Peppers Worth a Try

In Episode 390 of the Garden Basics podcast, Master Gardener Gail Pothour offered some great tips for growing peppers this spring and summer. We also discussed sweet, warm and hot pepper varieties that might be worth a try in your own garden. That portion of our discussion is also in the newsletter podcast at the top of the page.

Also in today’s newsletter podcast, Diane Blazek, the Executive Director of the All America Selections plant winners, talks about her favorite award-winning, not-so-hot peppers.

Gail Pothour did share a little gardening secret of hers: if she is in doubt about the quality of the bargain potting soil she’s using, she will toss in her “fertility mix”: a concoction of organic materials to give a boost to that potting soil. Gail explains:

“The organic fertility mix recipe is from John Greenler of Zephyr Community Farm in Stoughton, Wisconsin (who I believe may be, or previously was, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a PhD focused on plant biology). I found it in a book, “Great Garden Formulas - The Ultimate Book of Mix-It-Yourself Concoctions for Your Garden” (Rodale Press). The recipe for Zephyr Farms Original Organic Fertility Mix is as follows:

2 cups rock phosphate

2 cups greensand

2 cups blood meal

1/2 cup bone meal

1/4 cup kelp meal

Mix all ingredients together. Makes 6 1/4 cups of fertility mix. Sprinkle mix over 15 gallons of commercial potting soil. (Note: a 2 cubic foot bag of potting soil = <13 dry gallons).

**Rock phosphate provides phosphorus

**Greensand and kelp meal provide potassium and trace minerals

**Blood meal provides nitrogen

**Bone meal provides phosphorus and calcium

I generally am not a proponent of DIY concoctions, but this fertility mix seems to provide a good blend of nutrients to potting soil that is sometimes lacking in nutrition. In my opinion, you get what you pay for when it comes to potting soil. But I am also always looking for a bargain, so if what I have purchased does not have a long list of good quality organic ingredients, then I add this fertility mix.”

Peppers Worth a Try

Peppers worth a try, from the conversation between myself and Gail. Most of these are sweet to mildly hot. Sweet peppers generally come in at 0 Scoville Units. The exceptionally hot ones are noted, as well.

Pot-a-Peno

(mildly hot. 5000 Scoville Units)

“Plentiful small, green jalapeño fruits have a traditional spicy zip that is great in any dish where you want a little punch of spice. Simply leave the fruit on the vine a few extra weeks and they will ripen to red for a sweet, spicy flavor. This variety is earlier to mature than other jalapenos giving you a head start on your garden’s harvest. A unique trait of Pot-a-peno is how the fruit hangs down beneath the plant making it very easy to harvest without damaging the appearance or productivity of the plant. A dense foliage canopy makes for an attractive addition to your patio or balcony garden.”

Tricked You

“90 Days. An improved version of the very popular Fooled You that is sure to become a favorite in its own right. Easy-to-grow, 4" fruits have excellent jalapeno flavor without the heat. Great for combining with hot jalapenos to customize the level of heat in homemade salsa and hot sauce. An X3R® variety.”

Red Impact

“Lamuyo-type peppers are notoriously difficult to grow, but the new Red Impact variety is here to change that. This AAS Winning pepper is easy to grow and produces thick, sweet walls, even when green. It is also much sweeter than other varieties and loaded with fruits for a high yielding gem. Red Impact plants are upright and tidy, with a strong disease package that protects your investment. The fruit is dark red, highly uniform in shape and size.”

Sheepnose Pimento

“80 Days. A tried-and-true heirloom. Pimento-shaped, 3 by 4" fruits are very sweet and meaty, making them ideal for canning, freezing and eating fresh. Plants are very productive, and fruits keep for weeks in the refrigerator.”

Flamingo

From Harris Seeds: “The vigorous hybrid pepper plant is resistant to TMV and prolific. Its smooth, tapered fruit are a good size (3-1/2 x 3-1/2" ) They have a waxy finish and turn from ivory-yellow to orange-red. Flamingo is a beautiful, sweet salad pepper with a bright color. If you are using Gypsy in your program, you should grow Flamingo for its improved yields and much larger size.”

Gypsy

“The early and heavy production of the yellow sweet pepper Gypsy provides color and flavor variety to your salads and dips. The 3-4 inch wedge-shaped fruits are very tender, crunchy and sweet. The plants average 18-20 inches in height with a 14-18 inch spread and are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus disease.”

Mariachi

mildly hot. 500-2000 Scoville Units

“Mariachi sets fruits and produces an abundant crop of high quality, mild chile peppers. The chile peppers are pendant meaning they will h