chile plants for colder area's

chilehunter

chilehunter

I got this idea from the "bulgarian carrot" thread. I know theres alot of chileheads that live in a area that have less than perfect growing conditions (short season,colder temps) vs hot temps & 9 + months for a growing season, like some of you.

I think it'd be helpful for some of us to share info on which chiles grew well for you, in areas where theres a short growing season & temps on the cooler side for growing, also theres not a option of leaving chile plants outside for the winter.

I'm also NOT talking about ANY Hydro grown chile plants! since there're grown indoors & you make your own perfect growing conditions, or starting the plant 6 months ahead of the outside growing season inside.
I'm talking about plants you buy as seedlins or you only start the seeds inside about 1-2 months ahead of the outside growing season & you leave them outside for mother nature to take care of.

I know the success rate is different for everybody depending on how well you take care of'em & the soil/fert./temps/weather/etc... but overall theres some chiles that just have no problem for growing in the colder short seasons.

I think this will be very helpful for those short season growers, because it'd help them choose which strain of chiles to grow & reap the rewards vs trying to grow a chile thats more suited for a longer warmer season.

I'll start, granted I havent grown many strains of chiles since only finding out about the mass numbers of strains just this year/last winter (which now I'm trying several strains for my quest of my "go to" growers.

but the couple other years I've always planted Thai strains (Thai giant, Thai gragon, Thai ornamental or just plain old Thai's they're called Thai's here but look like the ornametal version) & have had good luck with them - prolific or at least on the kinda prolific end, also grew well with not having much of a green thumb ;) also this year I'm growing some Thai Orange which they're also doing good. so I guess you could say for me any Thais are like my reliable "go to" chiles.

as for taste ? they're not like a hab or cayenne taste, IMO they're kinda like a neutral taste just a clean heat/spice.
 
A few that have done very well for me here in Iowa are:

Nepali Orange -- May be the same as you call Thai Orange
Bulgarian Spicey
Bulgarian Carrot
Cayenne
Hungarian Wax
Jamaican Red
.......if you haven't noticed all of these are annums. Most are definately a good bet in colder areas.
 
What a great idea, chilehunter! I live in Denmark in Scandinavia where growing season is short and for periods we experience lots of rain (120 mm for June alone) combined with temperatures down to 14-15 degrees Celsius. 20-25 degrees is normal here, but 30 for short periods is also normal.
Last risk of night frosts is late May to early June and first frosts set in again late September to early October.

I usually sow mid February and set out early June - I just don't think you will get good results here with only 2 months inside growing previous to planting out. But maybe it is possible in Minnesota - I believe you have higher temperatures during summer than we do...?

Well, let's get to business!;)

Annuums generally do very well, but there are differences - the ones I have had best results with are: Czechoslovakian Black, Bulgarian Carrot, Shishito, Golden Greek Peperoncini, Pasilla, Hinklehatz, Jalapeño M, Orange Thai, Hungarian Hot Wax. In greenhouse Chihuacle Negro did very well last year, think it may be worth trying out in the open as well...

Baccatums I have only grown these one season so far and they also did very well last year, but this was a very good summer. Criolla Sella is very early to flower and mature pods. Aji Omnicolor is also very early and useful due to the advantage that they can be harvested at the unripe, white-yellow stage, which most people prefer, this is my favourite amongst baccatums. Aji Pineapple also did well last year, but suffers from the general problem that baccatums ripen a bit later than annuums, so you may have to harvest a lot of green fruit.

Chinense: my experiences are very sparse, seems to me that White Bullet and Aribibi Gusano and partly Quintisho, Limón and Naga Morich are doing better than the others I am growing this year, which are Antillais, NuMex Suave Orange+Red, Capezzoli di Scimmia, Beni Highlands. One thing is certain, if summer is bad here, you won't get a bumper crop from chinenses...:(

Frutescens I have never tried due to their late season properties...

Pubescens: I have had moderate succes with this species - last year I harvested around 20 mature fruits on Rocoto Largo San Isidro grown in a 10 liter pot. Manzano Rojo yielded 6 mature pods grown in a 7 liter pot.
This year I am experiencing great succes with Locato (PI 387838) which has set lots of fruit as early as June! Pics are available here... http://www.malusrustica.dk/capsicum/Species/cap_pubescens/pics/pi_387838_s002.htm
Also, a variety named Rocoto Riesen (German for giant) is doing very well, the fruits should weigh up to 150 grams!:onfire:

I hope in particular that somebody can come up with some chinese varieties that may be good for us Northern gardeners...
 
