#1 less is more. You can always add more later, but its really hard to unwater or unfertilize.

#2 grow more than one plant per variety - mother nature will take back a few plants from you.

#3 grow something new every season - how do you know what you like, until you try it?

#4 prepare for the harvest - growing is fun, but so are drying, canning, and pickling.

#5 share the burn - give some peppers (or plants) away. turn someone new onto the joy of hot food. spread the love of the heat ;)

Hello, welcome to the forum.

1. Keep them warm and sunny
2. Keep them on the dry side
3. Don't overfertilize
4. Keep it simple and easy
5. Most Important!! Don't stress over everything that can happen. It is nature, things will happen, bugs will come, plants will droop, those first pods will take forever to ripen,DON'T PANIC, peppers are very strong and hardy and 99% time come through with flying colors.

Do some research, ask some questions, be prepared, but remember the plant knows what to do. All you need to do are provide some basics and let it do it's thing.

Wow, I guess all my top 5 can be summed up in the last one...:) But I also agree with shelbyguy's 5...:)

kendra

Thanks so much for your responses, Vanessa

Hi y'all,
Another pepper forum newbie here! From Virginia Beach, Vanessa, so we're neighbors. I appreciate the advice re growing peppers. Haven't done much except a few chilis and a NUMEX ornamental but am hooked. Can't wait to start seeds but I know I need to wait a few weeks. Hard though with the weather being so warm.
Linda

Well Venessa & Linda,

You have already done the most important thing... tapping into the folks here on the Garden Web Hot Pepper Forum.

I'm a relative newbie myself after four years growing these hot babies. I could not dispute the advice so far. Stick around, the folks here are friendly and always willing to share and help out.

Good growing,

Bill

Welcome to the fun of chili peppers. I can't handle the really hot ones but love 'em just for the interesting and beautiful colors and shapes. It's also fun to get them to others who do enjoy eating them.

I found in my limited time growing hot peppers that they are hardier plants that most other garden veggies I grow. In fact they seem to do best when I neglect them some....little water, little fertilizer. I do not have the disease and insect problems with peppers that I see with many other veggies.

Not much longer to wait :)

Good advice from everyone. I grow cayennes, orange scotch bonnets, and Caribbean reds. I have also found hot peppers very hardy--I use earth boxes (some homemade but they don't last as long) and have had good results.

I just ordered the infamous Bhut Jolokia! I am looking forward to growing them.

To my mind the orange scotch bonnet is just as hot if not hotter than the carib red.

Hot peppers are addictive--I eat them on everything and have a pretty good tolerance. We had our annual family Christmas eve gathering this year. The subject of hot peppers came up and my 21 year old nephew said he would try some dried Carib Red if I would. Of course I took a pinch and ate it, he tried to take less but was caught by his other uncle and took an equal amount. He did okay for about 90 seconds and then started sweating. My sister tells me they had to open the windows for him on the way home!!

I don't think I'll try that with the Jolokia's.

Are they really that hot? It sounds as if they are crippling.