a few Bells.

Dean, I have california wonder, yellow, orange, and big bertha. Nothing like a fresh stuffed bell pepper


-Vaughn

Yep, very tasty.

Yep I am thinking of starting a few more too. Everything in my newest raised bed died, I haven't figured out why yet. I lost all of my sweet nonbells. Currently I have five hot peppers and five bells in the ground. The growing has been slow. However, I am starting to see flowers. No fruit has set, but maybe this week!

Sorry to hear about your loss, GrowingNVegas! Hope you get another batch going soon. For me I'm still debating on starting these. Seems as though I already lost to much time and then I need to find a place for more peppers.

Man those Habaneros sure grow slow. I started some over a month ago and have them under a 400MH bulb with temps steady around 85F in my grow room. I have been giving them regular watering and organic fertilizer. All of the other peppers are getting nice and tall but these guys are just growing oh so slow. I am assuming this is normal for Habs?

Also with your young pepper plants, do you guys pull off the first buds that appear or do you let them grow and flower even when the plant is still only around 10" tall or so?

Jake

I let my first buds stay. They form fruit, and the plants seem to grow and develop fine.
I have not grown habaneros, but have read they grow rather slowly.

Same here I just leave them on the plant. It's been a while since I've grown Habaneros, but I assume they are like these Bhut Jolikia's which are a little slow.

All my Hot Peppers are growing slow, even here. The sweets are doing fine. I have a couple more flats to pot up for an order, then I will be done. Phew!

I really need the extra time to work on my own garden. Lol. I have found with peppers they grow when they want to and that's about it. Yes, Habs can be really slow, also they have a different growth habit so they can have the same amount of leaves as other peppers but they are shorter. I've even found this in different stains of Habs. While Goats Weed or Black Cobra are more tree like. It was 94* here today and I'm hoping the tepins will get the picture and grow! Last year, because it was so hot the pepper plants were huge by now. Argh..

I had some wilting today that I had to water thoroughly.

Jake,

Re: pruning the flowers. Professional greenhouse pepper growers prune the flowers that form in the first branch point on the plant, then prune the plant to 2 main stems (for bells). I let my small fruited hot peppers like Jalapenos form 3 or 4 main stems. Then they prune the flowers that form at the first and third nodes on each main stem. Flowers at node 2 and nodes 4 and higher are allowed to set fruit freely. Pruning the early flowers is supposed to help the plant develop a good root system that will support greater fruit production later. I think its beneficial, so i do it, even if I dont bother with any later pruning. Each node on a main stem puts out 2 stems, one of which is usually stronger. Professional growers prune the weaker of the 2, leaving one leaf for the first month or so, then 2 leaves after that. This results in a 2-stemmed plant that is very orderly and easy to manage in a greenhouse. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't once you learn how to do it. But most people do not bother with pruning peppers, and some research has found that non-pruned plants actually have greater production. If the plant if healthy and has good dirt to grow in, it will be fine. I started pruning my peppers last year just to try it out, and like it. I think I have gotten better production by pruning.

Here is a link to an online Canadian greenhouse pepper guide that I found last year:

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp2873

Here's the chapter on propagating and pruning:

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523?opendocument#3

You can also search on YouTube for greenhouse peppers PlantDoctor--he has some pretty good videos that show how to do it.


Mark

Thanks Mark. Great info!

Thought I would share a few pics of my peppers.

Habs and what else Dean?

FYI, my habs have taken off the last few days. It seems they have shot out of their slow growth period into around an inch a day growth. Woohoo!

Actually from left to right they are. 1. Bhut Jolikia 2. Thai Pepper 3. Vietnamese Pepper

That's good to know your peppers are finally taking off. I have some others that are still very young and they're loosing some leaves. So I'm not sure if they weren't getting enough water or what?

I really like spicey foods so I grow jalapenos, chilitepins, tabassco, datal, Aji, DeArbol, Holy Mole, paprika, Ohmygoss, and Bells. Here are some I picked this evening.

This message was edited May 29, 2012 6:39 AM

Nice harvest Plant_Thang!

Just planted the peppers outside today. They were all started by seed in my grow tent in my basement. They are doing awesome. I had peppers planted in this same box last year so I am hoping no issues with diseases or anything arise. *crosses fingers*

I mixed up the peppers in the trays when I started them so I don't exactly know what each one is. I figure once they start producing peppers I will find out pretty quickly. They are a mix of Poblano, Jalapeno, Serano, Hungarian Wax, Yellow Bell, Red Bell, Cayenne, some other small red chili peppers. I also have some habaneros in front of the house where there is more sun. I think that is all. :)

the peppers have been in the ground almost a month. gave them some organic ferts and some water today. It has been cool so they haven't really taken off yet. Just watching and waiting lol

-Vaughn

I have some peppers in big 20 to 30 gal pots that I have had for years I bring them in when it freezes and put them back out after the cold snap. I call them my pepper trees. The pictures are of my tobassco, chiletepins, de arbols, paparickas, and old fashion cheyannes.

Nice everyone!

Urbanveggies, you should be fine even though you got the peppers mixed up.

Plant_Thang, that pepper in the first picture is huge.

Good growing to everyone!

Here are some more pics my aji, datal, jalapeno, asian thai purple, and the pink tea rose it's hot but not by taste.

This message was edited May 29, 2012 6:38 AM

I have been harvesting sweet peppers for a while now. I just found this thread.
First picture April 16th
Second picture May 18th (the plants did slow down a little bit after transplanting them outside)
Third Picture may 21st

And those are from May 26th.
All the plants are loaded with fruits.

Too bad you are so far away looks like some fine eating. I picked some today after the storm, and restaked the plants back up. These are tabassco, Aji, jalapeno, de arbo, and oh my gosh peppers. Also some porter and cherry tomatoes.

This message was edited May 29, 2012 6:38 AM

What size container should peppers be grown in? I have 50+ varieties and I'm trying to save seeds I have found that it's easier for me to do this if they are in containers, I can isolate them when they start to bloom. They are starting to bloom in their nursery pots so I need to get them potted up. The Brazilian Starfish has blooms that just opened this one is inside by a large window, so I moved it. My Goats Weed and Black Cobra look like they might bloom soon also.

Any advise on container size would be greatly appreciated. That Asian Thai Purple looks fantastic.

Lisa, I have done my peppers for years in 16" diameter pots I get from HD or Lowes. The poblanos and new mexico varieties still get to about 7 foot tall so I use the regular 48" galvanized tomato cages for support.


My peppers are doing well. got baby jalapenos, ancho's, bells, tabasco, scotch bonnet. No chocolate habs yet tho.


-Vaughn

Thank you, I have so many plants I'm a little over whelmed. But they are all so different it's fun to watch.

Lisa, lol I know the feeling. In mid April when I was supposed to be planting outside I had about 65 plants ready to go. Luckily I had a neighbour and a local community garden that wanted seedlings. I ended up putting out 25 peppers. First time from seed and in the ground. The container peppers are doing better than the in ground but I still should have more peppers than i can eat or give away.


-Vaughn