Help a newbie to pepper-growing?

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

Hi! I have only grown one variety of pepper for many years (chinese 5 colour) which has been fun because I bring him indoors in the winter where he flowers and fruits for me (usually). Very hardy as a small ornamental that grows peppers I can eat!

I would like to expand to grow maybe 4 different peppers this year which I can can for pickled pepper rings, and salsa. I am accustomed to tomato growing (normally 15-20 varieties). I have been hesitant about pepper because I don't have a large growing area and have been worried about crossing them. Will a 'cross' between hot and sweet peppers result in peppers that year that are less hot or more sweet than they should be? Or can I just not save seeds from them? Is there anything I need to know about soil preparation that is different than for tomatoes? Do you have recommendations for varieties to start with?
I was thinking Jalepeno, Hungarian Wax and Lemon Drop....

There are few compact pepper plants similar to Chinese 5 color that I can suggest:
--- NeMex Twilight
--- Sanagria
--- Tepin
--- Cumari du Para
--- Poinsetia
--- Black Pearl

Hungaria Wax and Lemon Drop are also easy to grom. With the HW, you don't have to wait to get the pods ripe. You can harvest and use them in green stage.

BTW: I am growing all of those that I mentioned above, plus a lot more.