Hey ajsmama.
Belle, gotta try Flavorburst and Valencia. I tried Flavorburst last year, and we had a horrendous summer, most of it was 100+, the Flavorburst did well and was ALWAYS sweet. non-belle, Marconi, Pepperoncini (they taste really good and were extremely prolific all summer, even with the horrid heat, a lot of times I just picked them and ate them in the garden while I was tending the other plants), Tennessee Cheese, and especially Sweet Cayenne are also really good.

I'm going to grow some UbaTuba peppers this year. Very distinctive looking, and they're sweet to mild in heat (the petals/wings are sweet, the body is mild). Might be worth you looking into those, maybe?

My family really likes Burpee's Godfather and Big Daddy peppers. They are big, pretty, easy to grow and taste good too. They are great raw and roasted.

Andrew

Non bell sweets:

Patio Red Marconi - great for containers
Jimmy Nardello
Lipstick
Chervena Chushka
Buran
Healthy
Feherozon
Frank's
Sweet Pickle
Melrose
Tollie's Sweet Italian

A few I'm growing:

AGUA BLANCA , CHILE NEGRO , ALAKA ZOLD , BLONDIE , ALEPPO , ALEPPO 36 , ALEPPO 37, ALMA PAPRIKA , ANCHO SAN LOUIS , BIBER DORO , BIBER SORE DEMRE , BOTINETSKA ZUTA , BUENA MULATO , CASCABEL , CHERVENA , CHILACA , CHILHAUCLE NEGRO , CHILHAUCLE ROJO , CHIMAYO , DULCE ESPANA , ETNA , GIANT ACONCAGUA , PODRON , DULCE MEDITERANO , KAVALEROVA SWEET , ITALIAN GOURMETTE , LONG HUNGARIAN GREEN , LONG PURPLE CAYENNE , CHOCOLATE CHERRY , MEDITERRANEAN SPICE , MINI SWEETS , MULATO ISLANO , NU MEX GARNET , ONZA AMARILLO , ONZA ROJO, PIMENT DE ESPELLETTE , PIMENTE TANGERINE , ROMANA , PRITAMIN PAPRIKA , FEFERONI , SIGARERETTE DOLCE , SOROSKI PAPRIKA , SPANISH SPICE , STAVROS SWEET , SUCETTE DE PROVINCE , SWEET CAYENNE , TUNESIAN BAKLOUTI , TOLI'S ITALIAN , TEQUILA SUNRISE , SWEET YELLOW CHERRY , SZEDGY PAPRIKA

Rainbow Chile Seeds has a pretty good selection of mild and sweet peppers.Vladan sends extra seeds too.
Fast service etc.
I also use Redwood City seeds,Terra Time and tide,Tropical seeds,Peppermania,Native seeds,Tomato Growers(nice selection) and a few other vendors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rainbow Chile Seeds

Yah, Smokemaster, you use all those seed providers not because they are good but because you already cleaned the other sources out.

For pete's sake, you must have a back 40 to grow all those on if that is "Just the Sweet peppers".

Smokemaster says: "A few I'm growing" and then goes on to list about 40 or 50 varieties.
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Bruce

LOL @ Bruce.

I think it was a few years ago Smokemaster listed some of his inventory, I fell a sleep reading the 53rd or 54th line ;-)

I'm not sure about this Smokemaster guy (if he's really a guy). I was told by someone who knows the brother-in-law of a guy who's sister told him that a friend who knows this other girl that her boyfriend told her that his fathers friend met this other guy who knew Smokemaster. Apparently he polishes off a mickey of tequila on Friday nights and makes up pepper names.

Just sayin. That's what I heard.

Bill

Nope,I let Pepper Joe make up the new names. LOL

How'd you Know my nick name is Mickey?

When I first started growing Peppers I had trouble deciding what to grow....
So I decided to grow them all.
Too many peppers,not enough growing room.

I was growing about 400 pepper varieties 2x a year until I lost most of my growing space a couple years ago.
Now I'm only growing a few measly 100 +/-.
All in #15 pots.1 plant of each variety.

