Peppers for 2010 - Whose in?

Well looks like I will be starting the new year off with peppers for 2009! Hope to grow more, but these are from the sweet bells I raised and then brought in under lights and am still babying now!

Is anyone able to grow LARGE bell peppers? Mine are about the same size as your pic, but I want to grow LARGE bell peppers. Bells, and onions, appear in just about every meal I cook.

Thanks!

Oh, when I had them outside, the fruits were large. That is the crop I got from them being inside. I moved my pepper pots to my laundry room and they are now under lights....

Makes a difference that natural light from the sun!

Linda I've never grown one I would call large as compared to the grocery store. My best effort to date is about half that size. I will try again next year because I love stuffed peppers and prepping all those small ones for freezing or drying is a lot of extra work.

A lot of people have complaints about their bell peppers and many have given it up for the conical shaped ones. I agree that they produce very well but I still want some big bells.

I used Oscomote to fertilize mine and I had great size peppers from these plants and yummy stuffed peppers.

I cheated in starting them though and got some cell paks in the spring.

I put them to the pots right away and they had full sun with regulare watering.

I dont have any luck with peppers field grown and this was the first time in years I decided to grow them and had wonderful luck in the pots!

From base of pot to top of plant they are now about 3 feet tall! The trunks of the plant are getting woody, but they are still growing and putting out branches of new growth!

If you want big bells try Big Bertha or Superheaviweight. There are others that grow large, the store varieties are production hybrids, some of which are available from dual vendors like Johnny's, Stokes, or Twilley. The only OP that I have had grow large is an old timer named Chinese Giant. Good size when it hits but not very good otherwise. Jupitor is a good size, larger than California Wonder or King of the North. All are good op's, but for consistency and size, you should investigate hybrids.

We plant around 500 plants of Fat 'n' Sassy. You can get them from Totally Tomatoes.
This year was a little better than normal, but they are always big. Shape is almost always good, mostly 4 lobed. We plant them in our best soil. We also use green plastic mulch to deter weeds & make them a little earlier.
The plants only get about 22" tall which is good to keep them upright.
We've tried Big Bertha & Super Heavyweight. Both get big, but it takes forever & shape is terrible.
Bernie

Picture was taken late in the year after we had picked thousands of peppers. The red ones are mostly Fat 'n' Sassy.

Mine are California Wonders. While I admit they could have been more consistant in size, they were all yummy!

I am trying a few plants of Jupiter right now. They are just making peppers.

Blossombuddy -

Well, no actually they got hit by an ice before we brought them in and so the were not left to go to full maturity, but I beleive too the lighting and that has to do with it as well.

I like Oscomote, use it in all my container plants. I also use chicken poo tea or horsemanure tea.. but not in the house. Drives the dog nuts! ANd your right on with the organics causing rot.

Made the mistake of overwatering the compost/potting mix potteds in the house and droop city. Some came out of it some dint!

I end up removing all the plants off each shelves every 2-3 weeks for cleaning. The peppers are above my lights and have to use the ceiling florescent! And the light under the counter they are on...

(OK, now how did ya make that qoute box?!!)

Blossombuddy follow this link - it will explain how to make a quote box

http://davesgarden.com/faq/forums/#172

LOL! Cool! Master Dave knows all!

Well the peppers ae still doing pretty good although I have had to clean up leaves periodically. They seem to be sporting some new growth.

I keep debating on weather or not to cut them back so they are below my lights. They are pretty woody!

Has anyone cut theirs back without issues?

I'm "In" for peppers. I'll be growing Big Bertha, Better Bell and California Wonder as far as bells go, and Serranos and Jalapenos for the hot varieties. Nothing fancy, but this will be my 3rd season for peppers and I have yet to have any major success (I blame "circumstances beyond my control" in all honesty)

I read in the Houston Chronicle today (the gardening section) that it's time to start peppers and tomatoes from seed so I will be getting started on that real soon.

Sez you in TX! not starting them from seed here that early!

We got snow!

I just participated in a big trade for peppers and have scads of new ones to try....some I can't even find with google. The past 2 gardens were for experimenting and it sure was interesting. I had lots of beautiful ones from around the world but most were hot and I don't do hot. I seriously need to cut back but they're fascinating to me and it will be hard to narrow it down. So far I've definitely decided on the following which are all new to me.

