Best Bell Pepper seeds for Texas

I've grown bell peppers in my garden twice. Both times I had the same situation: the bell peppers struggled through the heat of the summer, barely putting on peppers, only to explode with peppers in the fall. Last november I had 17 peppers on one plant that were immature at the time of our first freeze. I took them off before the freeze and used them, but I would love to get a plant that will produce like that before it cools down.

The variety I've been planting is California Wonder. Just wondering if any Texas people have luck with a different variety.

I really don't think there is a problem with the soil or the watering. I tried various things last summer to amend those possible issues. I think it's blossom drop due to heat.

Cal Wonder is a open pollinated pepper.
Try a hybrid. We plant King Arthur & it is amazing.
We can get over 100º in summer & it don't seem to bother it.
Set plants out end of May & picking peppers by Mid July.

Are you starting your peppers indoors? Peppers are hard for me to germinate, so I start early, then have to plant several different times to actually get enough plants to set out in the spring after the soil warms up enough.
Peppers grow very slow until the weather actually heats up, I usually get a crop before the real hot weather comes then a great fall crop.

I will give King Arthur a try!

Yes, I start indoors. My plants start flowering around late May I think, maybe June. I haven't started any yet this year, though. I was thinking about ordering seeds online soon, since California Wonder seems to be what I've been finding at the stores.

Nothing makes me want to plan a garden more than dealing with this unusually cold winter. Who knows... maybe the summer will be mild too and I won't even have to worry about too much heat!

Here are the varieties that I am growing his year and that i have been very productive in the previous years:
Corno di Toro Rosso Pepper (my absolute favorite)
Atris Pepper
Corno di Toro Giallo Pepper
Red Marconi Pepper
Doux D'Espagne or Spanish Mammoth Pepper
Thai Long Sweet Pepper
I have started the seeds on January 28th 2014. They have almost all germinated.

honesteyes-have you tried growing sweet non bell peppers? I've had much better luck with them regarding yield and size.

drthor, thanks for the pics! Looks like you've had very productive pepper plants!! Thanks for the variety recommendations.

1lisac, I think I will try some sweet non bell peppers too. I've got so many bell pepper recipes, I'd love to get a lot of those, but I think I'll also have to go for a pepper variety that can yield more!

Sweet non bells work great in recipes as a substitute for bells, at least in my experience. The peppers are better quality with a much larger yield. Golden (yellow) and Red Marconis are my favorite, the purple don't seem to get as big. These are O/Ps and mature later, I'm sure there are some earlier ones or hybrids that would work well too.

1lisac: Thanks for the recommendations!! I'm excited to try them!

Your welcome. It took me a long time to get it thru my thick head, that I could grow other sweet peppers, that weren't bells, and get much the same flavor but much better yield and quality, just in a different shape. The plants get loaded and usually need support, and many of the peppers are 8" long.

I just ordered the Golden (yellow) and Red Marconis from Baker Creek. The reviews were very good.

Thanks!

Hope I have enough season to bring in a good crop of peppers.

How interesting... sweet non bell peppers. Never heard them called that.

I had grown Marconis in the past and for the past few years have successfully had large crops of one called a Red Skin Pepper. I chose it because it was small fruited and I felt it would produce more than waiting for the larger fruit.

It starts later in the heat and produces until a hard freeze. It will produce many pickings of peppers and they taste like the green bell. I will usually let the last of them ripen so I also have some red peppers.

Trying another type this summer ~ Cajun Belle ~ just for the challenge but was more than pleased with the Red Skin.

I would suspect these would be considered a non bell also. Never heard it called that though. Thanks.... Kristi

Cajun Belle is a bell pepper, but like the Mexi-bell and Fahita Bell has a bit of heat. It is not exactly a sweet pepper. I grow both bells and frying peppers and have no problems with either. Gator Bell does a little better when it is hot and humid. Melrose is a great small frying type and the bullhorn types for a larger size. Cubanelles also do very well.

Just wanted to post, as a reminder, that all these peppers can be used green.....if you don't want to wait as long.

Hi Pod, good to see you!

Hey Lisa ~ glad to see you are still sharing your knowledge and information. Seems I'm always learning from you and everyone else here.

And thank you, Farmer Dill. It sounds like I should plant the Cajun Belles as well as my favored Red Skin pepper. I'm not intending to save seeds so should not matter. Appreciate your info. Kristi

Glad to see EVERYONE here!

Honest,

The sweet, non-bell, Gypsy hybrid is also a good pepper. It has good size and good flavor green and ripe.

David