• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

Growing Peppers

sweatnspice

Banned
As I embark on my first season of growing peppers, I was wondering what tips you guys have regarding pepper gardening. I've got 3 Red Savina Habanero Plants, 2 chiltepins, 1 Tabasco and 1 Cayenne that are growing like craxy, even in an NYC apt.
My first questions is: At what height/approx plant size should I begin to allow the peppers to flower? I've been removing the flowers up until now in order to promote growth.
 
Me, too

I'm a first-timer, too, and will introduce myself in the other forum as such. In the mean time, I was wondering the exact same thing.

Are yours indoors? Under what lighting conditions? Mine are on my small apartment balcony (NJ) -- unfortunately facing West, so only get direct sun after 3PM or so. But they're growing up quickly.

My seedlings range from 7-12" right now, and the largest is starting to get small buds. I'm hoping it's big enough, they're in 8" containers outdoors. So all ya experts, please let us know! 😉
 
jgeoff - Looks like we're facing similar conditions. Mine are being grown indoors and only recieve direct light after 3 (also facing west). I've taken two habaneros into the office and those get light all day long, so those are doing moderately better. Each plant is about 12 inches high, although the Tabasco plant is almost 2 feet tall.
 
One thing I have tested and know is that the pot size directly effects the size of my plants. I have planted the same plant in 3 different evironments over the years and the obviusly the plant I put directly in the garden was twice the size of the plants in the 10' pots and they in turn were visably larger then the plants in the 8' pots.

The roots obviously do much better outdoors in the ground.

As for the ealry flowering. I used a q-tip and polinated all my ealry flowers. Tied a string around those peppers and they will be the seeds for the folowing year as I know they are not a cross-breed.

I also use miracle grow plant food on every watering not just once and a while. And I always keep the soil moist, never overwater but I water everyday and on real hot days twice if not 3 times a day for the potted plants.

I have given tried to my plants all day sun.

This year I will try and keep the plants alive over the winter thru pruning as I have seen others accomplish it.

has anyone had success with this?
 
Pyro91 said:
One thing I have tested and know is that the pot size directly effects the size of my plants. I have planted the same plant in 3 different evironments over the years and the obviusly the plant I put directly in the garden was twice the size of the plants in the 10' pots and they in turn were visably larger then the plants in the 8' pots.

The roots obviously do much better outdoors in the ground.

As for the ealry flowering. I used a q-tip and polinated all my ealry flowers. Tied a string around those peppers and they will be the seeds for the folowing year as I know they are not a cross-breed.

I also use miracle grow plant food on every watering not just once and a while. And I always keep the soil moist, never overwater but I water everyday and on real hot days twice if not 3 times a day for the potted plants.

I have given tried to my plants all day sun.

This year I will try and keep the plants alive over the winter thru pruning as I have seen others accomplish it.

has anyone had success with this?

==============================
Interesting question. I grew the choc. habs and scotch bonnets from seed last year,but they were week little sticks with a handful of leaves by the time fall came around (my first attempt at growing them from seed)

Instead of throwing them out, I decided to "winter" them in the kitchen at my office. Florescent lighting and miracle grow (for rhododendrons and azalias....from what I have heard, peppers like acidity...this boosts it)

As we speak, I am eating mango salsa made from my scotch bonnets, so the wintering idea works. I got the idea from an article in Chile Pepper magazine. Good luck with yours.

By the way, mine are still in pots. If I can, I'll try to winter them again this year. From what I understand, if you live in a warm climate, peppers are actually perennials.
 
Nice... the problem I think i will have with wintering is the sixe of my plants. I just put new pictures up today on my blog and they are really big. The late bloomer I found today from a old planter will be grown over the winter easily.

I think i will have to corner off a spot in my basement and setup some grow lights.

There was a fellow I saw online who cut back the plants like one would do to a rose bush. And sure enough the folowing year new sprounts started right from the base.


If i find his link i will post it as he documented and took pictures of the whole procedure.

I am also documenting everything on my blog so others can follow if im successful.

http://pyro91.blogspot.com/
 
Pyro91 said:
Nice... the problem I think i will have with wintering is the sixe of my plants. I just put new pictures up today on my blog and they are really big. The late bloomer I found today from a old planter will be grown over the winter easily.

I think i will have to corner off a spot in my basement and setup some grow lights.

There was a fellow I saw online who cut back the plants like one would do to a rose bush. And sure enough the folowing year new sprounts started right from the base.


If i find his link i will post it as he documented and took pictures of the whole procedure.

I am also documenting everything on my blog so others can follow if im successful.

http://pyro91.blogspot.com/

This guy cutting back his plants... was he in Canada?

T
 
Excellent, I wonder if the guys will go for it.

Lookit me, we barely have flowers and already I'm planning on pruning. lol

T.
 
Well I just finished covering my peppers with floating row covers to fend off the coming frost and give all my peppers, which are still green, a chance to ripen. It is getting cool early this year but the covers help extend the season.

Anyway, in the spam that came with the row covers was an interesting flyer for Earthbox. This might be something for you guys in apartments. I haven't used one but they intrigued me. Maybe someone else on the boards has had some experience with one of these all in one setups?
 
We use 3 eartboxes for a total of 9 chile plants 3 datil, 3 golden habanero, 3 yellow squash habanero with great results have been using them since 98 no problems so far just a simple way to have fresh chiles without alot of space

Mick
Kato's
 
Back
Top