HUGE, SWEET, THICK Walled

[mensplace]

When I visit the International markets here I see red, yellow, and Green Peppers that are massive in size and weight, with thick walls..totally unlike anything I have ever been able to grow. Even those I have purchased as plants inevitably produce small, thin walled varieties that are hardly worth the trouble...certainly nothing like those that are grown in other countries. Is this because of the seed varieties or simply the growing conditions. Here, peppers tend to ripen in the heat of summer. Have any of you been able to produce those beautiful, delicious, thick walled, trophy peppers? The closest I ever came with sweetness and thick walls was pimiento, but it was miniscule in comparison to those bell types I see.

On another pursuit; the wife loves pickled peperoncini, but the only ones I have seen in the catalogs are hot. The lady doesn't do hot. Suggestions?

Thanks to a few of you, I have now planted my seeds for Paprika styles and am really looking forward to making my own!

[Marko]

Originally Posted by mensplace

Is this because of the seed varieties or simply the growing conditions.

Can be both. Some varieties never produce big thick walled peppers. And you can't expect all fruits to be perfect, I'm satisfied if I get more than half "marketable" ones. Last year I was growing Red Beauty from TGS, Jolly Giallo F1 and one Hungarian hybrid, can't remember name. They all did fine, still have a lot of them in freezer.
Growing conditions are also important, peppers need a lot of organic matter in soil, much more than tomatoes, and low nitrogen fertilizers.

[DeanRIowa]

On another pursuit; the wife loves pickled peperoncini, but the only ones I have seen in the catalogs are hot. The lady doesn't do hot. Suggestions?

In the new Sandhill Preservations catalog there is a pepper called:

Golden Greek
75 days. 2 to 3 inch elongated thumb sized peppers. Used for making pickled peppers. Not overly sweet (but not hot), good pepper flavor.


I plan on trying the Golden Greek this year and my guess is that this is a peperoncini type pepper.

*Note: Sandhill Preservation's website has not been updated yet, but their catalogs have started to arrive.


Dean

[Blueaussi]

I gave up on growing bell peppers around here. They weren't as hardy as some of the other types, and seemed to always come down with some problem or another. I grow pimentos and Italian types like Marconi and Corno Di Toro to get thicker sweet peppers.

I'm tempted to try some bells in an earthtainer and see if that doesn't make a difference, but I think I should probably stick to tomatoes this first year I use them.

If you're determined to go after a thick-walled bell, http://www.chileplants.com/ allows you to search on wall thickness in their advanced search. That would give you the names of some varieties to google on for seed.

[Worth1]

I cant grow a big bell pepper either I gave up some time ago.

Worth

[mjc]

Almost all of those huge, very thick walled peppers are grown in greenhouses under very controlled conditions (even in Florida...more to keep them cool, than anything else). Probably in the mid 70s temperature range with wet but not soaking, if not hydroponically, and lots of nutrients...plus most of the ones in the stores are hybrids especially selected for greenhouse production AND very thick flesh.

[DeanRIowa]

I never had good luck with Bell peppers in my garden, thus I have switched to non-bell sweet peppers. I really liked the Cubanelle and Feher Ozon paprika peppers last year, they were both very prolific. I will be trying as well some Aconcagua and Giant Szegedi peppers this year for sweet peppers.

Now 200' away my brother the beginner non-gardener type did great with California Wonder bell peppers. Go figure!

Dean

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by DeanRIowa

I never had good luck with Bell peppers in my garden, thus I have switched to non-bell sweet peppers. I really liked the Cubanelle and Feher Ozon paprika peppers last year, they were both very prolific. I will be trying as well some Aconcagua and Giant Szegedi peppers this year for sweet peppers.

Now 200' away my brother the beginner non-gardener type did great with California Wonder bell peppers. Go figure!

Dean

Worth

[Marko]

Hey guys, don't be so depressive, although today’s the most depressive day of the year
With bell pepper I just follow these simple rules:

• choose right variety
• choose warm and sunny site
• prune first flowers
• plant in soil rich in organic matter, this is the most important rule, or plant in conatiners
• water regularly
• fertilize with composted chicken manure, avoid high nitrogen fertilizers

More than half of my bell peppers looks like supermarket ones, but you can smell the difference

[puttgirl]

Non-bell sweets are tougher, too. Probably the best size bell I've gotten have been the quadrato's.

[Blueaussi]

Hey Marko, how hot does it get, and for how long where you are? I think that temperature is only part of the problem around here, but Im interested in comparing to yours.

It warms up pretty quickly around here, with most days in the 90's (32C) in June, most days in the upper 90's to the low100's (35 - 38C) in July and August. Nighttime temperatures are regualrly above 70F (21C).

[Worth1]

I Think I'm going to cut back on the N and pull the first blooms, I have never done that before.
Good advice.
We shall see.
The bell peppers we get here are from southern Ca and they are huge so I don't think the heat is the problem.

worth

[montanamato]

I am sure the market peppers are greehouse grown and hybrids...
I have only had great peppers with Trinity Red...a Russian variety from Tania...Friens of mine do pretty well with Chinese giant...

I too prefer to grow Italian elongated types of fryers...Most are sweet and prolific...After being sliced and frozen I can't tell they weren't bell shaped when I cook with them..

Try Golden Treasure...It is a machine and very sweet...Melrose is very good too.

For really thick walls Alma paprika and Figaro which are of course much smaller than big bells...

Jeanne

[Blueaussi]

Yes, cut back on the nitrogen. Peppers are more sensitive to high nitrogen than tomatoes in my experience, so whatever you do, don't give Miracle Grow to peppers!
Unless you like aphids, that is.

[mvan]

I had a pretty good year for peppers last year. I grew Gypsy, Blushing Beauty, Orange Sun, Early Sunsation, and Hershey. They were all pretty good. For the bells, the Hershey was pretty thick, but the peppers were smaller than the others...