need suggestions for next years pepper grow list

[silverseed]

What varieties of pepper plants do people want to buy . I have had several people ask me to grow pepper plants for them to buy from me next year but most of them are not familiar with the variety names so I'm trying to figure out what is popular and what people would want. Any suggestions for a 2016 grow list of what I should grow that people will like and be happy with would be helpful. Thanks

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by silverseed

What varieties of pepper plants do people want to buy . I have had several people ask me to grow pepper plants for them to buy from me next year but most of them are not familiar with the variety names so I'm trying to figure out what is popular and what people would want. Any suggestions for a 2016 grow list of what I should grow that people will like and be happy with would be helpful. Thanks

Surprisingly while everyone asks for peppers, few buy many. I sell mostly things like mexibell. But I grow a few bell peppers, banana peppers, both hot and mild, Jalapenos, Habaneros, Puyas etc.. mostly for myself, and sell whatever I don't use....or better put, use what doesn't sell.

[Patihum]

Unless you're selling to informed gardeners I'd stick with the basics such as different colored bells for the sweets and jalapenos or maybe serranos for the hots.

Of course there's always the daring who want to try super hots like ghost peppers that they've been reading about.

[Edit: I misread your question and thought you were talking about selling fruits. See my next post.]

From my observations, it appears that the general public tends to know about a handful of peppers. Here are some (but I'm sure there are some others):

* Bell peppers (People don't tend to distinguish much between varieties. Most people don't seem to realize there are more than one or a few varieties.)
* Jalapeño (People don't tend to distinguish between varieties.): these are common in the grocery store in a whole lot of forms, including pickled, as flavoring for chips, fresh, frozen, in pizza places, etc.
* Banana peppers (sweet ones): these are common on/with pizza, in salad bars, pickled, etc.
* Serrano; these are common in the grocery store, fresh and frozen
* Cayenne: mostly familiar as powder, but also to a lot of gardeners who aren't super into peppers
* Habañero: While these aren't particularly common, they are well-known and more common than most peppers for a variety of uses, including, notably, salsa.
* Ghost (Bhut Jolokia); Ghost peppers are trendy.
* Pimento: primarily those in green olives
* Paprika: primarily as a powder—people might not know paprika comes from peppers
* Poblano: I've seen Poblano salsa in the grocery store (and Poblanos are common in the Mexican stores)
* Chilaca: These are common in Mexican stores.
* Anaheim (known more commonly by other names, though, like California pepper, or New Mexican pepper, depending on where they're grown; these are common in Mexican stores)
* Chile Del Arbol: This is common in Mexican stores (sold dry, in bags, for a low price).
* Thai: These appear to be common in Mexican stores.
* Tabasco: for hot sauce

When I say something is common in Mexican stores, keep in mind that I haven't been to a lot of Mexican stores, but they seem to be mainstays for those I have been to in eastern Oregon.

Carolina Reapers actually aren't well-known to most people, despite being the world's hottest pepper. So, if you sold those, you might want to advertise that they're the world's hottest pepper more so than the variety name. Facts and information can help a product to sell. Be prepared for people to tell you that some other pepper that once was thought to be the hottest is the hottest, though (like Habaneros, Ghost peppers, or the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion). Maybe make a chart that shows when what was the hottest, and put it up by the peppers. Also, be prepared for people to be afraid to eat anything hotter than a jalapeno. They'll probably need some incentive. Also, some might not realize which peppers are hot and which ones are not hot (not everyone knows that for peppers, sweet means 'not hot/spicy'). Make sure they know.

You'll be lucky if an individual has heard of *all* of those others I listed, too, but those are a lot of the ones that lots of people know about in the USA (at least in the regions I've lived in), and that are commonly used commercially. People might not realize that pimentos are peppers, though.

If you just call some peppers chile peppers (and put the actual variety name in the fine print), that might be more marketable with the general populace (not with pepper enthusiasts), since people don't always distinguish between kinds of chile peppers. If you put the real variety name in the fine print, that should make pepper enthusiasts happy (don't leave it out, even for bell peppers, jalapenos, etc., or they won't be as interested). Don't be afraid of them saving the seeds and growing your peppers, either. They'll probably grow another pepper anyway, and they'll probably buy peppers again anyway.

What I would suggest doing, if you want to make other peppers more marketable, is not to worry about making a profit on the lesser known peppers the first year or two, and instead give away a free pod of those peppers with each purchase. They may actually remember and want them in the years to come, and they may tell other people about them. In fact, free samples might help you sell them the same year, and attract more customers. They may try one and decide to buy more of that kind in the same visit.

Oh, I thought you were talking about selling fruits (not plants).

For plants, people seem to want Jalapenos and bell peppers more than anything, and to a lesser extent, banana, cayenne, habaneros, serrano, and probably some others I didn't list in my previous post (like maybe Hungarian Wax and Corno Di Toro Rosso/Red). For bell peppers, I might recommend California Wonder 300 and related plants like Yolo Wonder and Capistrano (due to their hardiness). Make sure the varieties are adapted to the area if you're selling locally. (I mean, if it's super dry, make sure they're drought-tolerant, if you can.)

These are my observations for local selling (at least in my area, which may or may not be representative of others), though. I imagine common pepper choices for Ohio could be different. If you're selling online, you could get away with more variety.

[pmcgrady]

Shish!to might be a good one, it's a Japanese frying pepper.

[Worth1]

Sometimes in our enthusiasm we forget how little the general public knows about peppers, tomatoes or anything else for that matter.
When I was giving the tomato plants to the friend of mine the other day she told me she didn't want any wild exotic tomatoes.
She is in her 60's and has gardened all of her life.
She did know about Fresno peppers for some reason and liked them and she took a plant home with her.

This is my take on it and what I have seen.
Nurseries sell more selections than big box stores because people that go there like plants and are more apt to buy things you dont normally see.
Big box stores have a team of figure heads sitting around thinking about money and sales.
They dont really care if you cant find your favorite plant there.
The grocery store HEB more or less sells the same peppers that they sell in the store.
The young man that runs the outside department plant and garden section at the store I had a talk with the other day.
He is from Washington state and was raised on an apple orchard.
He has a suppler he can order from and he is the one in charge of ordering things.
I have to say it was a breath of fresh air to see someone care about what trees they ordered and made sure the chill hours were correct for our era.
The other man that helps him knows about plants and trees too and both can answer any questions.
But they do have to order things that will sell.

Worth

[BigVanVader]

Like others said, I find that Bells and jalapenos are really about the only two worth growing in large numbers. I always take my superhots but dont sell many, which is fine because I need them for my own use.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by shule1

You'll be lucky if an individual has heard of *all* of those others I listed, too, but those are a lot of the ones that lots of people know about in the USA (at
What I would suggest doing, if you want to make other peppers more marketable, is not to worry about making a profit on the lesser known peppers the first year or two, and instead give away a free pod of those peppers with each purchase. They may actually remember and want them in the years to come, and they may tell other people about them. In fact, free samples might help you sell them the same year, and attract more customers. They may try one and decide to buy more of that kind in the same visit.

I like that idea giving away a free pod if they buy something. Thanks! Never would have thought to do it with peppers until you said something.

Originally Posted by Starlight

I like that idea giving away a free pod if they buy something. Thanks! Never would have thought to do it with peppers until you said something.

You're very welcome! I'm glad you liked the idea.