plant Mismatch of plants (If you can call them that)

[Hueristic]

OK well instead of retyping the back story on these I am going to link to my intro thread.

http://thehotpepper....ventry-ri-here/

So here is the scoop, My plants are in bad soil I think and have been through hell so they are just now starting to produce (actually only a couple). But I started with a huge variety and lost track of what is what so any help you peops can3give me I'd appreciate. I've taken some pictures of the best looking ones that have fruit and hope this can help in identification. The ones that never got higher than 6 inches I haven't bothered to picture as I don't think I should try to save those over the winter. correct me if I'm wrong. I don't care about Bells or anything not hot for winter saving and only have about 6 square feet Max in my kitchen for winter plants (only window with some like I'm surrounded by trees on that side of the house (mobile home actually).

So the 3 main things I need help with are:
1. what is this plant and when should I pick that pepper (I want it as hot as can be) someare turning black and I don't know what that means. they are still firm.

2. What ones should I save for winter? I'd like to save any hard to grow ones if any are in there (I bought every hot pepper packet i could find and tried them all.

3. When transplanting them how much room will they need? Will a 5 gallon bucket be overkill?

4, Yeah I said 3 but I just though of another thing. Should I get grow lights for the kitchen light? I don't ever use it as I don't eat in my kitchen and I use the sink light 24/7.

OK here are the pics anything you guys can tell me would really help, I'm a complete novice and this is the first time I've actually got peppers to grow!!!

This one is small and the pepper is turning black, is this a habanero?

This one is turning black should I pick it or wait?

This on I took 2 pictures of as it's really different from the others and the pepper is really small and I had to get it from the underneath. I think this one is real hot? I hope so, will it change color?

ALSO the weather has been dropping into the 60's and 50's a few days so how much longer an they last?

I can post pics of the stunted scragglers if you guys want but I don't see then as being worth saving.


Also by looking at these can you guys tell me how to improve my soil? This area has horrible soil over sand, I went out into the woods and dug up a ton of topsoil and mixed it in and sprinkled epson salt when they started all turning yellow (didn't help much).


Sorry about the million questions but damn this is friggin hard!!!!!

 

[Sick625]

-5 gallon bucket/pot will be good.

- wait till peppers turn ripe.

regular soil you find around you proly wont be good, you shuld buy & if can get garden soil,will help your garden/plants.

 

[Hueristic]

-5 gallon bucket/pot will be good.

- wait till peppers turn ripe.

regular soil you find around you proly wont be good you shuld & if can get garden soil,will help your garden/plants.

Thanks for the reply but I have no clue what ripe is expecially because I don't know which ones are which? I have 2 turning black and I think one looks like a habanaro and the other a jalepino but I am not sure. That is why I am here.

Also are can I use smaller or a shorter bucket than a five gallon jug, I need to conserve space but don't want to stop them from growing. also how far around the plant do i dig? do the roots go down or around?

Sorry for the noob questions but I've researched and just get confused with the tons of info out there and ever time I start following whats going on the conversation always gets so scientific I need to go back to chemistry class to follow.

It seems simple answers to simple questions are getting harder to come by these days. Everyone seems to thin you have all day to research everything in the world these days. I'm also trying to find out about mushrooms and that is a bag of worms I wish I never opened!!!!!

 

[Sick625]

Thanks for the reply but I have no clue what ripe is expecially because I don't know which ones are which? I have 2 turning black and I think one looks like a habanaro and the other a jalepino but I am not sure. That is why I am here.

Also are can I use smaller or a shorter bucket than a five gallon jug, I need to conserve space but don't want to stop them from growing. also how far around the plant do i dig? do the roots go down or around?

Sorry for the noob questions but I've researched and just get confused with the tons of info out there and ever time I start following whats going on the conversation always gets so scientific I need to go back to chemistry class to follow.

It seems simple answers to simple questions are getting harder to come by these days. Everyone seems to thin you have all day to research everything in the world these days. I'm also trying to find out about mushrooms and that is a bag of worms I wish I never opened!!!!!

well mostly ever pepper has der color...soo lets per say the pepper is a orange habanero u have to wait till habanero goes from green slowly turns orangeee & let it sit for cuple days then cut off.but if your sayin there turning black not sure unless its a black hab but idk or maybe there turning brown have to wait. you can proly use a short bucket/jug for the mean while but your gonna have to change it to a bigger one.
& yes go around the plant/roots in like a circle. idnt think the plants roots are to deep just becuz its still kinda small.

lol

also if your gonna put em in buckets make sure to make holes in bottom with a drill bit, or something.

 

[griff87]

Do you plan to try and get peppers throughout the winter from the ones you plan to overwinter? If not, I think a 5 gal bucket might be overkill. Last year I put mine in maybe a ~2 gal pots and had them sit in my window sill. I also had cut them back too and let them grow back over the winter. You can see a few pics from last winter here. http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25689-super-hot-overwinter/
Other than dealing with a few mouse problems they did fine. I am actually planning on doing this on this upcoming weekend myself. I don't want to risk a surprise frost before getting them in. You will probably want to do the same within the next couple of weeks. As for how much you cut them back, if at all, will be up to you. What I would at least do is dig them up, wash (and trim if needed) the roots and put it in fresh soil in your container. Inspect for any insects that may cause harm inside (A reason I cut all the way back to help ensure nothing is hiding).

