Growing peppers in Southern States

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Have seen much shade cloth being used to grow in Southern states.  A lot in Florida.  Also noting harvest times are very different.  I know absolutely nothing about these other states.  Have been Midwest most of my life.  Can folk growing in the Southern states share with me what it is like?

Really curious to know about Florida because I would think you could overwinter out doors.  Does it really get cold enough to kill a plant down there?  If so, I must sound like an idiot.  Are there places in the US where you can grow year round?
 
Florida is a pretty big state with several growing zones. I am in Zone 10b here in South Florida where it is rare to see temps drop below 50 and even then it will only last for just a day or 2. For most of winter we stay in the 60s - 70s range. I am growing my peppers in containers so it would be relatively easy to bring them in if we ever get a frost warning. The last time it snowed was 40 years ago and the last time it went below 32 degrees was 1989... lol
 
I'm also curious about this. What's the temperature threshold where I need to be concerned about the plants outside? Is one or 2 nights of 40 ok? I'm in Central Florida and we don't usually get that cold either, but there are maybe a few nights that drop around 40.

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wicked mike is in miami and has peppers most of the year. can ask him.
 
if you think southern territories you could include Puerto Rico lol
 
In georgia we have a very long growing season, but here in zone 8 we're still FAR from growing year round. Ive been putting stuff out in april and brining it in in October.
 
   I'm in North Carolina and I can usually get plants out in early April. I usually harvest into October, much like Gorizza.
 
     Tim
 
I'm on the upper Gulf Coast (too many freezes to grow year round outdoors, but still plenty hot and humid in the summer).

I thought my yard had too much tree shade to make it ideal for growing peppers.

But most of my pepper plants do better slightly deeper in the shade. And, especially this time of year, many of the ones that get the most sun are struggling.

Some peppers cope better than others. The Caribbean varieties do really well here.
 
Southern Aridzona...
 
Overwintering is usually a breeze.  Although 20s and even high teens are possible, they are rare.   The last hard freeze was about 3 years ago. I don't think it broke 30 even once last "winter."   I think I covered the bigger plants (too big to bring into the shed) about 5 times.   And anything warmer - mid~high 30s - is fine.  This does stress the plants, but they'll survive anything above freezing.
 
By mid April the nights are warm enough that many of the overwintered plants start to flower and fruit!
 
Spring is the bitch.  The fronts that generate tornadoes in Kansas bring hot, incredibly dry winds that suck the life out of young plants.  Miss one watering and they are toast.   Let the sun linger on them too long - TOAST  May and June bring 110+ for days at a time.  All the plants, even in the shade, go into 'survival mode' and grow slowly.  
 
By July, the monsoonal flow has hopefully kicked in and we are in business!  95, humid, with some cloud cover and the plants go berzerk.  :)  Even the cranky overwintered chinense that failed to flower in spring get with the program by the end of August.  
 
Fall is hot and dry and occasionally windy, but the now mature plants have little troubles.
 
Enjoy fresh pods on your Thanksgiving taters!   
 
Sounds like there is good reason for shade cloth.  Also sounds like it would be dirt cheap to keep things going in a high tunnel as you would only have to heat for a short number of nights.
 
TheLoneBrewer said:
I'm also curious about this. What's the temperature threshold where I need to be concerned about the plants outside? Is one or 2 nights of 40 ok? I'm in Central Florida and we don't usually get that cold either, but there are maybe a few nights that drop around 40.

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I;m in central Kentucky.  I gambled this year and planted way before the historic last frost.  It got down to below 40 on many a night and nothing showed horrific damage.  However, things I planted later overtook many of those early plants.  So I am going with a few 40ish nights will stunt growth rate.

Thing is if it is an established plant, I cant imagine there being much trouble.  So maybe growing into winter will be OK but growing new at the new season, not so much.

Just kind of dreaming about not having to grow the root structure year after year with new plants.
 
This past season, I only had 4 7-Pot plants in the garden.  Still had a few pods on them in February when we got a couple nights below freezing.  I just cut them back to the ground, and they all came back up.  It's kind of a gamble here in zone 9, though.  We'll get a couple years without a good freeze...then it'll catch us off guard.
 
Sounds like you can essentially over winter outside.  We do that with a thing called the Chicago Fig.  Not really sure if the thing will live in Chicago, but it grows back each year here.
 
AJ Drew said:
Have seen much shade cloth being used to grow in Southern states.  A lot in Florida.  Also noting harvest times are very different.  I know absolutely nothing about these other states.  Have been Midwest most of my life.  Can folk growing in the Southern states share with me what it is like?

Really curious to know about Florida because I would think you could overwinter out doors.  Does it really get cold enough to kill a plant down there?  If so, I must sound like an idiot.  Are there places in the US where you can grow year round?
Click to expand...
 
I live in Northwest Louisiana, where we share the same brutally hot summer temperatures as East Texas...In full sun only C. annuum really produces in the hottest part of the summer. C. chinense basically shuts down any and all production from early August until early October. However, I have been using 30% Aluminet shade cloth for the last 2 seasons, and it really seems to make a difference. The 7 Pot Primo plants under the canopy in the photo reach almost to my shoulders...
 
