Peppers 2023

[Zeedman]

I'm assuming that I'm probably the last to start peppers indoors. These were the peppers I started for 2023; the variety name is followed by the seed year, germ. days, and germination ratio:

Aji Cristal (C. baccatum) - hot, good hot salsa (2017) 8-11 days, 24/30
Alma Paprika - sweet, cream immature (2016) 9-11 days, 23/30
* Bacskia - conical sweet, cream immature (2021) 7 days, 14/15
* Beaver Dam - hot, my 'go to' canned salsa pepper (2021) 7 days, 100%
Djuric - sweet, cheese-shaped, cream immature, for sweet salsa (2017) 9-12 days, 11/30
Early Jalapeno - hot (2017) 8 days, 28/30
* Greygo - sweet, very large cheese-shaped pimento, AWESOME fresh when ripe (2021) 9 days, ~100%
Pelso - low heat, for paprika powder (2016) 10-11 days, 28/30
* Pizza - hot, like mild(er) over-sized jalapeno, for poppers, pizza, or fresh eating (2021) 9 days, ~100%
Red Chile - hot, serrano-type, for chili powder (2018) 6 days, 26/30
* Taltos - sweet, thick-walled, conical bell-like, cream immature (2020) 7 days, 100%
Tennessee Cheese - smoky sweet, thick & meaty, good sweet salsa (2017) 9-12 days, 18/30
Thai Giant - hot, good dry chili powder (2018) 7 days, 29/30
Thunder Mountain Cacho - hot, brown cayenne-type (new) 10/10

Due to the seed age of most of these - and because I can't afford to get failures - I planted 5 seeds per cell for all but Thunder Mountain. I am pleasantly surprised to get at least fair germination from even 2016 seed. Once again, hot peppers tended to both germinate faster & have better germination rates than sweet peppers of the same age... which has been a trend from year to year.

All but those marked (*) are intended for seed crops. Bacskia & Taltos are East European peppers, which I will be giving to an immigrant from that region at a seed swap on 4/29. Beaver Dam, Greygo, and Pizza are grown every year, to share both plants & peppers. It remains to be seen though whether I will be able to fit all of the seed crops into my smaller garden, since I found that in peppers require some isolation space even if grown under cover.

Don't remember if I ever posted my light setup, but this is part of the plant nursery:

 

[Branching Out]

You are in good company Zeedman. Months ago I started Red Hot Cherry, Piazino, Charapita, and Grandpa's Siberian Home peppers and they are all looking good and even flowering. I was concerned about starting all of the peppers early, because last year we had the most bizarre spring and all of the heat loving plants had to remain indoors until late June. It got crowded in my basesment! So on April 8th I started the following:
Spicy Slice Jalapeno 10- 4 up by day 12
Basque Hot pepper 10- 3 up by day 12
Criolla Sella, mildly hot 20- first sprout on day 9, 4 by day 12
Lesya 10- 2 by day 12
Osmarsko Kambe 10- 3 up by day 12
Tequila Sunrise 10- 2 by day 12
Czech Black 10- 4 up by day 12

100% germination for the Beaver Dam peppers-- wow. Impressive! My germination rate is low compared to yours, but I was away for several days and I had to take them off the heat mat lest they baked during my abscence; new sprouts are still appearing though, and I will be happy even if I only get a couple of each variety (if I get more than that I will be able to share with my friends, which is always fun). Also, I only planted one seed per 3/4" soil block using fresh seed purchased this year.

This year fermenting will figure largely in our food preservation plan, and Jamie and Quail Seeds indicated that Criolla Sella is an excellent pepper for fermenting; can hardly wait to see how they turn out. Interesting to note that there is no overlap between your selections and mine. There is certainly a wide world of peppers to discover!

 

[ducks4you]

We are ALL in good company.
I started my peppers 2 weeks ago, FINALLY most are sprouting, and I didn't want to admit my late start.
I have them in a tray that contained 52 impatiens on clearance. No clear plastic top, BUT I have one that fits, and there are penny sized holes at the bottom of each cell, so the tray sits in that. I bought this 14 inch high plant starting dome last year, delicate,

that should have shattered, but didn't, and it has a couple of vents. I have the tray on top of one of really hot heat mats, and they sit close to a pink gro light,
I pull the clear plastic top that they sit in every day and pour in water to keep everything wet.
Doing great and I won't touch them for another month.

