Hot peppers

Does anyone know why my hot peppers never got hot last year? Years prior, they were almost to hot to eat. Jalepeno, Red Cayenne, Hungarian wax, Serrano Chili. I noticed very few I bought at the store in winter were hot, just tasted like green peppers. Was it just a bad year?

I didn't think it was bad year. I grew some Jalapenos that made me feel like I got shot up with novacaine...drooling and slurring... they were HOT! In fact most of the peppers I grew seemed especially hot, as did the ones I bought at the store. (Just to clarify I've eaten tons of Jalapenos, and my fair share of Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets, and green chili on pretty much everything I've eaten in the last 30 years so last year wasn't my first contact with a hot pepper)

Pure conjecture time: I *think* environment (mainly heat) has something to do with it, and I *think* you can increase/decrease the heat to some extent through controlling the water the plants have available near harvest time.



This message was edited Mar 29, 2009 3:32 AM

It could me a number of things... When was the last time you tested soil? If your soil is low in nutrient it affects all of your plants. I rotate crop position, cover crop/green manure, and add compost and organic fertilizer every year to my soil. Peppers are heavy feeders. I also agree with Dorkasaurus, it could also be stress from to much/to little water. I had a good crop last year. I grew jalapenos, Pimiento de Padron, and Sai San.

I wanted to share with you a good tip I picked up last year, and got a bumper crop!...If you pick off all of your first flowers, you have to wait longer to harvest but, your plants develop better root systems, and end up producing more! I hope you have better luck this year!!

Hadn't thought about this, my OH fertilized excessively last year. It wasn't enough to burn the plants or anything, but he was out there with the spreader all the time. Years prior, I hadn't really fertilized at all-my hot peppers did fine. Maybe that could be the reason. Still wish I knew the exact reason....

HA! I heard that it takes a really mean person to produce really hot peppers! Maybe you have soften up since last year! Maybe you should get a little meaner!

Well, I hadn't heard that before but I guess I could go out there and yell at the pepper plants a little...don't know what the neighbors would think though

Did it rain as much over there last year as it did here? We had a record-setting 70 inches or so of rain in 2008, and my peppers grew in mud most of the season.

The peppers liked that and I got real big crops, but the hot varieties weren't very hot at all.

70"-wow! The first couple months of the growing season we recieved a lot of rain. Part of central/southern IN was severly flooded, a lot of homes not even considered in flood plains were damaged. July/Aug was pretty dry as usual. I think I'll try moving them to a dryer part of the yard this year and keep them in a seperate bed so my OH doesn't fertilize them as much.

I will say it's true. The more I abused my hot pepper plants, the hotter they got. Wow!

Maybe since the plants only goal in life is to reproduce and Capsaicin (the hot stuff) is it's primary defense mechanism it produces the hottest peppers possible if it feels stressed or threatened by it's environment. If rain and fruit is abundant perhaps it's less protective?

I grew mine in a pot, so it was easy to neglect/forget them and then the plant would wilt and I'd water it again real quick. I got ~150 habaneros off 1 plant and they were molten lava hot.

Mine were also grown in a pot and somewhat neglected...maybe that's the key to growing fire. I only used 3 gallon containers so I didn't grow any monster plants but what peppers I did get were much hotter than expected. This year I'll experiment a little to see if the pots and/or neglect actually make a difference. I have one bed that's been mulched and worked with compost, one bed that's "just dirt", and pots with potting soil. I'll plant a scotch bonnet and/or habanero & trinidad scorpion in each and see what happens...

Up for grabs: Cayenne Pepper Seeds! I got these along with another purchase, however I'm not a fan of spicy foods. They are in a hermetically sealed packet. I'll send them to the first person to DMail me. Best Wishes!

Cayenne Pepper Seeds have been spoken for!

Have a nice Easter everyone!

Peppers liking neglect reminds me of a recent conversation with a tomato growing friend. I was complaining about the long awaited tomato - finally picked - tasting bland. He said, cut back on water when the fruit begins to ripen. It causes the plant to push sugar to the fruit and increases the flavor.

Could it have the same effect on the capiscan in peppers to increase the heat you think?

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 9:35 PM

The hotter the weather, the spicier radishes grow. Could hot peppers be the same?

Yes, I have heard that is true.