Why I'm trying to grow peppers

[wordwiz]

Okay, I'm not completely new to this forum. But I have received so much help and advice from so many people, and I couldn't find a suitable board to post this message in.

Unlike the very vast majority of you, I don't eat hot peppers. I do slice Hungarian Hot Wax peppers and add them to the skillet, in meatloaf, just about any dish. But no way would I even consider biting into a Hab or Jolokia, or several other peppers.

Why am I trying to grow more than sixty types of peppers, from the very mildest to the hottest? One, I wanted a hobby that is interesting and different from what everyone else in Cincinnati is doing. Two - I have a bunch of dead ground in my garden that will not only even grow weeds, so containers are a good alternative. Three, my son - who is a chef at a local upscale restaurant, is into seasonings that add lots of unique favor and several people I know like hot peppers but cannot find them. And four - I am trying to help the local county fair attract more people and figure being able to advertise the largest display of hot peppers in the Tri-State may draw a few dozen people. There is also five - my daughter, who is nearly 16 (and feels like she is going on 22) wants to sell the peppers at a local Farmers Market. Besides, a friend who runs a garden store is practically giving me soil and containers, so it is not a real expensive hobby.

Not knowing much about peppers at all, I've sown seeds that seem to look interesting. Some are super hot, some large, some small, some provide beautiful foliage. And some just have a neat name, such as Bolivian Carrot.

What I have found is that members of the forum are quite willing to share advice and experience. What more could one look for in a hobby?!

Mike

[AlabamaJack]

Well put Mike....my feelings exactly.

[Omri]

Those are actually excellent reasons.
Who knows, maybe you'll start liking some of the hotter ones. :)

[PcolaHot]

Hear ya man. I believe you have answered you own Question Why?
And I believe at the end of all the work you will be a happy person.;)

[AKButch]

You have some valid points there Mike. I'm a bit of a woosie myself when it comes to eating the really hot, or even the moderatly hot peppers in quanity but I sure am looking forward to growing them all, especially the scorchers!

I have a few friends that can eat the just about anything and I'm looking forward to watching them try some of my new hobby productions.

[wordwiz]

Thanks for the comments. Something I probably need to add and it is not why I got started on this pepper road - in looking for seeds and trying to learn how to sprout and grow them, I have learned a bunch about other plants - tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, beans - that are simply not available at the local garden or hardware store that sells seeds or plants.

I'm like 50-some years old. Until this summer, I had never tasted a hot pepper, eggplant or for that matter, a boiled beet green. Yeah, we grew a huge "garden" if one wants to call raising food to subside a garden. Geez, one year, mom canned over 300 quarts of tomatoes and green beans, and we harvested probably 2,000 pounds of potatoes. It was a job and one that I was thankful - for nearly 30 years to get away from.

BTW - how many of you have ever "bugged potatoes." This was an exercise we did every other day for a couple three weeks. We would carry a gallon bucket up and down the rows of potatoes and knock the potatoe bugs into the bucket. Then we would fill the bucket with water and drown the bugs.

Mike

[Pam]

I've "bugged" for Japanese beetles. Carried a jar of soapy water around the yard plucking the shiny devils off of flowers and dropping them in the soapy water.

Glad you decided to join up, Mike.

[wordwiz]

Pam,

And I'm here to tell you I would never use an ice pick to "pick your brain."

We may disagree, but I value your input - really!

Mike

[PcolaHot]

I've "bugged" for Japanese beetles. Carried a jar of soapy water around the yard plucking the shiny devils off of flowers and dropping them in the soapy water.

Glad you decided to join up, Mike.

Glad you brought that up Pam about Japanese beetles. I hear that they were a problem here last year and was wondering what to do if they are present this year? I ask if you could explain what you do ane what to look for.

[Omri]

Never had a chile pepper until this summer? WOW...
Well glad you're having some now, it's one of life's necessities. :)
I started growing chiles because I just love eating them, done that for years.

Now about Pam.
She is a very intelligent person, and it's always a pleasure to read her comments. :)

[chilehunter]

well congrats to you for growing chiles & moreso growing the chiles for others :cool:
chiles are beautiful. they come in many colors,shaps,sizes. & one day you'll be holding one of those chiles in your hand & thinking what a beautiful chile I grew & your curiosity will get the better of you & you'll take a bite. :mouthonfire: then you'll say WTF was I thinking :lol:

but you'll be back for more :onfire:

[DEFCON Creator]

Greetings from Defcon HQ...

