Best Varieties For a Short Growing Season?

[NorthernGirl]

I've started seed shopping for next season(already!) and I'm trying to decide on the best varieties. We have a really short growing season here, I typically wouldn't plant outside till mid June and we have first frost in mid September. They will be started indoors, but I only have space for about 7 varieties, not to mention the power bill from lighting an entire "pepper room" from january onwards... I love flavor above all else, but unique appearance and suitability for container growing are factors.

Iove habaneros, and at this point I want to re-grow(maybe over winter) some filius blue and fish peppers. I also want a habanero variety and a super hot(just for fun), still debating between the 7 pot and fatalii for that one.

Any one have any suggestions for fantastic short season varieties?

 

[geeme]

I live in the Cleveland, OH area, and my growing season is very similar to yours. You mention planting outside, which I interpret to mean you plant them in the ground. I don't plant any of my peppers in the ground, both because I don't have a good place with an appropriate amount of sun and also because I want to be able to move the plants inside/outside as the weather demands. However, if I was going to put any in the ground, I would only put annums in the ground, because they are quick to both grow and produce. I have started from seed indoors in January and also overwintered plants. Basically, because my plants are in pots, I can kind of disregard the season - just bring them indoors and keep them in a sunny window if your overwintering approach is to let them keep going. I recommend repotting and giving them a good pruning top and bottom first, to try to get rid of any bugs.

My approach to overwintering is to prune back pretty significantly and cut back on watering and feeding. I don't remember when they started putting out new growth, but I can tell you that the plants most directly in the south-facing window started putting out pods in March. I upped the watering and feeding again as soon as I saw buds forming.

Varieties? I really like fatalii flavor for a yellow, and I really like douglah (a type of 7-pot) for a "red". But you know, taste is subjective. I don't really care for regular habanero flavor, and I've run into a few folks who tell me they don't care for fatalii flavor. To each his own, so you'll have to make up your own mind on this one. Best wishes with your overwintering, whatever you choose!

 

[Spicegeist]

Maya Red Habanero crossed with a Bhut Jolokia 'Carbon'... I have some starting to ripen now, PM me if you want to try.

 

[Datil]

I'm in the same boat cause i've very little indoor space (my season is longer though).
Naga Morich has been relatively quick for me as a superhot. Plant stays compact enough, great flavour and heat.
Another easy bet is Orange Hab. Some good early varieties for containers are also Limòn, Beni Highlands, Aji Omnicolor, Inca Red Drop other than many annums.
I'd like to find some faster scotch bonnets types myself

Cya

Datil

 

[Wulf]

Any one have any suggestions for fantastic short season varieties?

First year growing and I got a late start, but my fluorescent purple peppers are the first to flower in just under 3 months from seed. None of the others show any signs of putting out flowers yet.

No clue if the peppers are even going to be edible, but they might be all I have before frost. Same weather concerns as you.

 

[harry]

Some good early varieties for containers are also Limón, Beni Highlands, Aji Omnicolor, Inca Red Drop other than many annums.

I'll second C. Chinense Limón, C. Baccatum Aji Omnicolor and C. Baccatum Inca Red Drop as being quick to mature.

Aji Omnicolor and Inca Red Drop were in the Mid Season Baccatum CCN search results when I went looking for quicker to mature plants. I've also grown Aji Cristal though the larger pods take longer to mature. The Aji Omnicolor pods were usable when unripe once they reach full size while being pale yellow.

Limón and Beni Highlands stood out from the Early Season Chinense CCN search results being the only two in the list. I didn't have luck with my Beni Highlands plants in terms of time to mature. I may have a slow strain here.

I never did get to try the Aji Limo from the Mid Season Chinense CCN search results as the seeds that I thought would turn out to be Aji Limo ended up being a hybrid. I would be interested to see comments on the other three (Carmine, Limo and Pimennto de Chiero) in terms of quickness of maturity.

Edited 2013-01-10: Fix CCN links.

 

[Pablo_h]

Out of the hotter ones, my fataliis and choc trinidad scorpions were the first to be ripe.

7 pods were OK too, one Yellow 7 pot plant was first to pod and never stopped all year.
I like the yellow 7 pot flavour, but as far as reds, don't like the 7 pot much, prefer nagas. Best naga was a possibly crossed dorset naga, heaps and heaps of pods. But the regular bhut, choc bhut and bih jolokia way too slow which was a shame.

From the plants that were not so hot, red habs and aji pineapples took a while to get started, but never stopped producing, heap of pods until late in the season.