 

[TOAW]

The pepper that is in pics 4,5,6 looks like a jalapeno to me. My jalapinos are doing the same since the weather has cooled down. I've grown them in the past and that seems to happen in cool weather. Just extra pigment. The others I'll let those with more experience tell you about them.

 

[Hueristic]

The pepper that is in pics 4,5,6 looks like a jalapeno to me. My jalapinos are doing the same since the weather has cooled down. I've grown them in the past and that seems to happen in cool weather. Just extra pigment. The others I'll let those with more experience tell you about them.

Thanks alot I was thinking a couple were (after I did a lot of looking at google images) but It's tough to tell I guess until your used to it. Like I said this is the first time in 4 years I actually got to any peppers!!! And thankfully my bounty is almost enough to count on 2 hands!

well mostly ever pepper has der color...soo lets per say the pepper is a orange habanero u have to wait till habanero goes from green slowly turns orangeee & let it sit for cuple days then cut off.but if your sayin there turning black not sure unless its a black hab but idk or maybe there turning brown have to wait. you can proly use a short bucket/jug for the mean while but your gonna have to change it to a bigger one.
& yes go around the plant/roots in like a circle. idnt think the plants roots are to deep just becuz its still kinda small.

lol

also if your gonna put em in buckets make sure to make holes in bottom with a drill bit, or something.

Yes it's a sad collection! But I'm proud of them, I worked hard. I'd hate to figure the cost of each one! I think the last one (the 2 pictures) is a Habanero.

Do you plan to try and get peppers throughout the winter from the ones you plan to overwinter? If not, I think a 5 gal bucket might be overkill. Last year I put mine in maybe a ~2 gal pots and had them sit in my window sill. I also had cut them back too and let them grow back over the winter. You can see a few pics from last winter here. http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25689-super-hot-overwinter/
Other than dealing with a few mouse problems they did fine. I am actually planning on doing this on this upcoming weekend myself. I don't want to risk a surprise frost before getting them in. You will probably want to do the same within the next couple of weeks. As for how much you cut them back, if at all, will be up to you. What I would at least do is dig them up, wash (and trim if needed) the roots and put it in fresh soil in your container. Inspect for any insects that may cause harm inside (A reason I cut all the way back to help ensure nothing is hiding).

W0W that link is perfect, THANKS! it shows the size I can use and your plants have a much better stem than mine do so they should take less space I think?

AFA getting some over the winter, I hadn't thought of that but I have one or 2 that are just flowering right now so I would like to save them and let them produce this year.



I'm also wondering if I should try to save the runts that did nothing all year and stayed like6 inches tall. I don't know anything about this so is it because the soil is bad or are the seeds bad or the environment or can I transplant them into better soil and they will grow? I'm really lost on this stuff. It's funny I can't grow a plant but I've got engineering degrees.

 

[griff87]

Well if your soil at your mobile home park is anything like mine, as I too live in a mobile home, is crap. It's pretty much all clay, which doesn't allow the roots to grow thus stunting the plant, and doesn't really have much nutrients either. For future reference, you can either amend that soil, build a raised bed, or grow in containers. I have both a raised bed and containers myself.

As for overwintering, you could probalbly get away with digging them up, washing the roots and transplanting into a container with good soil. As long as they get enough light, they will grow and produce. You may need to get a decent light in order to do so though as from the sound of it you don't get much light in your kitchen. There is a whole thread on overwintering that will probably help. It's pinned at the top of the growing section but here's the link anyhow. http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25596-the-comprehensive-guide-to-over-wintering/

As for choosing, your space restrictions will drive how many you will be able to have. I would say the best candidate would be the possible habanero as habs have a longer grow season so you will have a jumpstart next year. I would pick the strongest, healthiest plants you have from there. The decision will ultimately be yours though.

 

[Hueristic]

Well if your soil at your mobile home park is anything like mine, as I too live in a mobile home, is crap. It's pretty much all clay, which doesn't allow the roots to grow thus stunting the plant, and doesn't really have much nutrients either. For future reference, you can either amend that soil, build a raised bed, or grow in containers. I have both a raised bed and containers myself.

That I will have to do next year these plants are embarrassing, But after 4 years of fail I'm happy to have anything!

As for overwintering, you could probalbly get away with digging them up, washing the roots and transplanting into a container with good soil. As long as they get enough light, they will grow and produce. You may need to get a decent light in order to do so though as from the sound of it you don't get much light in your kitchen. There is a whole thread on overwintering that will probably help. It's pinned at the top of the growing section but here's the link anyhow. http://thehotpepper....over-wintering/

Holy Cow that guys plants look like trees!

As for choosing, your space restrictions will drive how many you will be able to have. I would say the best candidate would be the possible habanero as habs have a longer grow season so you will have a jumpstart next year. I would pick the strongest, healthiest plants you have from there. The decision will ultimately be yours though.

Yeah I'm just not sure which are which I planted about 10 or 12 different ones and don't know which are which. Some haven't even flowered yet so I want tot try to save any that are hot as I have some of those colored sweet and bells in there too which I can grab at the mart easy enough.