Recent content by ScottsBonnet

Since it was my first go at it, I just googled what others were doing, and this approach seemed the most logical to me, but I think it's hard to go wrong unless you mess up the drainage - akadama on the bottom helps ensure no clogging. For most of mine I watered about every 3-4 days, but I had...

Good question. Last winter was the only time I have done this, and I don't have any soil still in packaging remaining, so I can't tell you brand names. As a first-time bonsai guy, I followed the 'rules': small layer of Akadama over the bottom for drainage, bonsai 'soil' over the roots. I...

I've tried three different over-wintering methods, each beginning in mid-October when our rainy cold season starts here in the Pacific NW. 1) Trim the plant down a little, but keep it in soil. Put it in a window that gets appropriate sun. The negatives are that the plants are difficult to move...

  Yeah, it's weird how that happens.  The two bonchi that died indoors looked great right up until they didn't.

Thought I'd share some bonchi notes for anyone who's thinking of trying this.   After two years of poor results at over-wintering I went the bonchi route.  I started with nine plants - mostly scotch bonnets - and all survived the winter and looked really great.   Then something a little odd...

  Thank you!  That helps.  Yesterday I cut back and re-potted (into 2 and 1 gallon) all but my Scotch bonnets and Habaneros, which will go into 2-gallons - they all have quite a few pods that are almost ready, so I'll leave them outside as long as possible.  I have a nice south-facing large...

This is an educated guess, but I'll risk it :) - I overwintered a single habanero plant year before last.  It nearly died due to neglect, and at one point I thought it was actually dead.  But it survived and I put it in a pot last summer and got pretty good production out of it.  Last winter I...

  I live in Tacoma and just searched this forum prior to heading out for smaller pots and soil.  Year before last I kept a habanero barely alive in my basement.  Now he's in his third year and doing fantastic - I kept him in my south-facing window last winter, along with another habanero, a...

This has been a great thread - like most of you I grow way more peppers than I can eat.  I generally dry mine in halves to a crisp, then place in date-labeled quart storage bags.  Some I will crush by hand to make flakes, just crushing the bag.  For powder I use a mortar and pestal.  I also...

I like the gallon-bag and dough roller idea for crushing dried peppers.  Last season I used a mortar and pestle and the bag/roller way is much easier.   Dehydrators are so cheap and easy to use, that I did not consider the oven.  I ran my dehydrator last night for 12 hours and processed 5 racks...

  Thanks for posting that link - Lowes makes it real easy in my area, as they have free shipping or store pick-up, and the same product is $7 cheaper than Walmart's price.   Just hoping my pods will finish ripening before the nasty weather gets here!

Just combined the vegetables from two jars of pickliz and used the freed-up pickliz juice to pickle some boiled eggs.  Have previously tried it with tomatillos and it worked great.   Also - due to pickliz, I no longer have to take my apple cider vinegar drink each morning for heartburn :)

I had been delaying the over-wintering, when my Scotch Bonnets picked up again.  Not sure why, as it's been cold and rainy; however, the pods are growing and ripening, so I am leaving them outdoors (in pots).   Meanwhile, I placed four other pots in the garage, doors open and facing south.  I...

Great information.  This batch of Bonnets is heading for the freezer as soon as they dry out.  

I was very glad to find this thread this morning.  My Scotch Bonnet plants have had around 25 ripe pods now for nearly a month - they were much hotter than expected, so I left them on the vine while mulling what changes I would need to make to my sauce recipe.  I snipped them after reading this...