pepper question (prairie gardeners?)

21 years ago

I have had a problem last year and this year with (non-bell) peppers turning dark purple. No, they're not supposed to! I tried starting some seeds from last year's purple peppers and they didn't germinate. The purple pepper tastes very 'green' if you know what I mean. So something is going wrong. These peppers are in small pots, so it might be some sort of stress. It might be related to variety as well, as some are doing just fine (I just ripened my first Scotch Bonnet!). Last year I blamed it on the cold weather, but I don't have that excuse this year. Any ideas? Joe, Winnipeg

ps I tried this on the Hot Peppers forum last year, and got no ideas that worked.

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Comments (5)

abgardeneer
21 years ago
Well, not sure if this is relevant or not, but the peppers we've grown in the greenhouse (sorry, can't recall which types this has happened with) sometimes go from green to dark purple/green, before they eventually start to ripen and turn yellow or orange or red....? They have always been in large 18" diameter pots, watered daily, so not much stress, probably. This year, we have some type of bell pepper and a scotch bonnet - lots of peppers on both but no sign of anything but green on them yet. (And that's in a greenhouse - imagine how well they'd do outside in our yard, sheesh!)
northspruce
21 years ago
Hi Joe, I'm late adding this because I couldn't remember for sure, but two years ago I grew some Portuguese hot sheep's horn peppers and they got dark purple patches too. The flavour was not compromised (I was told, I believe that food should not hurt and don't touch the things myself, LOL) and they ripened normally otherwise.

Anyway today I was picking what green peppers the slugs left me, and I noticed several of them also had these dark purple patches. I don't know what it's from but I have it too.

BTW I don't know if the hot peppers are actually called sheep's horn, but that's what my Portuguese neighbour told me they call them there.
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abgardeneer
21 years ago
Checking again last night, I see we have a bell pepper that has turned dark - more of a brown-green, than purple -on it's way to ripening. Not sure if that's the same as what you're seeing, winnjoe, but I guess I never realized there was anything odd about it. (There are 19 good sized bell peppers on one plant - what a good producer!) And finally, a scotch bonnet turning orange!
winnjoe
Original Author
20 years ago
I'll leave them as long as possible and see if they flavour up. My Jalapenos are turning this dark colour too, and I know that aint right! I even have one plant of small hot red peppers that has some of the peppers turning purple-black while others are ripening properly to red. Next year bigger pots for sure. Joe, Winnipeg ps aren't those Scotch Bonnets great? of course it only tastes good for the first 5 seconds ...!
kashacres
20 years ago
My pepper plants (both sweet & hot) are yielding nothing. I got 3 green peppers a month ago -nothing since. The plants are fairly tall and bushy - some have blossoms. Isthere a trick to getting a yield!!!