We have gone to growing the small, sweet chilies and only a few bell peppers. We save the seeds every year. They have thick walls like a bell pepper and taste sweeter. They average 2" to 3" long, are early and prolific, and the small ones can be eaten like gum drops as they are virtually seedless. We have red, yellow, and orange, and use them just like bell peppers except for stuffing. If I'm active enough this winter, I will try to offer some on the seed exchange.

We also grow Jalapeno and Hungarian wax for pickling. If anyone wants recipes, send me an e-mail from "my page".

This post was edited by terry_neoh on Mon, May 19, 14 at 6:49

djkj: Several things in that video, I totally disagree with. So, take what you want from that video, but if you really want to learn to grow peppers, just hang out in the hot pepper forum. Same principles apply, whether hot or sweet.

Kevin

Thanks for the link! I grow Ace and Lipstick. Have had pretty good luck with both. I love peppers because we can leave them on the vine until we're ready to eat them. I don't end up giving away so much of my hard work, heh.

loribee2 - I will try out the Ace variety. I usually end up growing Big Bertha Green and some Poblano varieties (I love Poblano!). Thanks for the tip!

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing peppers in your garden

woohooman - can you share what things you do not agree with? I can add those tips from you when growing this season.

OK.

1) it says 6 weeks before frost indoors. It's not as simple as that -- generally, one needs help with warmth just to get pepper seeds to germinate. Heat mats are commonly used, but something as simple as a the top of a dvr or refrigerator can be used. You want the temp to be somewhere between about 75-88F, with 88 being the sweet spot. Also, 6 weeks would be bare minimum for annuums. I'd go 8 minimum and at least 12 for chinense varieties. If frost happens to stick around longer than expected, one can always pot up. Having a nice mature seedling is paramount, especially for those in colder climates who only have a small window to work with. There's much more to starting indoors though. I suggest a visit to growing under lights forum and/or hot pepper forum.

2) it says 16" pot. Well, that may be fine for THAT pot, but I have 16" containers that are only 8" deep. That won't work. You need some depth also Container size is debatable depending on variety and length of season and the amount of potting mix one wants to buy. Many people(not me) grow their chinenses in as small as 2 gallon. I, myself, have had success with 5 gal buckets. But much better with 10-15 because of my longer growing season. With large fruited annuums like bells and others the video shows, I've done the 5 gal. But... the harvests past the 1st one suffer with misshapen and smaller fruit. For those varieties, I recommend 10 gal or bigger. I'm not saying you can't get a decent harvest in a smallish container, but the bigger the better, imho.

3) it says the Ancho Poblano is also known as the Pasilla. Not true. Here, in SoCal, Poblanos are sold with the name Pasilla in the grocery stores. It's a misnomer though. Pasillas are actually Chilacas --- a totally different peppers variety.

4) drip irrigation. This one really bothers me. Although it may be efficient, it's not the best way to water pepper plants. Pepper plants hate "wet feet." The soil like to be dried out between waterings.. almost to the point of wilting. So, if you go outside one morn or evening and your plants are still wilting from the hot summer, it's time to give them a good soak. One gets a feel for this the more they grow them. You actually don't want to get them to wilt stage, but right before it. But, better wilt than overwater. And with drip, I see too constant of a moisture level. So, here's how I do it. Water thoroughly, let get almost wilt, deep soak. Let get almost wilt, deep soak... and so on.

5) mulch. Love it! But, the chances of it breaking down and becoming useful to your plant is pretty small in one season. Still, always a good idea to mulch. SO, no true complaint here. Although, those leaves being used is garden "litter." Many pests "hibernate" in leaf litter, so one may be better off using bark or something else and saving the leaves for the compost pile.

6) Organic fertilizers. I have no problem with them whatsoever and in the beginning may give a boost to growth. But, maintaining a microherd in smallish containers is difficult because of temperature fluctuations. The only time i do organic in a container is with large containers like barrels. Anything smaller, and I go synthetic. 1 TB of CRF per gallon of soil and half doses weekly with an All Purpose water soluble fert--- Miracle Gro 24-8-16 or Foliage Pro 9-3-6 are 2 very common ones. If using MG, you'll need to supplement with Ca and Mg. Dolomite lime is used a lot or CalMag. Check the ingredients on your soil mix for lime since too much lime will raise ph too high.

7) Fish ferts for BLOOMS? Not too sure on that statement, but if the person in the video feels it works for them, then who am I to argue? The general rule is phosphorus for flowering, but a well balanced fertilizer is generally all that's needed for peppers. Fish ferts are a good way to keep the microherd going though, but like i said, organic ferts I tend to keep for in ground plants and LARGE containers. Not too sure on the foliar spraying also. There are some veggies that like to get their leaves wet. Like most though, peppers do not. JMO

8) Fetilizing -- all depends. Like i said, a well balanced 3-1-2 ratio with micronutes is best with containers every week at half doses. Epsom salts -- again with the foliar -- i say no. I also say no to epsoms unless my plants are showing they need some Mg. Then, I just add 1/2 tsp to my regular ferts for soil drench.