[Omri]

Greetings from Defcon HQ...
He's introducing himself, but he's not a new member. :lol:
It's so clear you don't read the post you comment to. :lol:

[LUCKYDOG]

Welcome to the THP ;)

[POTAWIE]

Hey wordwiz,
Congrats on the great new hobby. Just one thought, jumping into the Farmer's market scene might be tough with so many varieties of peppers and having to explain to customers about 60 different types. Its nice to have a lot of varieties but you'll have to see which ones are most popular in your market and make sure to grow lots of them. I'm still hoping to do the market thing too this summer/fall if I can make some time.
Good luck

[Pam]

Hey wordwiz,
Congrats on the great new hobby. Just one thought, jumping into the Farmer's market scene might be tough with so many varieties of peppers and having to explain to customers about 60 different types. Its nice to have a lot of varieties but you'll have to see which ones are most popular in your market and make sure to grow lots of them. I'm still hoping to do the market thing too this summer/fall if I can make some time.
Good luck


Plant sweet peppers if you want to sell a lot. People are interested in the hot peppers, but they don't really know what to do with them, so be able to offer simple recipe suggestions. People think the peppers are pretty and will stop to chat, and that's your chance to inform and offer the recipes. Be sure and point out any mild peppers you have, because most people will assume all chilies are too hot for them to handle.

At least, that's what worked for us when we went to the Farmer's Market.

[Pam]

Glad you brought that up Pam about Japanese beetles. I hear that they were a problem here last year and was wondering what to do if they are present this year? I ask if you could explain what you do ane what to look for.

Google up a picture of a Japanese beetle. Then get your soapy water and go pluck them off the plants. They don't bite or sting, just munch plants. I do that will stink bugs on the peppers and tomatoes, too. I don't like to spray that late in the season because I don't want to kill all my beneficials, so I hand pick the stink bugs.

The Japanese beetle traps work well, too; but be sure and put them away from your plants. Japanese beetles are dumb and clumsey, most will go into the trap, but some will land on nearby plants and commence to munching.

[Pam]

Pam,

And I'm here to tell you I would never use an ice pick to "pick your brain."

We may disagree, but I value your input - really!

Mike

Oh, I was only teasing you. I like a good debate.

[rainbowberry]

Hi Mike, It certainly is a great hobby. I only started growing chillis last year and I bet you'll find as the years go by you start growing more and more until they take over your entire garden and you haven't got a spare space on the windowsill to the point you can no longer shut you curtains.

[wordwiz]

Rainbow,

I doubt it. What I can see is me, in my old age, delving into the world of cross breeding, using peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. Just think what a ripe, juicy cumcumber crossed with a Thai pepper would be worth for stir-fry or thrown into a salad!!!

It is true, though, that if my son (a veritable food disposal) would move to a far-away state and not visit very often, I wouldn't need to can 120 quarts of tomato juice or freeze 60 quarts of green beans. I've fixed four gallons of vegetable soup and had it all but disappear in two - yes, two days.

Mike

[Daisy7117]

I started growing chillies more for the challenge of growing them in a colder climate (I was always told you can't grow chillies in Zone 5-6, and NEPA is cold in comparison with the rest of the country)...well, I've grown several varieties successfully and now am really hooked on cooking with them also....even if you don't eat them its a great hobby and the plants in full fruit are beautiful.

[AlabamaJack]

It is truly a pleasure to be among those that enjoy the beauty and wonderment of growing hot peppers.

[Omri]

Hi Mike, It certainly is a great hobby. I only started growing chillis last year and I bet you'll find as the years go by you start growing more and more until they take over your entire garden and you haven't got a spare space on the windowsill to the point you can no longer shut you curtains.
Nah, if I had so much space, I would have grown other stuff as well.
I really want to grow Truffles. :)

[rainbowberry]

I'm going to grow the sprouting ginger roots I've got and I'd like to grow Horseradish too.

[xgrafcorex]

whether you start eating the hot ones or not matters less than if you enjoy yourself. welcome to the boards.

[cheezydemon]

Nah, if I had so much space, I would have grown other stuff as well.
I really want to grow Truffles. :)

That could be a great money maker!

I'm going to grow the sprouting ginger roots I've got and I'd like to grow Horseradish too.

No doubt! I'd like to try wasabi too. SUSHI!!

[Omri]

That could be a great money maker!
A lot of time and effort, but eventually cheaper than buying them. :lol:

[POTAWIE]

I'd like to try wasabi too. SUSHI!!

I'm still growing some Wasabi. One plant almost croaked but I put it on life support and its coming around. The aphids really like these plants too.