Pepper varieties for a cool coastal climate? (First post, and hello...)

Hi!
I am trying to figure out the best varieties of pepper for my climate...
I'm in far-northern California (about 90 miles from Oregon), and we have cool, typically grey skies in the morning, until the clouds burn off around noon, with typical summer temps of low 50's for a "low", and high 60's for a "high".  We get into the low 70's in August.
I (finally!) have a yard where I can try growing, with good southern exposure.
 
What varieties of peppers (thinking more "mild to medium hot" than "very hot" or "sweet" peppers... but if it'll do well, I'll try it!) might be tolerant of my conditions, and tolerant of someone who hasn't tried growing anything since gradeschool?
 
 
(End of question, beginning of rambling about how I got interested in growing peppers...)
I got interested in trying to grow hot peppers last year (my first year in my new house, with a yard), in two ways.  First, I got a bag of Tien Tsin chinese dried peppers, and made a batch of mediocre hot sauce with them... after de-seeding the dried peppers.  So I'm looking at this pile of seeds, and wondered "I wonder if they'd grow?". Not thinking much of 'em, I just basically tossed them in a bucket of dirt and watered them.  Well, the little buggers really wanted to grow, and I got HUNDREDS of little sprouts!  Unfortunately, growing like grass wasn't really a great plan... I tried transplanting them, but managed to kill most of them.  I have three survivors (the tallest is about 13" tall in a different bucket, indoors over the winter...). The survivors never did produce, but I'm not surprised, since I only started them in July (like I said, spur of the moment "Hey, I wonder if..." ).
It'll go back outside in a few weeks, when it's a little warmer.
 
The other thing that interested me was I was in Thailand last April, eating stuff with lots of Birds Eye Chillies in it.... hurting myself badly on 'em, but liking it, watching teenage Thai girls snarf stuff that would have me begging for a quick death! (I'm working my way up the scale, but I'm only at "Serrano" heat so far.).   In the Chatuchak Market, there was a rack of seeds.  Among them, Birds Eye Chillie seeds - so I bought a couple packs.  I planted the first pack last year, outdoors. They never sprouted.  Again, not surprised - it was May by the time I tried, and it was too cold to sprout 'em outdoors.
 
THIS year... I got a seed starter tray, and some various interesting sounding pepper seeds (Habenero and Serranos, More of the Tien Tsin seeds, some "Grandpa's Peppers" and some "Maules Peppers" that said they had shorter growing seasons... ).
And, I opened my other packet of Birds Eye Chillies, and this time, with a heat mat and grow light, they sprouted and are doing well.
 
So I've got all these plants... no idea if they'll survive, LOL.  I've transplanted them from the peat plugs to 3" pots for now, into dollar store buckets with holes drilled in 'em, (cheaper than "flower pots" locally...) when they're a little bigger.  
I may not really know what I'm doing, but at least I'm early enough this year for them to have SOME chance, if the grey, misty, cool spring and summer days don't drive them to suicide.
 
OK, end of rambling... I have a ton of other threads to read to learn how to keep these green things alive, and maybe, dare I hope?... produce something I can eat!
 
Thanks for listening!
Paul F.
 
Hybrid_Mode_01 said:
     Pubes!
 
 
 
edit: This late in the season you'll have to look around at greenhouses for starts, though. Either way, good luck with your grow!
 

Well, I may or may not try to START any new "local climate tolerant" varieties THIS year... since I've already gone off half-cocked and started some...
But it'd be good to know what to get going NEXT year!  :-)
 
Paul F.
 
SavinaRed said:
I would have a garden full of various Rocotto's for sure if I lived near the coast. 
 

Never heard of 'em!  I like 'em already!  (I try not to be too normal, ya see...).
I'm off to google Rocotto peppers!
 
Thanks!
Paul F.
 
Welcome to The Hot Pepper. It seems you are eager to learn, and you've come to the right place.

One variety that may work for you is Ashe County Pimento. It's an heirloom from Ashe County, NC, which is in the Appalachian mountains. It is adapted for the short growing season there. It resembles a smallish bell pepper, has thick, juicy walls, and no heat. I'm growing it again this year. I can share seeds with you.

Cheers, Tom
 
I think Rococo/Manzano peppers along with annuum should do fine for you.Especially since you're new to growing and experimenting,good luck on the season to ya.
 
Welcome to THP from Sonoma  :hi:
It may sound silly (being what? 50-60ft above sea level) but look for landrace peppers from high elevations. Chile Comapeno, is one example.
 
And as stated above your climate is perfect for rocoto/manzano (aka "pubes"). Most places you'll read that they need shade but in your climate you can give them full sun (or grey I should say). They take a looong time to produce but once they get going they should produce almost year round, you may find yourself picking fresh pods in January even. Just protect them from frost and they should do great. I've seen it snow on the beach up there by the jetty  :crazy:  Been a while since I ate at the Somoa Cook House, food was never that great but the historical value was remarkable.
 
:cheers:
 
I'm falling behind on personalized replies here!  Many thanks for the tips!
It does sound like the rocoto's are gonna be my "go to".... not that it'll stop me from trying others.  (I really want to see if that "sprouted from a bag of dried peppers" Tien Tsin plant will give me anything... just for fun).
 
 
hogleg said:
Welcome to THP from Sonoma  :hi:
It may sound silly (being what? 50-60ft above sea level) but look for landrace peppers from high elevations. Chile Comapeno, is one example.
 
And as stated above your climate is perfect for rocoto/manzano (aka "pubes"). Most places you'll read that they need shade but in your climate you can give them full sun (or grey I should say). They take a looong time to produce but once they get going they should produce almost year round, you may find yourself picking fresh pods in January even. Just protect them from frost and they should do great. I've seen it snow on the beach up there by the jetty  :crazy:  Been a while since I ate at the Somoa Cook House, food was never that great but the historical value was remarkable.
 
:cheers:
 
I can see the bay from my house... well, over the top of another house... if I stand in the right spot, I can... So yeah, pretty close to sea level (and the typical "breeze off the Gulf of Alaska" we get in summer ).
Samoa only gets snow every decade or so... but we make the most of the photo opportunities when it does!  And the Cookhouse is "so-so" for food, except the fresh bread... the bread is great.
And, by "protect from frost"... would that mean "it dies any time the temp dips below 32" or more, "keep the roots from freezing during the 2-3 day stretches of below 32 that we get"?
 
Paul F.
 
PaulF said:
 
And, by "protect from frost"... would that mean "it dies any time the temp dips below 32" or more, "keep the roots from freezing during the 2-3 day stretches of below 32 that we get"?
 
Paul F.
 
Yea basically. If they're in pots just bunch them together, put up a few 6ft stakes, and throw an old blanket over them and they should be fine.
If its windy, I clamp the blanket to the stakes.
 
 Also they can tolerate a little more calcium than the average pepper.
 
welcome_zpsazxlhrdm.gif
..... From the RIGHT coast!
 
In reading through this thread I wish to address, I'm falling behind on personalized replies here!  Many thanks for the tips!, there are many here and you only need address those you feel appropriate & helpful to reply to!
 
+1 on C. pubescens. You can purchase plants at Annies & ChilePlants.com
 
Hi and welcome to the forum! I consider myself a "experienced" grower (this was a grow from a few seasons ago:
7f2159667ab9ded3c157aa09ce2cf6eb.jpg
) but learn something new everyday from reading posts on this forum. Keep reading and asking questions and before you know it you'll be a seasoned grower.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
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