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tutorial Growing Hot Peppers Guide + FAQ

uh you can keep them warm if you want, for a little bit until they get all settled and start growing more roots...
the dome is really only for germinating. if you use dome after they sprout you can get damping off which will kill the seedling.
 
uh you can keep them warm if you want, for a little bit until they get all settled and start growing more roots...
the dome is really only for germinating. if you use dome after they sprout you can get damping off which will kill the seedling.

Thanks for the clarification.

In the "1st Transplanting" section of your FAQ it mentions the humidity dome. That's what threw me.

So the heat and humidity dome is really only necessary in the germination stage? The next stage is all about light, air, and water
 
Umbra said:
Thanks for the clarification.

In the "1st Transplanting" section of your FAQ it mentions the humidity dome. That's what threw me.

So the heat and humidity dome is really only necessary in the germination stage? The next stage is all about light, air, and water
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yes its for people who skipped "pre germination" aka direct sow
 
i mean you should still keep temps 70+ for fastest growth. 60 is ok but not optimal.
the high heat 80+ is just to get the seeds into germination mode asap.
 
TylerJones said:
How do you like the 5-1-1 mix? Were you adding worm castings to it as well?
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there's lots of threads on gardenweb forums about it in container gardening / hot peppers section.
 
no worm castings for me.
i feed hydroponic nutrients while using it so i don't mix any extra stuff in.
 
juanitos said:
 
=Grow Lights=
Color
Colors are usually measured in temperature or wavelength.
 
temperature
Since you read the above article about PAR you understand that soft / warm white aka around 3000k is not that great.
Daylight 5000k and cool white 6500k are the best because they have more blue than yellow.
 
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I am not sure whether I agree with that, and the article about PAR says actually the exact opposite as well.
 
This results in a quantity called the yield photon flux (YPF).[3] The red curve in the graph shows that photons around 610 nm (orange-red) have the highest amount of photosynthesis per photon. However, because short-wavelength photons carry more energy per photon, the maximum amount of photosynthesis per incident unit of energy is at a longer wavelength, around 650 nm (deep red).
 
It has been noted that there is considerable misunderstanding over the effect of light quality on plant growth and many manufacturers claim significantly increased plant growth due to light quality (spectral distribution or the ratio of the colors).[4] A widely used estimate of the effect of light quality on photosynthesis comes from the Yield Photon Flux (YPF) curve, which indicates that orange and red photons between 600 to 630 nm can result in 20 to 30% more photosynthesis than blue or cyan photons between 400 and 540 nm.[5]
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This clearly says that reds cause the highest amount of photosynthesis.
 
Yes, I only have experience with growing "medical plants", there the common understanding was that cooler lights (say 4000K and up) are "better" for vegging and the redder, warm/soft whites "better" for flowering.
 
Those however who did actual tests (now talking specifically about CREE COBs), reported only marginally differences between using, say, a 2500K light or a cooler, say, 4000K light....to a point where the color temperature of the light was seen as entirely irrelevant.
 
But there is ONE difference that I remember having read about, depending whether you use a "cooler" or a "warmer" light, that for example a warmer light would make your plants stretch and less dense, while a cooler light for vegging makes them shorter and bushier. Which one is "better" is of course subjective, common sense would say a balanced mix of both.
 
This just because according to what you said in the FAQ, one would read that a light, say in the 5000-6000K range would be significantly better than a warm-white, but the linked article and from what I know doesn't confirm this at all. Now, again just speaking from my previous history with "medical plants", there most folks use 3500K which are sort-of considered the golden middle.
 
Has someone compared peppers grown with, say, 3000-3500K lights and compared to 5000-6000K and is there a difference? Not only in growth...but also in terms of fruits. That would be interesting.
 
** Edit **
 
Reading around on this more....it seems to be the same case with peppers as with "medical" plants. A warm-white, say, 3500K may be not the most optimal for vegetative phase, but when they flower and start to have fruits, the warmer light is more optimal. I (as well as others) chose the 3500K LEDs because they provide both, plenty of reds in the spectrum and a nice high spike in the blue as well.
 
I have found more on germination temps than maintenance temps so forgive me if this is a repeat question.  The only thing I really find is general grow temps.  In one of the first posts on this topic, I see that in general, pepper plants should be kept around 70-90 deg F.  I have recently bought a mature Carolina Reaper plant, growing in a bucket lid pot with a mixture of clay pellets and coconut husks.  It's about 4 1/2' tall and about 3' in diameter.  Currently growing about a dozen peppers.  I live in Arizona and our temps are going to me in the triple digits by this weekend.  
 
