Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[user 211287]

Well a burr type grinder would be better or a old Zassenhaus spice grater. I used a knife which was very tedious to get the size flakes i wanted. Blade type grinders end up yielding more powder than flake.

Another method ive yet to try is....
Dry the pepper to about 50%
Get out a meat grinder with a medium size hole plate.
Run the partially dried peppers through the meat grinder and return them to drying. Sometimes a little salt is added at this point too.

http://www.orangeblossomwater.net/index.php/2016/05/31/dibs-al-fleifleh-al-halabiyeh/

Im tempted to see if i can find something at Goodwill like a Slap Chop to cut down on the mess and to limit how much i need to handle them. Most common spice/coffee grinders are gunna need smaller pieces before they can be made into flakes.

"Hunan Hand" is very uncomfortable.

A word of warning though....always take your time opening a grinder afterwards. Really hot pepper dust can be extremely painful. Dedicate a grinder just for peppers unless its super easy to clean completely. Even get a cutting board just for peppers if chopping the really hot stuff.

 

[HoppyDaze]

I use a coffee grinder with a mesh strainer to separate powder from flakes. I have a dedicated grinder for both coffee and peppers.

 

[VApatriot]

This is beginning to be like work and i still got loads of pods in ground/lower patio.

Dude! - I love hot peppers but I'm starting to sweat just looking at those. I think that your taste buds must have burned out a long time ago. Seriously, nice job those look great, seriously hot, but great.

 

[user 211287]

Lots of my pods go into hot sauce and that is far milder than some of the scorching hot commercial products like Dave's. Huge difference though in how mine tastes with high quality bonnets vs some of the big name brands like Grace's. You can certainly buy great hot sauce but then you are talking well over $5 for a 5oz bottle and more than likely over 100mg of sodium in a tsp. Mine dont have that much in a tbs and i only use very good vinegars. Even many big name brands use cheap white distilled vinegar.

My harvest yesterday included ripe Big Jim Heritage and Farmers Market jalapeno. Truly great tasting milder peppers. I just picked what i needed for the next couple days and some i need to get drying.

Craziest looking jalapeno ive ever seen and they are really good eating. Very mild for a jalapeno too.

 

[brew703]

For all you pepper heads out there. I've planted Ghost Peppers, Habs, etc in the past with little trouble.
I got my hands on some 7 pot Primo seeds (local pepper) last year. Sprouted them in November.

I transplanted them into pots around March of this year. The plant itself grew pretty quick but didnt make any flowers. So i started alternating bloom booster and MG every other week with watering daily as needed.

Once I started with the bloom booster tons of flowers began popping up. Once open the flower would drop. I have yet to produce one pepper.

About a month ago, those big ass green slug looking ******* took over and ate some of the leaves on my plant. I got rid of them and the plant is looking good now. Still same issue with the flowers. They produce but drop.

Since the bloom booster is high in nitrogen I've been told that maybe the plants are getting too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus.

What's the thought's on this? FWIW, I skipped the bloom booster and MG the last two weeks to see if it makes any difference. I also haven't tested the soil. I don't recall the soil I used but do know if came from Lowes. Yeah i know it's not ideal but had no issues previously with using soil from Lowes.

 

[catdaddy66]

For all you pepper heads out there. I've planted Ghost Peppers, Habs, etc in the past with little trouble.
I got my hands on some 7 pot Primo seeds (local pepper) last year. Sprouted them in November.

I transplanted them into pots around March of this year. The plant itself grew pretty quick but didnt make any flowers. So i started alternating bloom booster and MG every other week with watering daily as needed.

Once I started with the bloom booster tons of flowers began popping up. Once open the flower would drop. I have yet to produce one pepper.

About a month ago, those big ass green slug looking ******* took over and ate some of the leaves on my plant. I got rid of them and the plant is looking good now. Still same issue with the flowers. They produce but drop.

Since the bloom booster is high in nitrogen I've been told that maybe the plants are getting too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus.

What's the thought's on this? FWIW, I skipped the bloom booster and MG the last two weeks to see if it makes any difference. I also haven't tested the soil. I don't recall the soil I used but do know if came from Lowes. Yeah i know it's not ideal but had no issues previously with using soil from Lowes.

I used a fertilizer called 'Super Bloom' which has a crazy N-P-K ratio of 11:55:11! That, along with epsom salts, have given me a bloom explosion on my peppers. The blossoms dropping can be due to temperature as well as other nutrient/h2o issues. One video I saw recently recommended keeping the peppers close together (I grow them in containers), but I am not sure what this accomplishes.

This is not the video I referenced but may get you links to other videos on the subject...

 

[brew703]

These are in containers as well. The temps here have been brutal but never affected previous peppers.

I also contacted the person who i got the seeds from and he said they have tons of peppers and he is only an hour away from me. With that said, has to be a fertilizer issue or soil.

At this stage, I cant re-plant so i have to make due with what i have. I have some bone meal which I will incorporate into the soil this evening to see if that helps.

