Sweet Bell Peppers

[gary350]

I have found sweet pepper plants that grow much better in TN hot dry weather than other sweet bell pepper. The name is, Carman Peppers. They look like 7" long Mexican chili peppers but they are very sweet with a very good flavor. The best thing is, they grow ripe peppers all summer in hot 100° heat. They don't have the bitter flavor like some bell peppers have. Peppers are Green color when ripe but leave them on the plant for about 3 weeks they turn RED color. Each plant will grow about 40 ripe peppers by July 4th and grow more peppers until frost kills the plants in Nov. They do good planted in rows 24" between plants. Till compose into the soil with 15-15-15 fertilizer & calcium roots like soft soil and plants like full sun. Do not remove any plant leaves then shape peppers so they don't get sun burn. Feed plants once a week with fertilizer and calcium or wood ash. Calcium prevents BER. I planted 4 plants last year, this year I plant 8 plants, we freeze 20 bags of these to eat all winter. I use to think Big Bertha sweet bells were best but now we grow Carman. Harvest red or green or both. The make excellent stir fry and good stuff peppers. Carman need to turn RED color on the plants, they will not turn red after being harvested. A 4 pack of plants is $2.50 at Martins garden store. Last year Lowe's and Home Depot were $5 for 4 plants. Seeds are easy to grow but should be started inside March 1st..

 

[headfullofbees]

Corno de Toro (bullhorn) peppers.
I find them much easier to grow, even in a greenhouse, here in the UK.
Rosso or Giallo (Red or Yellow)

 

[Meadowlark]

Stuffed bell peppers are one of our mainstays year around.

We grow the bells from spring to fall. We use them green and never have had any bitter taste.

We freeze up dozens of them every year stuffed and just pop 'em in the oven for a great and convenient meal.

Looks like that Corno de Toro (bullhorn) pepper might be large enough for stuffing?

Otherwise, I have little use for sweet peppers. Might give it a trial go this year.

 

[gary350]

Meadowlark​

You must have found sweet bell pepper plants that grow good in your weather. Are you growing peppers in winter or summer?

My bell pepper plants grow taller April to Oct but no peppers until Oct. Our hot weather plants grow taller all summer then each plant produces about 40 sweet bell peppers in Oct. Plants are 6 ft tall in Oct. We have to wait 6 months to get sweet bell peppers.

Carman peppers has solved our problem we now get sweet peppers all summer. Our last frost is April 20. We have 95°f temperatures by May 20 then 98° to 100°f for 4 months. Oct is colder weather. Our first frost is Nov 5.

 

[Meadowlark]

Are you growing peppers in winter or summer?

As mentioned above, I grow them spring through fall right up until the first hard frost. The heaviest production is in May, June, Sept, Oct., Nov., and early Dec., but we have some production in April, July, August, and Sept as well.

Very easy to grow with very little maintenance.

 

[gary350]

As mentioned above, I grow them spring through fall right up until the first hard frost. The heaviest production is in May, June, Sept, Oct., Nov., and early Dec., but we have some production in April, July, August, and Sept as well.

Very easy to grow with very little maintenance.

Are you not have any 100°f temperatures?

If I get big bertha sweet bell peppers planted April 1st and cover them up for 3 weeks every night to protect them from frost I can get maybe 1 or 2 peppers per plant before we start having hot weather. If I shade the plants from direct sunlight that is very helpful too but once we are having 95+ temperatures NO more sweet bell peppers until cooler Oct weather. Our summers are 100°f and no rain for 4 months. 4 plants will give us 160 peppers all at once the last week of Oct..

2 years ago I found Carman sweet peppers, hot dry weather is no problem. They are shaped different and much better flavor than sweet bells and we often get 70 large peppers from each plant.

 

[headfullofbees]

Stuffed bell peppers are one of our mainstays year around.

We grow the bells from spring to fall. We use them green and never have had any bitter taste.

We freeze up dozens of them every year stuffed and just pop 'em in the oven for a great and convenient meal.

Looks like that Corno de Toro (bullhorn) pepper might be large enough for stuffing?

