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Dang weather is driving me NUTS!!!
- Thread starter RS67Man
- Start date
In central California we've been on THE CRAZIEST roller coaster of warm and cold and rain. I can't remember it being this cool for it to be almost June. Looks like we're finally about to settle in to the warm season though. My overwintered Fresno chili's a heavily producing and will have supm to eat in another week or two. All my seedlings are still small man.
I feel ya, I'm in Indiana fairly close to there so I can attest to that. Although I'm a little south so our weather is a bit better. You know you live in Indiana when you have to go from heat, to AC, back to heat all in the same day.
We have had a ton of rain this year. I can't complain too much because it's still better than what people are dealing with in WA and probably most of Canada, but it still sucks. Frequent nasty wind ripping trees out of the ground (somehow it didn't kill a single chile plant) and torrential downpoor all summer long, plus a 2 week no sun period that really stunted some of plants in May. I'm serious...I didn't see the sun once for almost 2 weeks...starting the day I received a bunch of plants from CCN. I have 6 inch tall bhuts that were 4 inches tall 2 months ago. They just refuse to grow. My other chinenses from CCN layed dormant for a full month before finally growing.
My plants are all in buckets so I was able to move them sometimes, but they still got overwatered at times. My mom's garden was almost entirely ruined by all the rain.
Today did not in any way shape or form feel like July. Was out with my son this afternoon and it was in the upper 50's! Folks had on jackets...in "July". Seems like April happend and never left. Its like that family member that you so want to leave but he refuses. I sure picked the wrong year to grow chilies.
millworkman
Extreme Member
My backyard looks like a desert. All the grass has died and the clay is cracking it is so hot and dry.
Here in West Texas the monsoon season has arrived. We have great temps and I can deal with the rain but for the last week we have had high winds as the thunderstorms roll in and out. Last night we had 35 mph winds for about 4 hours and that has pretty much been the norm for the last week and for the foreseeable future. The remains of hurricane Alex are supposed to come right through El Paso this weekend so it’s only going to get worse. I had been shuttling my 59 plants into the garage every time it got windy but I finally said enough is enough.. I bought stakes and tied every one down as best I could and now it is in hands of Mother Nature. Probably lost about 15% of the leaves last night hopefully the lost leaves will grow back with renewed vigor and stimulate plant growth. I reserve the right to cave and start the shuttling routine again when they begin to flower. Heheheheh
milworkman, just noticed you're in Knoxville, TN. I was in Knoxville a few days ago. I'm jealous of your weather. Everyone's gardens in TN seem to have about twice the growth of those in Indiana and already producing a ton of ripe fruit. It is amazing the difference in size for being only ~7 hours south. The heat seems a lot more tolerable than Indiana too because it's so damn humid here in the summer. Indiana has been having monsoons every few days with freakig sideways blowing walls of water. I spent about 7 days in TN and it was bright, sunny, and hot every day until about 10 PM with no rain at all.
Yikes sorry to hear that, I hope it gets better soon. Seems like there are several people growing hot peppers in WA. I cannot find any in Mt, I'm planning on moving there sometime soon. I transplanted my plants had terrible weather. I want to hear everybody in WA say the weather is awesome for growing hot peppers!! What do you guys think of the kennewick area?
Weather in SC has been ok. Pretty damn hot as it's been 90+ for about a month. But my plants are growing either way.
salsalady
Business Member
Lazi~, RSman, Maligator, ChocoHab and DuvallDave, chileaddict (and some others) are all on the "wet"side of the state, basically the I-5 corridor from Canada to Portland. Takes in Bellingham, Everett, Seattle and south. That's where Washington get's it rainy reputation, since that's where most of the people in Washington live. Myself and rd1965 are on the "dry" side of the Cascade mountains, very similar weather to most of Montana, from what I know. Hot and dry in the summer, feet of snow in the winter.
The Kennewick area is supurb for growing everything! Smack-dab in the middle of the (in my unprofessional, but well tasted opinion) the best wine region in America! ( I know, gonna get burning arrows from Napa fans, but whatever~~~)
The Kennewick/Pasco/Richland area (commonly referred to as the Tri-Cities) also hosts the only hot sauce-fiery foods type festival in the Northwest that I know of. I went to it several years ago, but it's basically a glorified farmers market festival. Not even remotely the kind of hot sauce festival that the rest of the country sees. The judged for the salsa contest were sitting in the middle of the salsa prep area, seeing everything, and each contestant walked up to the judges to present their entry. No blind tasting...and there was definitely a "home-boys" thing going on. I was the first person from outside of the Tri-Cities to ever even THINK of entering the competition and I did not receive a warm welcome.
Anyway, Back to the weather....which was resembling summer until it rained again today~~~~
edit to include chileaddict as a wetsider...I MEAN...WEST-sider!
lazienfat believe me the easttcoast gets more rain than the westside of WA each year. And where I live in Bellingham we get less than Seattle. Most "normal" summers are great for growing chilies in pots. I have lived in this state since 1992 moving here from the south and thist is by far the worst start to summer I can remember. Good thing is supposedly starting on the 5th we are back to normal meaning 70's and 80's. 
I am a 4th generation pacific north westerner, my great granddad settled in Port Townsend in 1896 after coming west from Iowa over the Oregon Trail. This has been the coolest start to summer on record. I am glad to see it finally turn around. However, it may be too late for my Bhuts and Habs, time will tell. If anything I will overwinter the best looking plants, and take it all as a learning year.
I'm in Florida so sunshine is not USUALLY a problem. The last week or so we've had nothing but rain. My pepper plants are soaked. I made a point of drilling more drainage holes in the side of my pots but now I'm wondering if I should bring them into the garage or just leave them? 
Suggestions would be most welcome!
-Josh
Suggestions would be most welcome!
-Josh
I'm in Florida so sunshine is not USUALLY a problem. The last week or so we've had nothing but rain. My pepper plants are soaked. I made a point of drilling more drainage holes in the side of my pots but now I'm wondering if I should bring them into the garage or just leave them?
Suggestions would be most welcome!
-Josh
More holes won't make any difference provided you already have 4 or 5 one inch or larger holes around the perimeter of the pot. If your medium has adequate drainage the rain shouldn't present a problem, other than leeching nutes that need to be replaced. If your medium retains too much water w/o maintaining good aeration you may run into a root rot problem. We've had lots of rain here and I leave my pots where they are and the plants appreciate the cooler temps the rain brings.
Lazienfat you are coming to a great place to grow chiles/peppers. Salsalady said it right so I don't need to add any more. Look me up...let's go kayaking! Many great rivers everywhere out here.