 

[ducks4you]

UPdated peppers today.

 

[flowerbug]

i asked my pepper sprouting garden friend to put a few Beaver Dam plants down for me. hope i can get them and they do well. i'd like some heat for a change and would like to try them. if the flavor ends up being acceptable i'll take it from there and save seeds of them for now on. even mild to a little heat is ok with me, but a bit more of a kick is also ok. we'll see what happens...

 

[heirloomgal]

You are in good company Zeedman. Months ago I started Red Hot Cherry, Piazino, Charapita, and Grandpa's Siberian Home peppers and they are all looking good and even flowering. I was concerned about starting all of the peppers early, because last year we had the most bizarre spring and all of the heat loving plants had to remain indoors until late June. It got crowded in my basesment! So on April 8th I started the following:
Spicy Slice Jalapeno 10- 4 up by day 12
Basque Hot pepper 10- 3 up by day 12
Criolla Sella, mildly hot 20- first sprout on day 9, 4 by day 12
Lesya 10- 2 by day 12
Osmarsko Kambe 10- 3 up by day 12
Tequila Sunrise 10- 2 by day 12
Czech Black 10- 4 up by day 12

100% germination for the Beaver Dam peppers-- wow. Impressive! My germination rate is low compared to yours, but I was away for several days and I had to take them off the heat mat lest they baked during my abscence; new sprouts are still appearing though, and I will be happy even if I only get a couple of each variety (if I get more than that I will be able to share with my friends, which is always fun). Also, I only planted one seed per 3/4" soil block using fresh seed purchased this year.

This year fermenting will figure largely in our food preservation plan, and Jamie and Quail Seeds indicated that Criolla Sella is an excellent pepper for fermenting; can hardly wait to see how they turn out. Interesting to note that there is no overlap between your selections and mine. There is certainly a wide world of peppers to discover!

Osmarsko Kambe! That is such a great pepper!

 

[Zeedman]

Osmarsko Kambe! That is such a great pepper!

Someone sent me that in trade years ago, along with about 5-6 other peppers that I didn't know. Sadly, by the time I got around to planting it years later, I got zero germination. It looks like a pimento/cheese pepper, and I generally like those.

 

[heirloomgal]

Someone sent me that in trade years ago, along with about 5-6 other peppers that I didn't know. Sadly, by the time I got around to planting it years later, I got zero germination. It looks like a pimento/cheese pepper, and I generally like those.

This is a cheese pepper that stands out; it is slightly larger than the average variety, has no wrinkles but rather a perfectly smooth exterior and the bottom is ever so slightly pointed. It's the size of a large apple when I've grown it in ground. Flavor is really good, walls are very thick. If I had to choose one cheese type only to go forward with, it'd be that one. Given that I don't think anyone in Can. offers it anymore I'm really making an effort to grow it every two years to keep increasing my seed supply.

 

[ducks4you]

I should add that I have NO great love for hot peppers. In post#3, the 2 far right rows are "Fooled You Jalepanoes," 2022 seeds and we will see if we like them.
All of the rest of California Giant Red Sweet peppers.
DD has started to cook with the sweet peppers that I froze last October and the flavor difference is remarkable between those and "fresh" from the store.
I May grow 2 jalepanoes this year, but they will have to be cheapo seeds bc all I do is dehydrate them and pulverize for chili. I still have a 3yo stash and they are Still potent.
All I ever do is give hot peppers away when I grow them.
Maybe I grow them by the street and look the other way when neighbors steal them...
I should check to see if my near friends (best neightbors ever!!) who now live 30 minutes away are growing them and if I could steal a few.

 

[Zeedman]

This is a cheese pepper that stands out; it is slightly larger than the average variety, has no wrinkles but rather a perfectly smooth exterior and the bottom is ever so slightly pointed. It's the size of a large apple when I've grown it in ground. Flavor is really good, walls are very thick. If I had to choose one cheese type only to go forward with, it'd be that one. Given that I don't think anyone in Can. offers it anymore I'm really making an effort to grow it every two years to keep increasing my seed supply.

That sounds a lot like "Greygo", though the lobing may be less pronounced. The apple comparison matches though. My favorite ripe pepper. DW would eat them like apples while in the garden.