9) Cutworms and hornworms. Neem oil is used for soft bodied insects like aphids, mites, and whiteflies. Also fungal issues. For cutworms, diatomaceous earth can help, but it can also kill beneficials. Beneficial nematodes can help also, but I found that just a couple toothpicks inserted into the soil at the base of the seedling will prevent cutworms from wrapping around the stalk and nipping it at soil level. Hornworms -- hand picking helps, but i found that an IPM program and bi-weekly sprayings of BT (K variant) keeps them at bay.

10) Blossom end rot. A lot of people think that it's fixable. It may be in future harvests, but you want the ca to be present from the get go because most forms of it need time to break down and be used by the plants. If you're looking to get instant Ca to a plant, one may want to google "smokemaster witch's brew." But the best is to have it present in the beginning. Lime, bone meal, etc should be applied several months in advance.

11) When harvesting the peppers, I notice a lot of falling leaves and yellowing. This goes back to overwatering issues.

12) Not just the Thai pepper is PERENNIAL -- ALL varieties are. For people in Northern climates, overwintering is very popular. Google it. btw, I have found Thai varieties to do pretty well in smallish containers. Goes back to my theory of large fruited varieties needing LARGER containers.

Was that YOUR video djkj? If it was, I'm sorry for ripping it apart. But if you're happy with the way things are going, then who am I to try to change your mind? That's the beauty of gardening.. what works for one may not work for the other.

Wow! That is one long a** post!

Kevin

All excellent points Kevin.

I so often wish the folks who make these videos would put more effort into checking the accuracy of their claims or at least provide a meaningful disclaimer up front. Something along the line of "while this has proven to work for me in my situation, it may not work for all and there are many other equally successful methods of growing ___________.".

Too many new gardeners consider YouTube to be the definitive source of how to garden so they take the all the claims made far too literally.

In truth it is just one person's opinion and not even open to discussion as the same info would be on an open forum.

Dave

Good points Kevin, here is my take on those:

1) 6 weeks is just a guideline for plants to be well established before moving outdoors.

2) Yes the user does not talk about the pot depth and it was a guideline to grow. Exact pot measurements re up to the grower I think. Measurement by Gallons is a better metric, I agree.

3) Believe me, its true!! In my local Walmart (and several other grocery stores) poblanos are sold as Pasilla peppers. Yes its a mis-nomer but that is the reality.

4) If the pepper plants are in the ground, yes weekly watering might work. In containers though, I have seen that drip irrigation works best, especially in hot weather (containers drain water at a faster rate)

5) Using excess leaves for mulching is actually a clever idea IMHO and its finally going to become compost in a few months any ways.If not useful for this crop, may be the next one?

6) I mostly use organic fertilizer so cant agree with that, its what I think is good for me and the environment. Your mileage may vary :)

7) I always thought Using fish ferts was a "gardeners secrets" to growing blooms. Yes it might work for some, not for others, but its a handy tip!

8) Yes Epsom salts are great - whether foliar bathing or no I am not sure but the water will eventually fall down to the ground.

9) I have been using DE for snails/soft bodied insects and it does not seem to be doing a good job. What do you think neem does not work for cut worms? Its one of the most effective organic remedies for cut worms

10) Blossom end rot. The user has a separate video dedicated to blossom end rot (clickable within the same video) - showing before and after adding calcium (lime/tomato fertilizer). I have seen blossom end rot sprays as well, not sue how they work

11) OK

12) If I remember right the user has mentioned in the caption that all peppers can be grown perenially, Thai pepper is just used as an example.

Dave, I think its a taken that any content on the web - YouTube, this forum or any blog - is just a source of information. Whether it works for anyone or not is for them to decide :) That's the beauty of the internet - everyone can voice their own opinions and we can take a leaf or two out of it.

YouTube actually has a lot of discussion via comments, its just that people don't post as much on YouTube as other forums.

djkj,

Are you the one who produced the clip ?

I am asking because I don' want to make a comment to upset you. After all, as you said, it is just some basic guidelines. AND there is more than one way to skin a dead cat.

In answer to the original poster's question, my favorite pepper to grow is the habanero.

I think habaneros make a good example to show why some of the advice in the video is actually very poor. I don't think a one-size-fits-all approach works that well with peppers.

For starters, habaneros start much more slowly than most other peppers. They can easily take a month or more to germinate, so if you start seeds six weeks before you plan to move them outside, then you may not have very much to put outside. Not good.

Watering really does work best when you take Kevin's approach of letting the soil dry out fully and then give the soil a deep soaking. In fact, limiting the water given to hot pepper plants can actually increase the heat level of the plant. I tried to link to a scientific study addressing that question below, courtesy of the American Society for Horticultural Science, but GW rejected the URL. Any who are interested can email me for the link. Those of us who grow hot peppers tend to prize them partly for the heat level. So drip irrigation or something like that would defeat the whole point of growing the peppers because it would reduce the heat level.

Growing in containers does introduce some environmental factors. For example, the drying out between waterings can happen more quickly. It is also easier to overwater with all the problems that can cause because of the limited volume in a container. But containers do not change the characteristics of the plant. Peppers don't like to get their feet wet. It doesn't matter whether those 'feet' are in the ground or in a container. So they will reward you if you ditch the drip system.