My question is, should I go by the general grow temp ranges I have seen or is a mature plant like this strong enough to handle 110 deg F+ temps?  We have been in the 90 deg F+ range for a couple weeks now and it seems to be holding up quite well.  I just really don't want to lose this treasure!
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Jmahoney said:
I have found more on germination temps than maintenance temps so forgive me if this is a repeat question.  The only thing I really find is general grow temps.  In one of the first posts on this topic, I see that in general, pepper plants should be kept around 70-90 deg F.  I have recently bought a mature Carolina Reaper plant, growing in a bucket lid pot with a mixture of clay pellets and coconut husks.  It's about 4 1/2' tall and about 3' in diameter.  Currently growing about a dozen peppers.  I live in Arizona and our temps are going to me in the triple digits by this weekend.  
 
My question is, should I go by the general grow temp ranges I have seen or is a mature plant like this strong enough to handle 110 deg F+ temps?  We have been in the 90 deg F+ range for a couple weeks now and it seems to be holding up quite well.  I just really don't want to lose this treasure!
 
Thanks in advance!
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people in very hot climates like az use shade cloth to keep em cooler.
 
juanitos said:
people in very hot climates like az use shade cloth to keep em cooler.
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And that is really where my question needs a more specific answer, because I know that by shading the plant it will help reduce the temp because it's obviously not in the direct sunlight, but while the outside temp in direct sunlight may be 115 def F to 120 deg F, the shaded temp can still be over 110 deg F.
 
Jmahoney said:
And that is really where my question needs a more specific answer, because I know that by shading the plant it will help reduce the temp because it's obviously not in the direct sunlight, but while the outside temp in direct sunlight may be 115 def F to 120 deg F, the shaded temp can still be over 110 deg F.
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70-90 are optimal temps.
110 is ok as long as they are cooling down again at night (seems like temps get back to 70-80 so thats good)
same goes for low temps.. 40 is ok as long as they are getting warmer in the day
 
as long as you have shade cloth you are fine.
if you have automatic watering you can set it to water during the hottest part of the day to help cool down everything.
 
juanitos said:
70-90 are optimal temps.
110 is ok as long as they are cooling down again at night (seems like temps get back to 70-80 so thats good)
same goes for low temps.. 40 is ok as long as they are getting warmer in the day
 
as long as you have shade cloth you are fine.
if you have automatic watering you can set it to water during the hottest part of the day to help cool down everything.
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If 110 deg F shaded is ok then that's good news.  During late June, July, and August, it rarely dips below the 100 deg F mark at night but of course, there's no sun to worry about during those times.
 
Right now I have the bucket lid pot sitting in a catch tray and water it twice a day (morning and night) but I'm going to be converting it to a Dutch Bucket style set up with a timer and automatic watering system.  My concern with that is though that to keep the bacteria growth down, I need to paint the bucket black which of course draws the heat and increases the water temp.  I'm worried about the roots being in hot water.  I may wait until fall to convert to the Dutch Bucket when maybe I can put together a water cooling system as well.
 
Jmahoney said:
If 110 deg F shaded is ok then that's good news.  During late June, July, and August, it rarely dips below the 100 deg F mark at night but of course, there's no sun to worry about during those times.
 
Right now I have the bucket lid pot sitting in a catch tray and water it twice a day (morning and night) but I'm going to be converting it to a Dutch Bucket style set up with a timer and automatic watering system.  My concern with that is though that to keep the bacteria growth down, I need to paint the bucket black which of course draws the heat and increases the water temp.  I'm worried about the roots being in hot water.  I may wait until fall to convert to the Dutch Bucket when maybe I can put together a water cooling system as well.
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you might post a thread about this or search for "hydroponic arizona" or something similar see if anyone does it. You're right to worry about high water temps with outdoor hydro. not sure if that will work without chiller. and chillers are quite expensive to run. 
drip to waste probably works great as i assume the water source is kinda cool
 
Does anyone know if the length of time, once "visibly" ripe, that the pepper is left on the plant has anything to do with how hot the pepper becomes?
 
The reason I ask is that I have both Habanero and a Carolina Reaper plants and I have made salsa with both so far, only to be sadly disappointed with the lack of intense heat from either, but especially the Reaper.
 
The first batch of salsa I made was with the Reaper and while the flavor was incredible, the heat was only enough to make my nose run a bit.   I was hoping (as well as expecting) it to be hot enough to make me think twice about taking another scoop.  I used one fresh Reaper off the plant, nice and bright red, and only 3 tomatoes, a half onion and my other "secret" ingredients lol, so I don't think it's the ratios that is the issue.
 