 

[user 211287]

Typically blooming products are for the "hippie grower" crowd and lower in nitrogen. Really a waste of money IMO. Ive got peppers out the wazoo from all corners of the globe and heat ranges. Ive never needed a "bloom booster". I can grow stellar plants using a cheap 3-1-2 hydro solution and 5-1-1 fish emulsion.

Heat, rain, night time temps all play a far larger role in blooms holding and producing fruit than simply boosting P and K. Hot humid nights are absolute production killers for many peppers. Raising some nutrients too high will lock out others. Try growing in coco coir sometime without buffering it with calcium. Its high in potassium.

Too much phosphorous will lock out iron and zinc. Plus it harms beneficial bacteria and fungus in the soil.

Two excellent balanced plant foods are
Botanicare CNS17 Grow 3-1-2 around $13 per quart
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGFJX0O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
DynaGro Foliage Pro 9-3-6 around $22 a quart but you use much less than the CNS17.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WNPN4CQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Both those products supply the macros in the right percentages and micro nutrients. If you want a additional supplement that really works look into seaweed extract, kelp meal or liquid seaweed. Plants love the stuff and it sure seems to help them deal with stress due to climate. Alfalfa meal is a good cheaper substitute also. Its SUPER cheap at some Farm and Feed type stores. 50lb bags are under $25 at mine. Add it to your compost pile in the fall and buy fresh the next season.

 

[brew703]

This year, heat wise, has been brutal. 95+ during the day and mid to upper 70's at night. Not much difference than in past years when I had no issues growing peppers. These plants typically get morning sun as they are on my patio.

I have never used a bloom booster until this year when it was recommended by the person I got the seeds from. It worked but all the flowers dropped.

I have used fish emulsion in the past but Lowes/Home Depot doesnt always carry it.

I don't know what it is with this type of pepper. I'm going to add a low dosage of phosphorous this afternoon and if it doesn't help may try one of the items you recommended.

 

[user 211287]

Some peppers are just bastards. I didnt get squat for rocotos no matter what i tried. Plants looked killer too. The 2 varieties i tried simply didn't like my climate. Nearly every bloom fell. I got a grand total of 2 ripe pods off 4 plants. Ive got 2 rocotos inside on a window sill. These tiny plants already got pods and 1 is almost ripe. Exact same seeds and plants. The only difference is climate. Same soil, water and nutrients.

My buddy in Idaho grew the same 2 varieties from the exact same seeds as mine. I gave him the seeds. He has so many ripe pods he is in shock trying to deal with all of them in his short growing season. The main difference....His nights are way cooler and his climate is more arid. His climate is MUCH closer to their native climate than mine.

Here is a odd one though. Last year i grew MOA yellows and i got some pods. Nothing great. This year i grew MOA reds and P Dreadie Scotch bonnets. I got so many i cant use them all. You would think that a pepper from the Caribbean would all do fine in my climate. Im certain i got over 3 times as many pods per plant as i did last year growing a very similar pepper.

 

[brewcat]

This year, heat wise, has been brutal. 95+ during the day and mid to upper 70's at night. Not much difference than in past years when I had no issues growing peppers. These plants typically get morning sun as they are on my patio.

I have never used a bloom booster until this year when it was recommended by the person I got the seeds from. It worked but all the flowers dropped.

I have used fish emulsion in the past but Lowes/Home Depot doesnt always carry it.

I don't know what it is with this type of pepper. I'm going to add a low dosage of phosphorous this afternoon and if it doesn't help may try one of the items you recommended.

Over 90 and the plants will drop blossoms. Have you let the soil dry out a bit? Drooping during they day but perking up at night is fine.

I doubt it is a nutrient issue. I'd probably try to shade the plants a little more.

All my peppers have done well this year besides for the bells. Thinking they needed more space. Next year...

 

[brew703]

Over 90 and the plants will drop blossoms. Have you let the soil dry out a bit? Drooping during they day but perking up at night is fine.

I doubt it is a nutrient issue. I'd probably try to shade the plants a little more.

All my peppers have done well this year besides for the bells. Thinking they needed more space. Next year...

It's frustrating to say the least. They get a few hours of morning sun and the rest of the day it's shade. We have gotten a lot of rain this year but for the most part the plant hasn't gotten any unless the rain whips under my patio.

I'm going to let the soil dry out for a few days. As for as more shade, only way I can do that is put the plant in my garage during the day. Temps would be higher in there then being outside.

Guess I'll let it ride out. Maybe I will see some peppers later in the year. I usually start my seeds in late November to early December. Might push that back a month or two for next season.

 

[user 211287]

Day time temps can hurt but its high humidity/hot nights that are a real killer. My Aleppos produced like mad and get more sun that all my patio plants. Pollen gets "water logged" and flowers wont get pollinated. They drop if they dont get pollinated.

Peppers also need some time to rest after a really hot day. Pots need to be kept as cool as possible. Good drainage is a must or potted plants suffocate. I use 7gal grow bags with 16" saucers under them. Drainage is excellent but daily watering is often needed in peak summer heat which increases nutrient cost too.

 

[catdaddy66]

Here is the video I was looking at regarding blossom drop. It's the first half.