For blossom end rot, prevention really is the best cure. I prevent it by putting eggshells (that have been boiled to kill salmonella) into the ground when I plant my peppers. I know there are sprays out there that are supposed to fix it if it happens. But think of it this way: if you leave a lump of raw hamburger in the sun for a few days, it will rot. There is no spray on earth that will cause it to un-rot. The people who sell those sprays are asking you to believe that their spray will cause your rotting peppers to somehow un-rot. The notion does not pass the straight face test. Yes, the pepper is still on the plant. But if that were the difference maker, it would not be rotting while it was on the plant in the first place.

I know people enthusiastically recommend those sprays and praise them to the heavens. I know people show impressive before and after photos. But people enthusiastically swear by things that don't actually work all the time. Often they even show impressive 'proof' like this. Figuring out whether these things actually work is why we have science. I know of none that supports the curative power of blossom end rot sprays.

But whether you agree with me that sprays are effective or not, I would hope we can all agree that preventing the problem by using free waste from our breakfast (the eggshells) is better than spending money to buy a spray. That money could be put to better use buying more peppers!

To me, one of the great things about peppers is the way they are so different from one another. They come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors. Their heat level ranges from none to keep-that-away-from-me. They are usually dry on the inside . . . but not tabasco peppers! A smart gardener should learn about and embrace the differences. An unwise gardener will listen to the 'general guidelines' and find herself frustrated and disappointed when the differences emerge and ruin her plans.

Angie

Dave: Thank you. I agree. Lots of good info on youtube. Also, lots of bad info. Just like here on GW. The trick is to weed through the BS and try to extract the good info and put it to use. I wasn't trying to tear apart the video, but so much info in it was simply wrong or too general. It works for that guy. And generally, sticking a plant in a pot will yield "something." I was simply trying to point out that the info goes against widespread proven thoughts on how to get the BEST out of one's pepper plants.

With that said, I think I need to now refute some of the op's objections to my post...lol

djkj: I'm not asking you to believe everything I say. I was simply granting you your request for my original post for disagreement on the video. Hey, if it works for you and you're happy with your results, keep doing what you're doing. We're still in deep disagreement about a few things and I feel I need to stress that certain points are just wrong.

First, I agree 6 weeks is a general guideline, but to others reading this post, you'll be much happier giving at least 8 weeks for annuums and 12 for chinenses. If your plants are outgrowing your starter pots, simply pot up.

Second, totally disagree about containers needing a constant water content and the whole drip idea. I already stated that pepper plants like to dry out between watering. Doesn't matter if it's a container or in ground... wet feet are wet feet and the whole "dry out between waterings" is one of the most widely agreed upon practices regarding growing healthy pepper plants. Yes, in general, containers need more frequent waterings, but they should still be dried out between waterings. I just went through a week of triple digit temps and single digit humidity. Guess how many times i watered both my container peppers and in ground peppers... ONCE. deeply. Plants are looking awesome. If you're to take anything out of my posts, it should be the watering regimen.

Third, like i said, love mulch. Just the whole idea of leaf litter harboring pests. If that's all that's available, it far outweighs using nothing at all.

Fourth, If you feel you get the production you want using organic ferts in smallish containers, then, by all means, keep using. I use mainly organic also, but anything smaller than a barrel, I use synthetic for the reasons I already pointed out.

Fifth, "gardener's secrets." Perhaps if it's a "secret," it might be because it's not widely believed to be mainstream knowledge because it simply has no merit to reality. Don't get me wrong, fish ferts are a great supplement.. I simply don't believe it's a bloom booster. Healthy soil will get you all the blooms you want and regulating soil temps will keep blossom drop to a minimum.

Sixth, epsom salts. Once again, should only be used if your plants are showing they need it. Too much of ANYTHING can be detrimental. Most soils have plenty of Mg and even most potting mixes have lime in them that would provide the plants with the Mg they need.

Seventh, I've cut down on my use of DE because of it's ineffectiveness when wet and it's indiscriminate on beneficial insects. For slugs/snails, I have found iron phosphate baits (Sluggo, Korry's, etc) to be much more effective. Neem oil for cutworms or any other caterpillar is simply not a cure. If you had success with it on cutworms, I say coincidence. MAYBE(and it's a stretch) the anti-feeding properties of neem kept them away, but it's not known to kill them. I like the toothpick method I mentioned -- ever since i started doing it, I haven't lost a single seedling to cutworms.

Eighth, BER. Get Ca in the soil well in advance and you don't have to worry about BER. Regarding "sprays," WHY??? Sounds like a whole lot of money spent and time spraying EVERY flower just to HOPE you don't get something that could have been remedied from the beginning by getting some Ca in the soil.

Anyhow, there you go. If you're happy with your methods, keep doing it. I just thought I'd try to help you(and others) have even BETTER success. Like you said though, YMMV.

Good luck and happy capsaicin season!

Kevin

Kevin, thanks for the suggestions, I will try to not keep "wet feet" for my peppers this season. There's always so much to learn!

Happy capsaicin season to you too! Cheers!!