I'm starting to find out that pepper plants in my garden don't do so well, but the peppers I planted in a newly dug garden next to my house seem to grow a lot better, I don't know if it's the bricks of my house radiating away the days heat overnight, but I've got some drop dead gorgeous Thai Dragons and Habaneros growing there, I'm already getting nice pods on a few of the plants.

I don't know if Pittsburgh, PA qualifies as a colder area, but that's just what I've noticed this year.
 
How about for Chicago??

Ive only grew Habanaeros and Hot wax and Jalapenos..and sum cayyene and dis is ma first year..But next year im gonna be more oraganized..:)

Wat peppers u reccomend for chicago anybody are season started late this year...VERY LATE!! We started getting aboe da 60s like in the middle June...and it still gestd chili here and there..but seasons here are from the middle of May to the middle on September..really depends..LOL..
 
turkey - I consider chicago a short season. as for your just getting above mid 60's in mid june ? I would of thought you'd be having warmer temps sooner than that since we've had above 60's in May & in June in the 90's.

skydiver - IMO PA would still be considered a cooler short season.

donnie - I like it, your responce w/strains that did well for you.
yea maybe I was wrong to put that 1-2 months growing inside (it might take longer ?), I really didnt know whats the average growth time needed before putting them outside ? our summers can get hot, IMO too hot! 90's which we've been having alot lately.

I've also grown cayennes (& still do) but I've never been that impressed by their growth & numbers of pods/chiles, I'm not saying they dont grow well for me which they do grow great, I'm just looking for more prolific growers & idiot proof plants to grow :). I've also grown some kind of wax chile they grew great but just not my kind of chile I'd like to eat so I dont grow them no more.

I hope I can help you out Donnie with the chinese varieties later this season, since I'm growing several different strains this season to find out for myself also, I love the hab taste.also MN growing season is like yours late May-Sept.

gardenkiller - I looked at pics of the Nepali Orange & its not the same as my Thai orange, the pods are different.heres a pic of the thai orange plants, its hard to notice the pods in this pic but they're skinny & the plants have alot of flowers/pods forming

DSCF2703.jpg
 
Mid winter here & while most of my habs are struggling, I planted a hab-hedge (8 plants in a 3 x 1 ft space) just to see what would happen & its doing great -





Temps here have been down to 5 C and hit 0 C with wind chill factored in (41 to 32 F)

The Thai Dragon is also putting out loads...but the pods are staying green, and the african birdseye (?maybe?) is unstoppable.

 
that looks like a nice plant to try out next year, what do those nepali orange taste like ?

heres a pic of some of the bigger thai orange pods.

DSCF2712.jpg
 
bentalphanerd said:
Temps here have been down to 5 C and hit 0 C with wind chill factored in (41 to 32 F)
Click to expand...

Hell, we're in the middle of summer here and nights are below 10 C lately. Crazy weather even for Canada and its causing some crazy pods. Great for sleeping though.

Orange Thai were very early producers this year. I also recommend "Super chili hybrid" if you don't mind hybrids.
http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?find=super+chilli&heat=Any&origin=Any&genus=Any&chile=1

Thai orange in May
 
So far here in Cleveland, Jalapenos 1, hot wax 1 , and bananas 1, are doing quite well. So are my super chilis. I'll have to wait and see about the lantern 1, Habs 6, carribean red hab 1, mexi-bell, poblano 1.
 
2 questions for ya pao1x......

1. Are the bananas hot or mild ones? Reason being I can't ever seem to get mild to do anything but sit and do nothing all summer.

2. Is carribean Red Hab the same as Jamaican Red? If so I am growing those and WOW they are prolific little buggers. If not the same I highly recommend. Haven't tasted yet but if they are half as good tasting as the plant is looking, I can't wait!
 
gardenkiller said:
2 questions for ya pao1x......

1. Are the bananas hot or mild ones? Reason being I can't ever seem to get mild to do anything but sit and do nothing all summer.

2. Is carribean Red Hab the same as Jamaican Red? If so I am growing those and WOW they are prolific little buggers. If not the same I highly recommend. Haven't tasted yet but if they are half as good tasting as the plant is looking, I can't wait!
Click to expand...

Answer:
1: Sweet Banana supreme. Thet are going nuts since being potted up. I've learned a leason on container gardening.

2: I don't know. The ID tag reads "Chef Jeff's Worlds Hottest Pepper". Then a bunch of other stuff and "Carribean Red Hot Pepper". chiliman believes it's a carribean red hab. Works for me. I have 1 pod forming. It's about the size of a marble. I'm really hoping to get at least a dozen from it.
 
gardenkiller said:
Is carribean Red Hab the same as Jamaican Red?
Click to expand...


no. but both are suppose to be prolific growers. as for taste I never tried the jamaican red but the caribbean red hab is a tasty treat (IMO)
 
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