Cayenne productivity

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Trying to decide how many cayenne I need for an order I have to fill in fall.  Just talking the classic long, thin, red.  Have googled it and having trouble believing what I have found.  In some states with long summers, they can produce 5 to 7 pounds per plant.  That seems nuts to me.
 
Am in Kentucky, we have fairly good seasons for peppers.  Anyone have a realistic clue on what to expect?  Have grown cayenne for market before, but always sold by baskets like everything else because I do not want the grief of having to keep a scale that is checked, inspected, and sticker by the state every year. 

So what say you?  Pounds per plant?
 
7lbs isnt that high for a low density planting in a long season.... for some annums.
 
if you are starting with a healthy transplant started like 6 weeks early you could probably beat that yield easily. 
 
i think greenhouse bell peppers only yield like 4-6 lbs per plant, but they are AGRESSIVLY spaced... like 1 every square foot, and pruned and trellised. they actually yield less on a per plant basis than some outdoor row plantings, but they are spaced much much more densly so the overall yield per unit of land is much higher.
 
to put things into perspective... as to how weaksauce pepper plants are...
 
some greenhouse toms can yield like 80 lbs per plant. yes 80 lbs. granted toms are basically bags of water, but still.
but this is over like an 11 month season in favorable climates with very sunny years, in rockwool slabs etc.
 
sicman said:
Whats the big hassle of having a inspected scale?
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It was just easier to sell by volume.  Have small baskets on display, most $2.00 per basket.  Worked fine.  I am horribly unorganized.  Was all my life, but TBI a decade ago makes it so much worse.  If the farm ever gets to the point where we can afford employees, the first needs to be an office manager of sorts.  Hard to explain, its just something in my brain that can not keep track of things.  Once lost an LLC because I could not manage to sign the annual card saying it still existed.  Always fined for turning over sales tax late despite very rarely collecting sales tax.

Only way I overcome dealing with monthly bills (electric, water, insurance, so on) is by having them automatically withdrawn.  Kind of embarrassing but there you have it.  I am good at growing, but that is about it.
 
I have always had great yields with red long cayenne peppers in general (other than them taking a little long to turn color). I will say that the golden cayenne is my absolute favorite, it produced SO many more peppers and the plant lasted through the entire season constantly producing. Im in Ohio so I believe we have the same zone, if not close. 
 
LexaRae, wow I lived in Columbus, OH about a decade ago.  First in my store at fifth and high, then North West side off Henderson road.  Was a TGI Fridays next to my condo complex.  Good times when was younger.
 
ajdrew said:
LexaRae, wow I lived in Columbus, OH about a decade ago.  First in my store at fifth and high, then North West side off Henderson road.  Was a TGI Fridays next to my condo complex.  Good times when was younger.
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I love being and working in downtown Columbus. I had moved to Louisiana for 3 years and by the time I returned to Columbus so much had changed (for the better). They have created so many beautiful, contemporary apartments on high st from fifth all the way down to the arena district. Also there are now parks, trails, and beautiful fountains around the Scioto river. Its definitely becoming a beautiful booming city :) 
 
I've been growing cayenne for a long time. Here in Pa., I probably get 2-4 lbs. per plant. Never actually weighed them, however...
 
5-7 seems high.
 
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