Another Question from the Newb

frjeff

frjeff

Well, I am extremely pleased with my yield on pretty much all of this year's pepper plantings. The Japs, Habs, Nu Mex, Bells, Kung Pao, etc. are heavy with peppers.

However, I am not sure I am going to get any of the Japs or Habs to ripen. The Japs have begun with the black top thing (on which I posted earlier), but are not progressing from Green to Red.

The Habs are many, but seem to be stuck on Yellow and I would like them to be Orange.

Not so worried about the Japs, just did not want to pick all green (I can buy them anywhere anyday.

But, what about the Habs? If they do not turn Orange before our first frost, will they still be decent for sauces, salsas, etc.

I am in Northern MI (Zip: 48750), Zone 5b, I believe. We may be only a few weeks from our first frost. Daytime temps are running 65 to 75 (although tomorrow to be 93), nighttime temps 50's.

What to do?

Thanks,
 
oh, the lessons we learn from simple things

the peppers will ripen when they are good and ready ( at exactly the right time )

and will reward you shortly

:woohoo:

good growing

p.s. you can eat any/all of them green and it only helps you learn about them when you do
 
hello rev

try a teaspoon of Epsom salt around the base of each plant then water it in good
this should give them a shot in the arm

thanks your friend in Jesus name joe
 
Jeff...I would leave them on the plant as long as possible to let them mature...then pick what you can...if they are starting to turn their ripe color, you can put them in a brown paper bag at room temperature for a couple of days and they will finish ripening up...or pull up your plants right at the first frost and hang them in the garage or other area that won't freeze and they will also ripen that way...
 
You're in the same zone as I am (5B), but first frost date is listed as 9/15 there, and 9/29 here. According to weather.com your average low only goes down to 45F at the end of September, 50F here. So your climate is apparently a little cooler, but not much. We still have probably at least another month and a half of growing season left, so I would imagine you probably have at least another month. Keep in mind a quick, light frost is not going to instantly kill your plants. It usually takes several frosts, or a prolonged frost to do them in. The jalapeños should have plenty of time to ripen if they're already turning black.

If the habaneros are already yellow and go from yellow to orange, you can completely ripen those off the plant in 2 days any time you want. Habaneros ripen very easily and quickly off the plant, especially in a paper bag like AJ said. But having said that, the standard orange habaneros I grew didn't go from yellow to orange as far as I can remember, they went from green straight to orange. Other varieties of habaneros and chinenses I've had went from yellow to orange, but not regular orange habaneros. Assuming it's regular orange habaneros you're growing maybe you ended up with yellow habaneros instead and they're not going to turn orange? It's not uncommon for seeds to either not grow true, or not exactly like they're supposed to. Regardless they should have a good flavor yellow, I like the flavor of yellow habaneros much more than orange personally.

Are your plants in pots or in the ground? If they're in pots you can always bring them inside during the first few cold spells to prolong the season some.
 
Last year, I had about six Jalapeno plants that gave a large crop of pods, but none of the pods would ever change color -- they stayed green. I overwintered one plant and put it in the ground this spring. It set a lot of pods early, and they all turned red. The plant is still producing pods, which ripen to red. It's a mystery to me why the plant is performing so differently this second year.

Tom
 
ajijoe said:
hello rev

try a teaspoon of Epsom salt around the base of each plant then water it in good
this should give them a shot in the arm

thanks your friend in Jesus name joe
Click to expand...

Been watching this thread. I am trying your trick on a couple plants Joe. I'll let you know how it goes!
 
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