Otherwise, I have little use for sweet peppers. Might give it a trial go this year.

View attachment 94362

Long peppers, I cut in half longways, roast then stuff with a fried mix of onion, garlic, hot chilli, pork mince, oregano & cream cheese.
Grate some med cheddar onto them, & back into the oven until the cheese is bubbling & just starting to brown.

 

[gary350]

Carman 7" long sweet peppers they grow good in 100°f temperature. They probably grow better in 90° or 80° weather.

 

[Nasir]

While Carman 7" sweet peppers can tolerate and grow in temperatures up to 100°F, they may not necessarily grow better in such high temperatures. In fact, temperatures between 70-85°F are generally considered optimal for pepper growth and yield. Higher temperatures can cause the plant to focus more on survival rather than fruit production, resulting in reduced yields and quality. Additionally, extremely high temperatures can stress the plant and increase the risk of sunscald and blossom drop.

It's important to note that temperature is not the only factor that affects pepper growth and yield. Other factors such as soil quality, water, light, and nutrients also play a crucial role. So, it's essential to maintain a balance of all these factors to ensure healthy and productive pepper plants.

 

[headfullofbees]

While Carman 7" sweet peppers can tolerate and grow in temperatures up to 100°F, they may not necessarily grow better in such high temperatures. In fact, temperatures between 70-85°F are generally considered optimal for pepper growth and yield. Higher temperatures can cause the plant to focus more on survival rather than fruit production, resulting in reduced yields and quality. Additionally, extremely high temperatures can stress the plant and increase the risk of sunscald and blossom drop.

It's important to note that temperature is not the only factor that affects pepper growth and yield. Other factors such as soil quality, water, light, and nutrients also play a crucial role. So, it's essential to maintain a balance of all these factors to ensure healthy and productive pepper plants.

Fruiting annual plants usually go for fruit production rather than survival, as anyone who deliberately stresses tomato plants knows

 

[DirtMechanic]

I suggest a 10 dollar non contact infra red thermometer for those that think they know the temps in their garden. I love sweet peppers, these fit our summer grow profile. I will try them this year. These seem to be the pickled pepper that peter piper picked.

 

[Chuck]

Where I live bell peppers do not produce nearly as well as non-bell. Peppers such as Giant Marconni, Giant Acancagua, Jimmy Nardello, the hybrid Biscaynne, and others continually outperform the bells. It seems that my high ambient temperatures are the cause of this.

 

[gary350]

I suggest a 10 dollar non contact infra red thermometer for those that think they know the temps in their garden. I love sweet peppers, these fit our summer grow profile. I will try them this year. These seem to be the pickled pepper that peter piper picked.

That is correct. My infra red thermometer shows plant leaves are 125°f to 132°f in full sun on a 100°f day. Plant leaves are always 25 to 30 degrees hotter than air temperature on 80° & 90° & 100° days in full sun.

 

[gary350]

Where I live bell peppers do not produce nearly as well as non-bell. Peppers such as Giant Marconni, Giant Acancagua, Jimmy Nardello, the hybrid Biscaynne, and others continually outperform the bells. It seems that my high ambient temperatures are the cause of this.

I tried Giant Marconi plants. I am only getting about 20 to 24 Marconi peppers per plant and 75 to 80 Carman peppers per plant. Giant Marconi peppers are about 15% larger than Carman peppers by volume.

4 Carman plants will grow about 300 peppers.
13 Marconi plants will grow about 255 peppers to = Carman by volume.

9 extra Marconi peppers take up a lot of extra space in my garden.

I experiment every summer. Last summer peppers were planted so plants get full sun all morning until solar 12 noon. My garden sun dial shows our solar 12 noon is at 12:55 pm by the clock. Carman peppers get shade from a tree after 1 pm. Tomato plants get shade from a tree after 12 pm. Shade at the correct time prevents sun burn vegetables.

 

[Meadowlark]

Corno de Toro (bullhorn) peppers.

That's a good recommendation. Thanks.

They are outproducing my bells 5 to 1. It will be interesting to see what happens in July and August here. Of course, nothing outproduces jalapenos here.