Giant Szedegi
Red Cheese
Chinese Giant
Boldog Paprika
Melrose
Giant Aconcagua
Sweet mix
Big Red

I'm wintering over some Tepin, Pinocchio's Nose, Jalapeno, Peru Yellow and Sweet Havana. These should suffice for an early start.

Last spring the aphids were unmerciful on my peppers until it got warmed up and then they quietly went away. So I'm going to wait until February to start seeds rather than battle the aphids early.

Did you know that peppers have as much or more vitamin C than citrus? It's true.

WOW that is some mix you have there!

Im pretty much just gonna stay with my bell peppers. I know, boring, but I cant eat those hotties anymore and if I have to raise something it has to be something someone else can eat too! Mine go towards the food pantries so need to have something just plain and yummy.

Yep, heard that about the vitamin C.

twiggybuds - I'm allergic to all citrus, so have to get my "C" from other sources. I love sweet peppers, but when I try to grow the really big ones, the bugs get to them before they turn red.

I have had the best success with "California Wonder" which is what I plan to sow next spring. For some reason, they manage to turn red before the bugs find them!

California Wonders are good, so are Big Bertha and a few other bells.

Has anyone tried a pepper-tomato? I received seed for them in a trade and have no idea what they are!

Stuffing tomatoes like Red Stffer, Yellow Stuffer and Striped Cavern are hollow and resemble a bell pepper. On the other hand there are sweet peppers shaped like a tomato.

Tomato Pepper

Well, farmerdill, not sure if were talking the same thing.. the pack I got says pepper-tomato! LOL! But I get and see what your saying!

I've seen the pepper tomato and the tomato pepper listed for sale but never in the flesh. I had some fun this summer with Opalka tomatoes. They look a lot more like a long, pointed, red pepper and it was a trip to watch the facial expressions. I just can't get used to that shape but they are excellent for sauce.

For sure there are enough different peppers and tomatoes that we can all grow something new and different every year for life.

I know what you mean, Twiggy. this is probably old news to some of the more experienced growers, but there ia a hot pepper called "peter, red" in one of my seed catalogs...my facial expression must have been priceless. I thought it was my mind in the gutter until I read the pepper description..."Ornery heirloom...sure to shock the prudish, and amuse..." Hilarious.

It also comes in Orange and Yellow.

LOL! All in a name!

John I can't believe it's time to plant mater seeds! I'm planning on WSing my tomato seeds outside. I can't take the inside, lights regimen this season. I've been prepping gallon milk jugs I've collected from Starbucks. Sooooo I guess I know what I'll be spending my HD gift card on - MG potting mix for my EBs! I'll start em in Coco Coir, off in a sunny corner somewhere, and wait for March 1st to transplant them into the EBs. What do you guys plant bell peppers in? They really need bottom heat to germinate, I believe. I could sit the seed tray on a metal pan sitting on a heating pad... monitored, of course. Any ideas?

Gymgirl, I know we're a lot warmer than you are this time of year(we're below normal this year), but I sow my pepper seeds in the seed row in the garden. The jalapenos and poblanos took 8 days to germinate, the bells came up in 7 days. I just sowed some Italian peppers a few days ago, forgot to check if they were up.

I've done well with California Wonder and also have Fat & Sassy seed.

Wow, Calalily! I sowed some bell pepper seeds from a storebought RIPE bell pepper last season, and it took about 12 weeks for that thing to come outta the soil. And this was in a Rotissirie chicken container with a vented, clear plastic top, sitting outside in the grass, in the sun most of the time! I thought it'd NEVER come up.

Ya'll have powerful sunshine down in Padre!

I'll go ahead and sow some in the milk jugs this weekend, but I'm also gonna sow some inside my office on that heating pad and see what happens comparison-wise.

Thanks for the feedback!

No doubt Gymgirl, it’s almost tomato- time again and that dawned on me only recently. Have you WS’d peppers or tomatoes before? I had originally planned on starting plants indoors, under lights, because it’s something that I have always wanted to do. Then another DGer suggested I check-out the Winter Sowing forum for other ideas. I don’t know much about WSing so it was a real eye-opener. I need to do more research before I take the plunge, though (with regards to peppers and tomatoes.)

I also bought a 4’ fluorescent light for my indoor seeds/ plants. I am playing catch-up as chance would have it because I have been pre-occupied with school so I feel like I have a steep learning curve ahead. This will be my 1st attempt at growing plants from seed and I hope I am not making a mountain out of a mole hill. I’m still very much in the planning phase, unfortunately.

