Peppers, peppers, and more peppers!

[CanadianLori]

Oh goodness, watering really does not change the heat level. My reapers lapped iit up and still kept their heat. As did any other hot variety i have been growing these past dozen or so years..

 

[ThatKidWithTheFace]

This thread got me thinking about ornamental peppers. Do any of y'all have any experience with any of these? I think it'd be nice to grow some just because they're pretty plants, even if you can't eat 'em.

 

[Chuck]

Oh goodness, watering really does not change the heat level. My reapers lapped iit up and still kept their heat. As did any other hot variety i have been growing these past dozen or so years..

Hot peppers will only change their pungency and become hotter when they are stressed because of the lack of water. Over watering or regular watering will not affect the heat of the pepper

 

[Chuck]

This thread got me thinking about ornamental peppers. Do any of y'all have any experience with any of these? I think it'd be nice to grow some just because they're pretty plants, even if you can't eat 'em.

I got one as a present a few years back. I treated it just like any other pepper until I got tired of it and stuck it in the ground where it froze that winter. Otherwise just keep it moist and feed it every couple of months

 

[CanadianLori]

Chuck is right. Ornamental peppers are still peppers, just prettier than some of the hotties.
Look at this ugly brute.

 

[claudine]

Chuck, thank you so much for this guide. It's very, very helpful and informative. Now, I'm sure I'll manage to sprout my pepper seeds It's so exciting!

 

[galmal]

Unfortunately, I'm not able to grow plants from seeds, so I have to rely on whatever plants the nursery has. I had never planted peppers until 2 summers ago, and was pleasantly surprised with how well they did. I only planted 4 plants, but had so many peppers I was able to freeze some. Last year, for some reason, I didn't get many, but then again, we had a very rainy, overcast summer. I'm looking forward to trying again this year. Any growing tips for the best crop??

 

[globulon]

Chuck, thanks very much for your detailed pepper growing guide. I'll definitely be using it as a reference in the near future!

Also, your statement about hot peppers becoming spicier and more pungent was very interesting. Do you know if some people regularly stress their peppers prior to harvest to get a hotter result?

 

[Chuck]

Chuck, thanks very much for your detailed pepper growing guide. I'll definitely be using it as a reference in the near future!

Also, your statement about hot peppers becoming spicier and more pungent was very interesting. Do you know if some people regularly stress their peppers prior to harvest to get a hotter result?

I read someplace that the folks who are in the Worlds Hottest Pepper contest do this on purpose but mostly it is just negligence on the home gardeners part and they end up with something that is difficult for them to even eat.

 

[globulon]

Very interesting to know, thanks for the reply. I think I'll stick with growing peppers in the regular way. I'd rather have mildly spicy, but great-tasting peppers rather than the other way around.

 

[Mika]

Oh goodness, watering really does not change the heat level.

Hot peppers will only change their pungency and become hotter when they are stressed because of the lack of water. Over watering or regular watering will not affect the heat of the pepper

I should have clarified in my last post. This is definitely true, over watering won't make hot peppers sweeter and if anything it could just kill them. I've experienced first hand what happens when you don't water them enough though. I got some mighty fine peppers out of that plant.

My comment about watering the Cayenne peppers was directed only for the cayenne peppers. In my opinion, they're not very hot to begin with so if you give them plenty of water, they won't get very hot. Of course they're by no means sweet or mild, but they're not overly hot. At least the ones I've tried aren't.

 

[Chuck]

I should have clarified in my last post. This is definitely true, over watering won't make hot peppers sweeter and if anything it could just kill them. I've experienced first hand what happens when you don't water them enough though. I got some mighty fine peppers out of that plant.

My comment about watering the Cayenne peppers was directed only for the cayenne peppers. In my opinion, they're not very hot to begin with so if you give them plenty of water, they won't get very hot. Of course they're by no means sweet or mild, but they're not overly hot. At least the ones I've tried aren't.

Your right, cayenne's aren't very hot to begin with and stressing them to make them hotter, to me, is counter productive as it would only make for a weaker plant. If you want hot peppers then plant hot peppers.

 

[kammy]

I can't believe i did not plant any peppers last year; this year i will be planting cayenne and bell peppers. Last year i purchase all my peppers at the farmers market; this year i am planning grow my own produces and save a few dollars.

 

[prettyrose16]

I do like red, green, and yellow peppers that is perfect in a delicious stir fry or any other dish. When eating jalapeño peppers I had to drink something immediately but I'm fine with just a little kick to a pepper. My favorite are the regular peppers without the kick and they look lovely in a salad. I also enjoy peppers on top of a pizza.

 

[rosiecotton19]

I planted some purchased pepper plants this past Saturday during a warm spell. I have read that you should cover pepper plants at night if it is going to get below 60. We have some nights forecast this week to be in the 50s and down to 45. I will cover them; my questions is materials. I have some large mason jars that would fit over them. I also have some clear plastic soda bottles I can put over them. Any advice?