The second batch I made just this weekend.  I used the same recipe, just used the Habaneros instead (nice deep orange in color).  This time however, I started out with 4 Habaneros and 4 tomatoes.  It was the equivalent of "Mild" store bought salsa as far as heat goes.  I then added 2 more peppers only to bring it to a light medium heat.....sadness ensued.
 
So, that all being said, any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
 
juanitos said:
where did you get seeds from?
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Bought the Carolina Reaper plant from a guy that owns the hydroponics store where I buy my plant nutrients from.  He was actually supplying a local restaurant with the Reapers for their Suicide Hot Wings, so I know they're hot.  The Habaneros I bought as a start plant from Lowe's.
 
Jmahoney said:
Does anyone know if the length of time, once "visibly" ripe, that the pepper is left on the plant has anything to do with how hot the pepper becomes?
 
The reason I ask is that I have both Habanero and a Carolina Reaper plants and I have made salsa with both so far, only to be sadly disappointed with the lack of intense heat from either, but especially the Reaper.
 
The first batch of salsa I made was with the Reaper and while the flavor was incredible, the heat was only enough to make my nose run a bit.   I was hoping (as well as expecting) it to be hot enough to make me think twice about taking another scoop.  I used one fresh Reaper off the plant, nice and bright red, and only 3 tomatoes, a half onion and my other "secret" ingredients lol, so I don't think it's the ratios that is the issue.
 
The second batch I made just this weekend.  I used the same recipe, just used the Habaneros instead (nice deep orange in color).  This time however, I started out with 4 Habaneros and 4 tomatoes.  It was the equivalent of "Mild" store bought salsa as far as heat goes.  I then added 2 more peppers only to bring it to a light medium heat.....sadness ensued.
 
So, that all being said, any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
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Bump
 
Jmahoney said:
Bump
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even unripe green fruits are very hot on superhots. ripeness is more about the flavor(getting rid of chlorophyll green taste) / sugar content (sweetness).

i would say, you have genetics that aren't very hot.
I used 1 reaper and it spiced up a whole 1 gallon pot of chili to medium heat.

Or you just have some wierd problem with the first pods and next pods will be better hopefully?

otherwise i'd say just buy from someone with good reviews in the vendor vault like buckeyepepper
local places are notorious for not having good genetics.
 
juanitos said:
even unripe green fruits are very hot on superhots. ripeness is more about the flavor(getting rid of chlorophyll green taste) / sugar content (sweetness).

i would say, you have genetics that aren't very hot.
I used 1 reaper and it spiced up a whole 1 gallon pot of chili to medium heat.

Or you just have some wierd problem with the first pods and next pods will be better hopefully?

otherwise i'd say just buy from someone with good reviews in the vendor vault like buckeyepepper
local places are notorious for not having good genetics.
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In that case, I may buy some Habanero seeds or maybe just switch to some Moruga Scorpions, and start an indoor plant using a Dutch Bucket.  It's getting too hot here and I don't know that the outdoor plant I have right now will make it long enough to produce a second crop.  
 
As far as the Reaper, I have a new crop of about 20 peppers on this well established plant (about 4' tall) starting to turn orange and a couple are getting a bit of the red.  I'll see how this crop does and decide from there.
 
Thanks!
 
Hi all, novice from London UK here with few questions.
 
Back in march I got starter pack with few seeds of Apache F1 which I managed to grow with some success. I have 3 plants in the ground and two have quite few green pods, one not so much but a lot of flowers, so all good. Fourth plant I keep on the window and that is biggest with a lot of still green pods. I also have 2 Naga Morich, 1 Black Scorpion tail and one Thai Demon which I bougt from some vendor on Amazon as a already established plants and they are doing fine. The pictures are here in my intro post. 
 
The questions:
 
1. Can I over winter these plants? It doesn't look as there will be massive harvest and would like to try and save them for next year. Are they suitable for OW?
 
2. My Naga Morich plants got some flower buds which are not opening and it's been a while. I feed them with my home made comfrey tea and some organic chili and tomato fertilizers from time to time. They are in decent sized pots and I take them out in the garden most days when it is sunny and bring them in in the evening. Will there be enough time for them to ripen this year and what can I do to make it happen?
 
3. If I end up harvesting ripe pods, can I keep the seeds to sow next year? 
 
 
That's all I can think of right now, sorry for silly questions. Really just got hooked into growing stuff in my small London garden and just one small window that gets any direct sun.
 
Thanks.
 
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