Trouble is I'm trading and buying seeds faster than I can grow them.
Gotta win the lottery so I can buy an acre or two to grow stuff on...

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Here is a link that might be useful:

Smokemaster,
please back away from the soil and put down the shovel. I have a couple of guys here with a cute little white jacket for you.
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Bruce

What variety is in pic 2 at roof height?

smokemaster,
Sheesh Dude! People call me crazy cos I grow about 70 hot and 20 sweet (but that's only cos I sell plants at the herb festivals, if it was only for me I'd only be growing about 20 hot and 20 sweet), I agree about the straight jacket!

Habanero De Arbol orange is the tree.That was a couple years ago(the pic).
I have a red and an orange tree Habanero and an unknown red tree.

Google Habanero De Arbol or Tree habanero and it usually comes up with a pic or 2 of my plants.
I've spread a lot of those seeds around over the years.
Beth at Peppermania is selling them this year.
She also has a Guampinha de Veado that gets pretty big.

The orange was about 10-12 ft wide and tall before I trimmed it and it was 13+yrs. old before mites killed it last year.

Do you know how many LBS. of dried peppers it takes to make a couple rubs?
LOTS. LOL

I got seeds.E mail me.
Wanta trade?

Thanks everybody - lots to think about. Smoke has emailed me a LONG list. All I know is I gotta grow some sweets, some pepperoncini, and some jals to pickle. I'm going to try making hot sauce and salsa with some of the hot ones (can't make it hot enough for DH), but DH needs his pickled peppers too.

Hmm, gotta try some rubs this year too - I've got lots of dried cayenne, Thai, serrano and a few HH from last year.

You should have seen the list before I edited it for varieties I didn't think you could find seeds for.

For rubs a base of Cascabel , Chile Negro and Poblano is a must.
Then add whatever to that to tweek the heat and taste-Japone,Chile de Arbol , Puya , Guajillo , Habanero , Jalapeno , California chile , New Mex. Types etc.
Don't forget the Mexican Oregano.Not the other stuff.

I'll double the recommendation for Franks. It is an excellent elongated sweet pepper. The plants are dwarf and can be planted as close as 1 ft apart.

I love the flavor of Orange Bell, but it is a bit long season so would be questionable whether you would get any mature. Start them early and grow in 4 inch pots until you can transplant them outdoors.

Cubanelle is another that would be a good choice for market.

Sandhill Preservation has these three but limited to 1 pack per order.

DarJones

Smoke - I tried cascabel a couple years ago and had very low production (two plants in different gardens and only had about 10 fruit total) I don't know if it was just a bad year or they don't do well in my area.

I have been trying to decide on something similar for chili powder / rubs - many of which you just listed (Pulla, Guajillo, Chile Negro, etc..)

Do you have any suggestions on something similar that might do better in an Illinois climate / season?

Also, I have a hard time with Poblanos getting ripe by the end of the season...so, shorter season and cold tolerance are a big plus.

Thanks for any guidance!!

I grow in pots only so maybe it's something I do that makes the Cascabel grow.I don't know.

Try a Hybrid Poblano.
They have tons of ones that are designed for different climates etc.just like the ton of Serrano and Jalapeno varieties they have out there.
Maybe find out what strains the local Home Depotes etc. are selling.

I have an almost year round growing season here.

It's been in the high 70's here lately.

At dark thirty this morning it was over 60 degrees out and it's windy as heck right now.

I just picked some peppers yesterday and trimmed some plants for spring.
The C. Pubescens are budding and have pods turning color right now.
Maybe start your seeds earlier if you have the room.
I star mine usually around christmas here.
But due to a mite attack last year I'm mostly growing Annuums this year and started my seeds last night.
84 varieties.
I already have a dozen or so plants in 4 1/2 inch pots that are ready to go out and have about 50 plants out there now that need a new home.

I'll see what kinds of stuff might be better for your season by asking around on other pepper sights.
If I find out anything I'll let you know.

Cool, thanks! I've already got my eye on a poblano hybrid to try this year (as well as one overwintered one hanging out in the house). I was a little worried that some of the things I was going to try are c.baccatums and from what I've read, generally take longer to ripen. Maybe I should just move South??? haha!