Peter Peppers

I have tried to germinate two different batches and have had no luck. Does anyone have any ideas or some of the seeds that they have had no problem growing?

Did you give them bottom heat?

Peppers really need heat. I whole-heartedly agree, Bob! I've spent time for weeks getting certain peppers to germinate.

Good heat, and consistant heat.

Sorry Honibee, I don't have those seeds but people sell the plants around here in the Spring. If need be I can always send you a couple at that time.

Thanks, I will use heat on the few I have left. If that doesn't work I may have to have them sent to me.

Be sure to remind me, Honibee.

)Sometimes my brain runs short of RAM!)

Well I have them planted and found a toasty place to sit them and got my fingers crossed.

Great! Keep em hot hot hot!
Sending good pepper vibes your way!

Did either of you see paulgrow's post about how he built a cheap heat box?

I saw it, and that's a really nice inexpensive box too. And easy to make! I should make a few and send them out to DGer's!

(I tend to have about 20 ft of heat mats in my g-house tho so tend to use those.)

I don't have a G house (yet) so I built 2. One is 30"x24", the other is 19"x17". I equiped them with dimmers so I could control heat more precisely. BTW, Nancy Bubel has some real good info on germinating peppers in "The New Seed-Starter's Handbook". If anybody wants, I'd be glad to give the info here.

Bob, that's a great idea to add the dimmer switch! Excellent idea as a matter of fact! Way to go!

I'd be interested in reading what Bubel has to say about the peppers. I may be starting my first batch of peppers this weekend. Thanks!

Hope you can read this, Shoe. I scanned it and converted it to JPG.

Hmmm...it just shows a bland box, Bob. Don't know if it's my computer or what.

Does anyone else see it?

Let's try again. No clue what happened. Just as a test, I looked at it after I posted it. No problems.

Hmmm...this one comes thru for me bob. Thanks!

(By the way, I just noticed some pics in other forums are coming up blank also, so I don't think its something you did.) I can see pics in the Photos Forum though. I just posted over in Computer Forum to try to figger out what's the deal.)

Much obliged for the info! Thanks!

Good, I thought maybe I had violated some Acceptable Use policy by scanning text written by someone else. I can see it in my first post now.

I can read both of them Ernie

Can anyone tell me what the large yellow bell type pepper taste like? I have always raised the Cal. Wonder or Big Bertha and they turn red if you leave them alone. Also I was wondering about a not so hot pepper. Thanks

Horse

If you make any I would pay postage or ?

Let me know how yours do, Honibee. If no success I'll definitely either start you some here or get them from a friend for you.

Bluegrass, I grew a yellow bell a few years back...I believe it was called "Golden Bell" and I grew it because it starts out gold. It didn't grow green then turn color as it ripened like so many peppers do.

Last yr I tried a purple one, "Islander" (hybrid) and it too doesn't go thru a green stage. It goes directly to purple/lilac. Very prolific also! (Available thru Johnny's but hurry cus they sell out fast.)

HoniBee,

I didn't read all the posts, yet, but maybe this will help:

GREENHOUSE: Sow in hot beds, greenhouse benches or flats - from Feb. to Mar. 15th. Germinate in Jiffy Mix or sterilized soil @ 70°F/20°C soil temp. for 14 days. Sow seed about 1/4 in./6 mm. deep, @ 8 seeds per in./25 mm. - cover and firm lightly. Sow as thinly as possible for healthier seedlings. Cover seed flats or benches with plastic to conserve moisture, remove covering as soon as germination occurs. Always use tempered water when watering - apply Captan and water every 10 days to control damping off. If it occurs - treat infected area with raw Captan powder. Transplant seedlings into benches or flats when the true leaves are about 3/8 in./10 mm in diameter. Grow seedlings @ 70°F/20°C, reduce moisture slightly to harden off. Keep peppers in a well ventilated area, and maintain a night greenhouse temp. of above 62°F/17°C. Never let the plants wilt! Root systems are sensitive and rather slow growing - so any check in growth will cost you dearly in total yields. Keep the plant warm and encourage growth with liquid fertilizer feedings every 2 weeks.

