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Some thoughts on my first growing season

1. I am better at making hot sauce than I am growing peppers. As a firm believer in "you have to learn to crawl before you can walk" I have a whole new reverence for the chili pepper in general and growers alike. It's all a great new adventure!

2. South Florida growing season does not follow national norms. We are in rainy season here, peppers ain't too happy about that, and I don't blame them one bit... brutal heat and damp environment.

3. Am not a patient man... probably my biggest problem.

4. Learning what to do different after this years harvest and this forum has opened eyes to new varieties and different flavors to experiment with.

Cheers and a big thanks from Crispee
 
Crispee-FL said:
I have a whole new reverence for the chili pepper in general and growers alike. 
 
My respect for growers has become HUGE after the trials and tribs of my first growing season.  But, as far as chile plants themselves go, it´s been a rollercoaster ride, as far as my attitude goes.  A few months back, I was kinda amazed that Capsicum has managed to survive at all; they seem like such needy little b!tches.  Too wet, they dwindle.  Too dry, they die.  Too sunny, they struggle.  Not enough light, they stall out. How on Earth had Mother Nature and her cruel natural selection process allowed these prima donnas to survive all these centuries?
 
Now, i´m a little bit wiser.  I´ve realized that, despite their constant kvetching, chile plants are tough sumvabitches, and they want to live.  I also realize that many of my plants´ early challenges were mostly my fault.  I´ve also come to understand that peppers are the way they are today b/c of humankind´s fascination with them.  We, as growers, have selected peppers for a huge variety of traits-- and hardiness is only one of those traits.  We´ve helped create some incredible flavors, colors, and shapes--- but some of the time, we´ve managed to inadvertently weaken the species. On the flip side, ppl have helped nurture chile plants for centuries, and we´ve spread the Capsicum genus all over the globe.  There are many places that peppers never would´ve gotten to, without humans.
 
So, now, I kinda see my pepper plants as being like that one coworker on your team at work who complains about every little thing but, by the end of the day, s/he usually comes through clutch and saves the day with some incredibly excellent results. I´ve been eating my homegrown pods these past few weeks, and i´m feeling  guilty about cussing at my plants so much a month or two ago....
 
This was a cool topic for discussion; I apologize if i ended up pulling a bogart with my bigazz post above. 
 
Bicycle808 said:
 
My respect for growers has become HUGE after the trials and tribs of my first growing season.  But, as far as chile plants themselves go, it´s been a rollercoaster ride, as far as my attitude goes.  A few months back, I was kinda amazed that Capsicum has managed to survive at all; they seem like such needy little b!tches.  Too wet, they dwindle.  Too dry, they die.  Too sunny, they struggle.  Not enough light, they stall out. How on Earth had Mother Nature and her cruel natural selection process allowed these prima donnas to survive all these centuries?
 
Now, i´m a little bit wiser.  I´ve realized that, despite their constant kvetching, chile plants are tough sumvabitches, and they want to live.  I also realize that many of my plants´ early challenges were mostly my fault.  I´ve also come to understand that peppers are the way they are today b/c of humankind´s fascination with them.  We, as growers, have selected peppers for a huge variety of traits-- and hardiness is only one of those traits.  We´ve helped create some incredible flavors, colors, and shapes--- but some of the time, we´ve managed to inadvertently weaken the species. On the flip side, ppl have helped nurture chile plants for centuries, and we´ve spread the Capsicum genus all over the globe.  There are many places that peppers never would´ve gotten to, without humans.
 
So, now, I kinda see my pepper plants as being like that one coworker on your team at work who complains about every little thing but, by the end of the day, s/he usually comes through clutch and saves the day with some incredibly excellent results. I´ve been eating my homegrown pods these past few weeks, and i´m feeling  guilty about cussing at my plants so much a month or two ago....
 
This was a cool topic for discussion; I apologize if i ended up pulling a bogart with my bigazz post above. 
Awesome statement!!!!
 
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