Show us your peppers

Peppers are looking fantastic!

[roper2008]

Yes, they are looking very healthy. I’m in the process of hardening off. My least favorite thing to do.

[clkeiper]

Shrinkwrap.. tell us what you do. those are FANTASTIC looking and I grow lots and lots of plants but I don't think I have seen any as nice as those.

[Shrinkrap]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Shrinkwrap.. tell us what you do. those are FANTASTIC looking and I grow lots and lots of plants but I don't think I have seen any as nice as those.

Thank you! That's high praise!


Usually I start in styrofoam seed starting trays, with a dome, on a heating mat, then remove the dome and the mat when they sprout and put them under lights.

This year (thanks to @MuddyBuckets) I used the double solo cup thing, adding used ProMix to the grow plugs that go with the seed starting trays, and with a little hydroponics food in the reservoir once the roots reach the bottom.

In a nutshell, I do what Khang Starr tells me to!

https://youtu.be/9q1hyW-00kg

[GoDawgs]

I was going to finalize bed prep yesterday and plant these peppers out yesterday but rain came in and the prep came to a halt. Several days ago I lightly topped these and will be eager to see the results as I've never done that before.

By “lightly top” do you mean pinch out the growing tip?

[Shrinkrap]

Those look very nice! What kind are they?

[GoDawgs]

PJ, yes. I pinched out the growing tip. It's an experiment this year after some of last year's peppers, particularly the Jalapeno M, grew rather tall and thin compared to other types.

Thanks, Shrinkrap!. They are:

Alma paprika (will grow this in a pot on the porch)
Ancho Grande
Big Jim
Feher Ozon paprika
Gypsy
Jalapeno M
Jupiter
Mucho Nacho jalapeno
Sweet Banana

I'm not into real hot peppers, just some milder types for enchiladas, etc and putting up pickled jalapenos. The Jalapeno M was just a trial of an OP but this year I'm back to growing hybrid Mucho Nacho next to it and compare it to a pinched out Jalapeno M. I'm also looking to dry the paprikas for making my own paprika powder to add to the garlic powder and herbs I already dehydrate.

[Rajun Gardener]

And the first peppers to ripen for 2019 is.......Over wintered Fatali!!!

[Salsacharley]

Those look very nice!

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

And the first peppers to ripen for 2019 is.......Over wintered Fatali!!!

[GoDawgs]

Pretty, Rajun! So shiny! Two winters ago I brought a Gypsy inside for the winter and it sure started kicking out peppers early once set back out in the spring. I didn't have a pepper to overwinter this year but I put a Feher Ozon paprika in a 3 gallon bucket this spring so I could bring it in this winter.

[GoDawgs]

So far the peppers are doing ok in the heat and setting a lot of flowers and a few fruit. They get shade until about noon and then after 6PM. They've done well in that environment so I'm rotating them every year through three beds in that part shade area. They're not tied to the stakes but they lean against them when the prevailing wind blows.

I probably should have put the soaker hose under the mulch but it was an after thought and thus after the fact so it will stay that way since it works.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

So far the peppers are doing ok in the heat and setting a lot of flowers and a few fruit. They get shade until about noon and then after 6PM. They've done well in that environment so I'm rotating them every year through three beds in that part shade area. They're not tied to the stakes but they lean against them when the prevailing wind blows.

I probably should have put the soaker hose under the mulch but it was an after thought and thus after the fact so it will stay that way since it works.

Dawg I have had some great results although somewhat messy looking pepper beds by setting out sweet potato slips every three to four feet in my peeper beds. For some reason this has helped the peppers maintain their health and production much longer than usual. I am also going to try the same thing in my okra bed this year and see if having the sweet potato vines under them is as complimentary to them as it is to the peppers. It does take some pruning of the sweet potato vines throughout the season as they like to run up everything and you don't want that. The funny thing is I get much better production out of the sweet potatoes when grown in the same bed as the peppers than when grown by themselves. Besides pruning the vines that try to climb the peppers I also try to prune them if they leave the bed otherwise they will go everywhere.

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

Pretty N Sweet and Jimmy Nardello.

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Pretty N Sweet and Jimmy Nardello.

How are the Pretty N Sweet? My fruit are still green.