TRANSPLANT into the field 12 - 18 in./30 - 45 cm apart in 30 in./75 cm rows - after June 15th. Early, cold June nights cause blossoms to drop off before pollination, producing huge bushy plants - without peppers! Control cutworms before planting.

DIRECT SOWING: Sow as above, no later than Apr. 1st. indoors. Plants grow too slowly for outdoor seeding in northern areas. Do not transplant outside until the nights warm up - in mid June. Choose a warm sandy soil with lots of sun. Keep plants picked to encourage yields. Control aphids during the growing season.

Bob

Perhaps Zekes Germination Tips may be helpful to you. Gary

http://www.zekes.com/public_html/germinate.html

Gary, that's a great site! Much obliged!

Wow, Gary that really is a neat site. Thanks for the link!

Thanks all. Great instructions Electric Bob.

VGMKY, Thanks for the hyperlink on peppers. Copied it of to keep for reference. My water is very alkaline. I save rainwater when ever I can. Of course too cold right now. Donna

I planted 36 of these seeds months ago with no germination at all, even thought the seeds were fresh and from a reliable trader. However, now that the flat has been moved into the hot weather, I find at least 4 or 5 seedlings coming up! So, the heat is important!

HoniBee,....I too planted the peter pepper both the red and the yellow. Germination was under 50%. I have 2 reds and 1 yellow which are now up to a 4in. pot. I have about 15 different kinds of peppers started but since I have never grown them before there is lots to learn. I did germinate them with distilled water and saltpetre. My tepins never did germinate so go figure. I will start some more when I get the chance. All my babies are now outside hardening off. Some will go in the ground like the Nu-Mex and Roasters and some will just go in bigger pots like the ornamentals. Hopefully most will make it and have a decent harvest. That would be so exciting. I will look to see if I have any more seeds left for the Peters if so I can share some with you....

Update: I now have 15 seedlings, with about 4 true leaves!!! At this rate, I hope they give me a pepper or two before the frost!

"Peter" was so hard to germinate and grow (one seed out of 7 made it) that I kept him in a pot and brought him in for the winter. He did pretty good till the spider mites got him and he hasn't quite recovered from the damage. Still, I have 6 little 'peters' ripening to red at this time. Except for the novelty of the shape, I'm not sure what the attraction is... I just plan to harvest the seeds to share and then I think Peter will be History.

I am glad someone got plants. Mine from two batches did nothing. :(

I have one pepper's worth of seeds to trade if anyone is interested...more will be harvested soon!

Eileen

Can someone point me to a peter pepper on the PDB? I am confused which pepper this is....
Thanks!

I now have about 15 out of 30 or so tiny seedlings...have never seen anything grow so slowly. I have been wondering about keeping some indoors over the winter (they are tender perennials right?). Eileen, any hints on keeping Peter? I find spraying with water good to control red spider mites... I was picturing me giving out BUSHELS of these this summer, doubt I will even seen one!

Yes, they DO grow slowly!
He made around 15 peppers last summer and none of them ripened before the first frost. I brought him inside and they turned red around December. He sat in a 2 gallon pot, in a South facing window with water every week or 2 and was fed once. He really looked good with tons of blossoms until the spider mites hit in Feb. In the process of killing them, I ended up trimming most of his branches off - twice. Then spring came and he went outside, but his growth was deformed from the mites. He is now growing new leaves that look normal and has a few peppers that started from late winter blooms which I hand pollinated. Talk about a load of trouble - for shrivelled little red peppers! The funny thing is, last year's peppers were totally not hot. I was seeding the first pepper of this year the other day and pushed loose hair behind my ear - yow! The skin burned for a few hours, turns out this year's Peters are fairly hot.

Please, what are peter peppers?

http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=100
Here's a picture of the red variety. I understand they come in yellow too! My opinion is, they are mostly grown for the novelty of the shape, more than for the flavor.

Well they sure aren't pretty, are they.

If you have seeds though I migh try them.....; )

!!! Well, if I can pamper the Brugs, why not a pepper or two? Thanks for the information eileen!