Re: The August garden report (loooong)

Only place I have ever grown sweet peppers with success was in SoCal. We blanched and stuffed our excess before freezing.

Don't know why hot peppers seem hardier than sweet, but I got a theory about it that has to do with hybridizing and the hybridizer's home base. Far and away, most of the modern hot pepper varieties were developed in New Mexico, which has a hot, dry growing season. The only cool in New Mexico summers is in the higher elevations--but Santa Fe's 6,300+ feet and hot, hot, hot during the day.

On Aug 25, 2005, at 11:43 AM, Cathy Carpenter wrote:

Never have had luck with sweet peppers. Peppers freeze well, and they
can be dry packed - don't even need blanching. When I do jalepenos, I
cut off the stems and pop them in the freezer bags whole, but sweet
peppers would need to be chopped. My cucumbers did not do quite as
well as some years, but I got 5 quarts of dill pickles and 4 pints of
bread and butters, plus some for salads and gazpacho before the heat
and wilt got them. Tomatos were also less than optimal this year.
Harvest was plentiful, but the Brandywine variety was prone to
cracking - so badly, that much ended up in the compost. Will try some
other variety next year. Any favorites out there? Weeds have been the
worst I remember. Particularly the grassy weeds. Some areas have
literally gotten away from me. Not to be deterred, I'm in the midst
of ordering more plants for fall.... do I need therapy???

Cathy, west central IL, z5b

On Aug 25, 2005, at 5:42 AM, Donna wrote:


Cathy I am surprised, this year mine did great and I
really haven't had a lot of success other years. Most
years there is enough for the family to eat, none
extra to store. My thought was the heat helped....
maybe the all the darn bees here too....My thought was
to cut up and bag this years crop and just add to the
freezer.... yes no? anything special I need to do to
them before freezing?

Now my cucumbers never did produce anything before
they died this year... they just couldn't take the
heat I guess.

Tomatoes started coming in a couple weeks ago...
didn't think they would ever get ripe!

Donna

--- Pam Evans <gardenqueen@gmail.com> wrote:



Cathy - have you tried the heirloom peppers from
SSE?   Mine are still
doing pretty well despite this abominable drought.
I like the Italian
varieties for good heat resistance, but the Polish
heirloom Buran
performs well here also.

On 8/24/05, Cathy Carpenter <cathy.c@insightbb.com>
wrote:


I, too, have never had much success with sweet


peppers, while having


abundant hot peppers. Any theories out there?

Cathy, west central IL, z5b

On Aug 24, 2005, at 3:52 PM, Cersgarden@aol.com


wrote:




My sweet peppers are slow
to produce but the hot ones(Garden Salsa


variety) are producing


bushels.
Everyplace I go I take hot peppers to give away.


  I don't like my


salsa hot so
it takes very little to please me.
     I am going to have my soil from my home


veggie garden


tested.   I think
I may have an imbalance.   Most of my veggies


are grown in my off


site garden.
     Ceres






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--
Pam Evans
Kemp TX
zone 8A




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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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