 

[user 211287]

Peppers self pollinate. Meaning they dont need another plant like a tomatillo needs. If you want to increase pollination just plant companion plants like clover and catnip. Both attract bees. Some bad bugs dont seem to like catnip. Clover has additional benefits like fixing nitrogen in the soil.

Multiple pepper plants in the same pot also compete for nutrients and water. The positives dont end up outweighing the negatives. If you want something else in the pot consider clover.

Use multiple pots and place them close enough together to shade each other. Works in ground too.

The big thing i noticed in that video is the guy was using dirt in a pot. Never use dirt in a pot. Use a good potting mix that has good drainage. Dirt will compact pretty quick in a pot. This year i tested 40% aged pine bark fines, 40% compost and 20% rice hulls. It was a superb mix for drainage and cheap. Drip pans are a must though for that mix.

Menards has sales on Pro-Mix All Purpose occasionally for like $11 a 2cuft compressed bale. It just needs a bit more perlite or pine bark fines. It ends up being way way cheaper than Pro-Mix HP or BRK.

 

[Oldskewl]

My chocolate habanero plants were slow to grow and produce peppers. But they are now 4ft tall, very bushy, and loaded! Heavy rains last week knocked over the 1 plant. I picked a dozen last night for a chocolate habanero hot sauce. Can’t wait to sample it tonight!

 

[catdaddy66]

My chocolate habanero plants were slow to grow and produce peppers. But they are now 4ft tall, very bushy, and loaded! Heavy rains last week knocked over the 1 plant. I picked a dozen last night for a chocolate habanero hot sauce. Can’t wait to sample it tonight!

View attachment 588863View attachment 588864

Those peppers are gorgeous!

Generally the super hot peppers take longer to do everything, like germinate, grow, produce and ripen fruit...

 

[user 211287]

Ive never seen anything take longer to ripen than my Aji Panca and its pretty mild. I had ripe ghosts and very hot mystery peppers easily over a month before i got a single ripe aji panca. Lots of MOA reds too. Aji amarillo can take a crazy long time and its a baccatum. Pretty much anything hotter than a ghost could take longer than some peoples growing season. Got to start them inside REALLY early under good lighting.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Big ole pile of Fataliis

 

[HoppyDaze]

Harvested some more. Cool looking Bonnets with a peach color.

 

[catdaddy66]

Had to sacrifice three tomato plants that looked pitiful. One had been ravaged by a hornworm (ewwww) as I hadn't had time to check them in 3-4 days. Peppers still very strong.

 

[applescrap]

With this heat still lingering. The tomatoes are pumping out fruit. Some big ones, and lots of purple and yellow. Really enjoying the herbs and cant wait to dry them. Any tips on herb drying is welcome. I just froze a bunch of tomatoes, thanks for the tips. What do you all do with them?

 

[shelly_belly]

If you have the space I like drying herbs in the refrigerator. Most will dry in 2 or 3 days. Heat is your enemy!

 

[applescrap]

Some big weird shaped ones. Dont know what kind these are. Some are yellow, others red and orange.

Thanks for the tip shelly_belly. They are pungent does that make the ice cream taste weird.

 

[HoppyDaze]

My god; they just keep coming.

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

I had the same problem as a poster above with the chocolate habs getting knocked over in the rain after growing to a monsterous size. One thing that helps is putting tomato cages around the peppers from the start. I only have one Chocolate hab and one Red Savina but for me that is plenty. The rest of my peppers are Jalapeno and Hot Hungarian Wax. Got about 10 lbs from those I have to get pickled up this weekend. Those go great with pizza.

 

[catdaddy66]

I have a new tomato on one of my last plants! It won't get a chance to ripen but my red habanero and cayenne plants will be overwintered. The peppers look so healthy, even the bell peppers. I am going to try and save all 7 till spring.

I am still seeing blossoms on all my plants.

 

[user 211287]

Last of my jalapenos are in today. Mucho Nacho and Biker Billy.

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

Last of the Numex Jalamundos getting ready to be seeded and heading for the pickling lime.

Whats left of all the Hungarian Wax that are already in the bucket-o-lime

Tomorrow while I brew a Kolsch all these will be getting their final rinses and pressure canned. Going to add one Chocolate Habenero or a Red Savina to each jar to up the heat since I am seeding everything. In a month or two they will be perfect with pizza and the Kolsch.

 

[z-bob]

I brought my potted 'tepin x Lemon Drop (I wish it had a name) pepper plant a couple of nights ago to protect it from a freeze. The plant was gorgeous until it set so many heavy fruits the weight broke all the limbs a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to prune it and try to overwinter it. Last night my dog decided to prune it for me. She pulled a bunch of peppers off and played with them (I'm finding peppers all over the house), and she pulled a couple of branches off. At least it wasn't like last year when she was a pup; that was a very hot Thai pepper, and she totally destroyed it. I think she bit one of the peppers, it bit back, then it was a battle to the death

I'm also slicing up gallons of red Serrano peppers and dehydrating them. Haven't figured out what I'm going to do with all the green ones. Maybe keep those in the fridge for eating fresh until they eventually go bad.