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Re: Pepper Size, Spacing, Heat

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

My experiences with hot peppers may not apply to most of the US.  I
believe we have one of the best climates for hot peppers but the
California bells are a little harder to grow.

My orange habeneros usually reach 3-4 feet in height with a 3-foot
spread, 1/sqft is much too close.  A 2 foot square per plant is okay but
a little tight.  I also grew the "Caribbean Red Habenero" last year and
the plants were a bit larger.  But the Cuban Scotch Bonnet I grew from
seeds which I received from an email correspondent is the biggest I have
ever seen - plants over 5 feet tall.  All 3 varieties over-wintered
without frost protection - lost a few plants but we only had a few light
frosts.  The survivors started to show new growth about 2 weeks ago.

I have 2 chiltepin plants I grew from seed last year.  They only grew to
about 2 feet the first year.  I expect them to mature this year.  They
are from seeds from the wild chiltepins in the southern part of the
state.  The chiltepins I had before grew to a four foot bush which I had
for a few years but finally lost during an extra cold winter.  Nice
landscape plant which often has small white blossoms, tiny green peppers
and red peppers on the plant, all at the same time.

I also read about the 86 degree breakdown point for plants in the AHS
Heat-Zone Gardening book but I find it hard to believe.  Our normal
daytime highs are above 86 degrees after April 19.  We have had 86
degree highs as early as February 3 and highs in the 90s are pretty
common in March which is when most people here plant their vegetable
gardens.  And many native desert plants don't really get going until the
temperatures are well into the 90s.  I've often wondered how they
arrived at the 86 degree number - maybe it has to do with how long the
temperature remains above 86 degrees.  Our warmest nighttime low average
is 82 deg in July but nighttime lows in the 90s are not uncommon.  We
usually have pretty good vegetable plant growth as long as the nighttime
temps don't exceed the low 80s.

Olin
Near Phoenix AZ


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