Chinese Giant - A productive bell pepper

[OmahaJB]

Interesting Barb! Never would have guessed Giant Marconi would be smaller than the regular one.

[swellcat]

. . . have so much trouble growing bells . . .

Glad to know I'm not the only one. My guess is that one needs to have an artesian well or live on the banks of a river or on the edge of a rain forest in order to plump out that wet flesh.

[Calcat36]

Originally Posted by swellcat

Glad to know I'm not the only one. My guess is that one needs to have an artesian well or live on the banks of a river or on the edge of a rain forest in order to plump out that wet flesh.

I never had any luck growing peppers in our family garden since I was 5 years old. Fast forward a few hundred years and I have my own garden. Lots of things except peppers, and many different tomatoe (lol) plants. While at Wally world one day, i see a Bonnie habanero plant that i reluctantly buy thinking it was the poor plants death sentence. It was. It flowered a lot and produced nothing. Somehow I brought it in for the winter to sit near herbs on the bay window. (I knew nothing about over wintering) It looked like 3 sticks in the pot. The following April i just set it out on the south side of my house and about 2 months later it became Godzilla. I just fed it once in a while with fish ferts. I had that plant for 3 years and looking back, that was the one that taught me how to care for peppers!

2 years after that I started about 12 Chinese giant seeds during January indoors. ONE germinated. I scoffed.

That summer I had the first ever giant green and red bells that I grew from seed myself. The curse was broken! In the end, I realized that all plants are the same and as foolish as this may sound, they will let you know what they need. I also learned that being active in a community like this will show just how much we as gardeners/growers are the same. Same doubts, questions, problems, interest, excitement, and PRIDE we have in nurturing nature.

After that Bonnie Habanero, I was bitten by the heat bug. I have grown many hot and super hot pepper varieties and I can conclude one thing. Peppers are temperamental and attention hogs more than water and nutrients. Complement them every once in a while and see how they thank you back!

I only wish that i had the smarts to take pictures back then...

Happy growing!

[Starlight]

I have a question. I was in grocery store yesterday and while looking at produce seen these huge peppers. I mean huge. I have long hands and what folks call piano fingers they so long and I picked one of them peppers up and it was bigger than my hand.

They had the box sitting on the floor as they were stocking them. On the box it said Select Giant. The peppers are big green bells. Is there such a pepper with that name or is it the Chinese Giant maybe renamed? I almost got one to see about saving seeds from, but didn't know if peppers that been refrigerated would produce viable seed or not?

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I almost got one to see about saving seeds from, but didn't know if peppers that been refrigerated would produce viable seed or not?

I think refrigerated seeds would be viable. I'm sure I've done this with my own peppers.

I tried germinating seeds from a frozen Jalapeno pepper that were in the freezer for 2 years and didn't have any luck. I could probably have done some things to assist, but tried germinating them in a wet paper towel which I find more reliable than mix.

[OmahaJB]

Originally Posted by Calcat36

I never had any luck growing peppers in our family garden since I was 5 years old. Fast forward a few hundred years and I have my own garden. Lots of things except peppers, and many different tomatoe (lol) plants. While at Wally world one day, i see a Bonnie habanero plant that i reluctantly buy thinking it was the poor plants death sentence. It was. It flowered a lot and produced nothing. Somehow I brought it in for the winter to sit near herbs on the bay window. (I knew nothing about over wintering) It looked like 3 sticks in the pot. The following April i just set it out on the south side of my house and about 2 months later it became Godzilla. I just fed it once in a while with fish ferts. I had that plant for 3 years and looking back, that was the one that taught me how to care for peppers!

2 years after that I started about 12 Chinese giant seeds during January indoors. ONE germinated. I scoffed.

That summer I had the first ever giant green and red bells that I grew from seed myself. The curse was broken! In the end, I realized that all plants are the same and as foolish as this may sound, they will let you know what they need. I also learned that being active in a community like this will show just how much we as gardeners/growers are the same. Same doubts, questions, problems, interest, excitement, and PRIDE we have in nurturing nature.

After that Bonnie Habanero, I was bitten by the heat bug. I have grown many hot and super hot pepper varieties and I can conclude one thing. Peppers are temperamental and attention hogs more than water and nutrients. Complement them every once in a while and see how they thank you back!

I only wish that i had the smarts to take pictures back then...

Happy growing!

Hey Calcat,

Curious, do you soak your seeds in a bowl of water overnight before sowing? I always had trouble with pepper seeds before I started soaking the seeds like that. Now I soak all seeds, regardless of what I'm growing.

[Calcat36]

I do not soak seeds at all. I sow in moist soil and keep the soil moist but not drenched though until the plant pops. I also use heating pads under the trays that I got from HD or some place like that. I have a good success rate this way so I go with it. I have no objection to soaking. I just never tried it.

[OmahaJB]

Originally Posted by Calcat36

I do not soak seeds at all. I sow in moist soil and keep the soil moist but not drenched though until the plant pops. I also use heating pads under the trays that I got from HD or some place like that. I have a good success rate this way so I go with it. I have no objection to soaking. I just never tried it.

Only reason I asked is because you mentioned having an issue a couple years ago with germinating Chinese Giant. In the past I only used a little Jiffy or Planter's Pride greenhouse to germinate but after having difficulty with pepper seeds older than a year, and even some tomato seeds, I decided to start placing them in a bowl of water overnight. I've seen a big improvement since. They say the seeds that don't sink after being in the bowl of water overnight aren't viable, but I've had luck with even some of them.

[Barb_FL]

I've had really good luck with the paper towel method. Put seeds in a wet paper towel and then place in a sealed baggie. For cucumbers, I get germination < 24 hours, peppers in a couple of days. When you see the seed has germination, transplant to your mix. The best part with peppers is I never get helmet heads anymore.

I'm going to start my tomato seeds later this month only using this method. Then when I transplant, I will just do one per cell.

[swellcat]

When you see the seed has germination, transplant to your mix.

Do you plant root-down, with the seed partially above the mix?

Completely covered and packed under the mix?

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by swellcat

Do you plant root-down, with the seed partially above the mix?

Completely covered and packed under the mix?

I just place on the side and completely cover it just like a regular seed sowing.

[OmahaJB]

Thought I'd ask if any of those I sent seeds to last year had success with them? Germination, productivity, size, taste, etc. Just curious. I have the rest of last year's seeds in the fridge in case I get to grow again.

[Spike2]

Not sure who I got the seeds from but they grew beautiful plants but the peppers were on the smallish side. Had good flavor just small.

[Labradors2]

I grew them this year. Thanks Omaha! They germinated exceptionally well and grew well too. Like Spike, I too had smallish peppers from my Chinese Giant which tasted good. I had expected them to be large, but it was no big deal. None of my pepper plants were big this year either. Some years I need to stake them, but I guess it wasn't a great pepper year for me.

Linda

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I have a question. I was in grocery store yesterday and while looking at produce seen these huge peppers. I mean huge. I have long hands and what folks call piano fingers they so long and I picked one of them peppers up and it was bigger than my hand.

They had the box sitting on the floor as they were stocking them. On the box it said Select Giant. The peppers are big green bells. Is there such a pepper with that name or is it the Chinese Giant maybe renamed? I almost got one to see about saving seeds from, but didn't know if peppers that been refrigerated would produce viable seed or not?

About 5 years ago I saw the biggest red bell in the store that I've ever seen, it was huge! I saved seeds and have grown them. I call them Macoupin Monsters now... and they are still the biggest bell I grew this year.
O