As for perennial varieties in this climate, I have found that Texas Pequin will die back to the stump after a freeze, but re-sprout in the spring to form massive bushes. Once established, a healthy stand of them becomes almost a nuisance, they are so bulletproof and productive...
 
shade_tent1.jpg
 
Now this is where I feel like a minnow in the ocean. I am still very new but have some experience [2nd season spaced years apart by moving from overseas and such.] But, I thought I would give indoor growing a shot so I had bought a seedling heat mat as well as a Jiffy greenhouse combo'd with extra peat pod replacements. [ Working with what I had at the moment.] I read up a bit and did what I was familiar with and used about 50 of my tabasco seeds and various other peppers, maybe 4 each of choc fatali douglah, choc reaper. and bbmommas [all i had of those I had saved from way back and recently ] in various different methods experimenting with this heat mat after researching it. plastic bag method in a tray, tupperware and paper towels/coffee filter, jiffy greenhouse/peat pods. trying to keep them on.
 
Temp readings were in the low 60's for all of them for the thermometer I was using, including inside the peper towels and tupperware. I had an inkling something was not right so I went to DG and bought a new thermo.. turns out the calibration was way off, my baseline temp was in the mid 70's! well needless to say I tossed out my old thermo.

Now I start my readings and I come to the sad conclusion as i continue to take my readings my heart drops. My readings are all in the high 90's over 100, needless to say lesson learned! I am in no way an expert and in every way new. I feel bad for my seeds and scold myself for my ignorance!

My question is, What do you guys suggest would be the best route for germinating indoors with a heating mat ? I had read about a 1020 tray with individual 32 cell trays&humidity dome. I only have 1 window with small amounts of direct sunlight for maybe 5 hours a day and I mean small amounts. other than that I have another window which gets 7 hours of morning hour sun but not as access as the other room.
 
Chrono_Sonata said:
My question is, What do you guys suggest would be the best route for germinating indoors with a heating mat ? I had read about a 1020 tray with individual 32 cell trays&humidity dome. I only have 1 window with small amounts of direct sunlight for maybe 5 hours a day and I mean small amounts. other than that I have another window which gets 7 hours of morning hour sun but not as access as the other room.
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Most people think I am over the top on this, but I started using those Styrofoam egg incubators, some with the fan add on.  Temperature set around 99 degrees.  Not using them anymore because needed something larger but they worked great and the temperature really helped.  Again, yep 99 degrees sounds over the top.  They adjust down, but first try was set for eggs which is in that range.  Worked great, why change it.

Anyway, they are maybe 50 bucks new or 20 used at a swap meet.  They have a reservoir for water.  Gotta check it every day or so, but takes a second.  I put the jiffy pellets in warm water, expand, put seeds in, and them put them on the screen in the incubators.  Clear plastic windows on the top let a wee bit of light in, but a day after they pop I transfer them to a lit area.

Best investment I ever made.  Even today, if I get a really special seed in or if I know something really loves the extra heat I will use them.  My larger solution uses a space heater and tent sort of thing, but it is not nearly as warm in there.
 
 
AJ Drew said:
 
Most people think I am over the top on this, but I started using those Styrofoam egg incubators, some with the fan add on.  Temperature set around 99 degrees.  Not using them anymore because needed something larger but they worked great and the temperature really helped.  Again, yep 99 degrees sounds over the top.  They adjust down, but first try was set for eggs which is in that range.  Worked great, why change it.

Anyway, they are maybe 50 bucks new or 20 used at a swap meet.  They have a reservoir for water.  Gotta check it every day or so, but takes a second.  I put the jiffy pellets in warm water, expand, put seeds in, and them put them on the screen in the incubators.  Clear plastic windows on the top let a wee bit of light in, but a day after they pop I transfer them to a lit area.

Best investment I ever made.  Even today, if I get a really special seed in or if I know something really loves the extra heat I will use them.  My larger solution uses a space heater and tent sort of thing, but it is not nearly as warm in there.
 
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Wow, I gave them a quick look on amazon and saw one for around 60 or so, fan and view window. I could really see myself using something to that degree and jiffy pods in the future if/when I decide to expand in future seasons, I just need to get more experience and seasons under my belt. :) I also have to build my confidence and learn more about seed saving and getting my germination routine down before i get more elaborate you know ? :)
 
 
AJ Drew said:
 
Ye, the fans cost extra.  Not sure if you need them.  You can walk into a Rural King or Tractor Supply and walk out for less than fifty bucks.  Craigs list under farm supply often for like twenty.

https://www.ruralking.com/farm-innovators-still-air-incubator-2100.html
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I think that I might actually bite the bullet on this one. Good Sir, I do believe this is the best way for me to control the temp of my germinating little plants Oh, how do you manage the humidity ?. Thank you very much for turning me to this method! o7 Salute! :)
 
I have lived in North Central Florida for years, and in central Florida (Orlando) for a few, and while it's hot, muggy, and full of bugs of 9+ months a year, we do occasionally get a hard freeze (20's-30's) just about every year.  Sometimes it is one, sometimes six +.  Basically the outdoor gardener approach was to wheel everything into the garage overnight.  I used to have a greenhouse with heaters, which was great for everything, but became high maintenance, plus every other critter wanted to move in.
 
J.
 
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