I did, however, direct sow Big Bertha and a Jalapeno plant last fall with moderate success. I could have picked a sunnier location, though.

John,
Let me educate you in a hurry. I've been doing the inside, fluorescent lights routine since I started my first tomato in January 2007. I built the light shelves and all. Got about 8 shop lights and stacks of trays, and seed pots, and other growing paraphernalia. If this WSing goes like I think it will, I won't ever grow a tomato seedling inside again, especially since there's an easier way.

Do yourself a favor because you have time, because this is simple, and because you have options.

Just get yourself a couple of gallon milk jugs from your local Starbucks (I'm collecting them by the 45-gallon bag, 15-20 at a time!) or bum rush a nursery, or go buy some milk and drink it (Milk -- it does a body good!).

Heat up a phillips screwdriver tip on your stove burner and poke holes in the bottom AND around the top of the jug. Turn your stove vent on and don't breathe in while the plastic's smoking! This'll go lightening fast if you alternate between two screwdrivers...

Use an exacto knife to slit the jug open horizontally on three sides. Start the cut just a tad higher than halfway up that back label. Start just outside the label and cut around to the other side of the label -- but don't cut through the label -- this side'll serve as a hinge on the lid.

Fill your jug with 3-4" of seed starting mix that's been sufficiently moistened, or just saturate it and let the jug drain the excess away overnight. Then, sprinkle some tomato seeds on top of that mix, and cover lightly with some more mix. Close the jug up, anchor it shut with a couple strips of duct tape, and sit it outside in a fairly sunny spot for a couple weeks.

Forget about it (I know you won't -- neither will I -- 'cause we wanna peek and see what's happening). Well, check it periodically to see if it's getting enough water, or that it's not getting fried from too much heat, etc. and make the necessary adjustments.

When those seedlings are approximately 8-10 tall, transplant them into their final growing location and praise God for how simple He made it!

Last January as I was putzing around in my yard I spied a clump of about 8 volunteer tomato seedlings coming up outta the ground just as happy as you please. It was FREEZING cold out there, but there they were, just as short and sturdy as all get out, bracing against the January cold and winds. But they were growing strong! If they can do that on their own outside in the elements, they can do it on their own inside a milk jug, only a little more protected and comfortable!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited about the thought of not having to hook up all those growing contraptions inside!!!

LMK what you think. Let's do this! We can do this! YES, WE CAN!

Linda

I'll be planting more bell peppers this year. Last year, I only had a total of 4 plants (2 reds, 1 yellow, and 1 orange). This year I'm planning on having LOTS of all of them! LOL I'll winter sow them as well.

http://www.reimerseeds.com/peter-pepper-hot-peppers-red.aspx These have to be the most obscene thing I've ever seen. I'm going to send a sixpack to my girl friends husband for his garden. I can see her face now!!!! Thanks John C.
I needed the laugh.

Yehudith

Now, now, now.... It's a reasonable facsimile of a bona fide, legitimate, part of the body...

Wow Gymgirl, thanks for all of the info!!! I feel better about WS'ing my tomatoes. For some reason, I thought tomatoes *had* to be started indoors becasue the seeds would not germinate outdoors (in time.) Anyway, my seeds (including tomatoes) are already en route from Parks so I can't wait to get started. I have already collected several 1-gal milk jugs, and 2-liter bottles as well. I'll probably hit-up my neighbor for her stuff as well. I'll keep ya'll posted.

Yehudith- LOL! Yeah, that's basically what I saw in my seed catalog. My wife got a good laugh. Whoever developed that pepper has a wicked sense of humor! Who says gardeners aren't funny?!?

You should tell your friends they are ordinary Jalapenos...



This message was edited Dec 30, 2009 4:33 PM

Yano, Lorena Bobbit probaly would like that!
...... Whaaack!

Then it would take another certain kinda "Bunny" to
eat that.....




gerrrrgh!

You know, a friend of mine here who teaches permaculture direct seeds her peppers and tomatoes around JANUARY 1st... I though she was crazy as a loon, but she's been doing it for years. I'm gonna try it this year. Basically the same concept as wintersowing. I too once thought you HAD TO start maters and peppers inside - lol...

Meanwhile back at the a-hem....pepper patch.. um.....after seeing that I will never think of stuffing peppers again.



THUD!

You're on a roll, BlossomBuddy.

Try the veal, everyone. Oh, and tip your waiters.