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Re: Pepper Problems

Thanks Doreen

How are you ever going to move to the barren north east and survive as a
garden junkie. Sorry that I cannot attend your auction. I get most of my
exotics from the yuppies who kill them and then set them in the alley in
my neighborhood ;-). 

Like so many gardeners here in Dallas, Highland Park, I have to contend
with shade. I did an extensive lat/long/declination study before I
planted some years ago and ascertained the available sun for every
square inch of my garden before I planted. I was able to do as you
suggest give or take a few hours.

The key issue in this instance is that we are in the midst of a 100 year
drought and while my backyard garden is well tended, it is not immune.
We humans are killing this planet. Not to get off on a green peace line
of rhetoric but I can see it. Nature is culling the weak. 

I joined this list because I use intensive planting techniques. I am
familiar with Mel's work which was derivative of European research from
the mid 70's. I grow vertical with everything that I can and I have
never built a frame for soil. Hope this does not offend anyone.

I use an advanced modified raised bed technique which I have developed
in the last 5 years. I am able to raise enough veggies in about 1,500
sq. ft. to feed me and my family like hogs for the year as long as the
freezer does not break or the electricity does not die.

Raised beds tend to heat the soil more rapidly and to higher heats -
great for early planting but really sucky in the heat of a Texas summer. 
These sweet peppers (all 36) are gorgeous and lush with base stems
bigger than my thumbs at 90 days and 4' tall - still no edible fruits. I
use Shultz 18-18-30 twice a month, 1 tablespoon per gallon per plant,
and regular watering. They are also composted and mulched to 6".

This heat requires tremendous amounts of human interaction to reach
optimal production. Soil temp is muy importunate for many things, most
things.  Nightshades are just strange from time to time. That is the
mystery and wonder of gardening. My law practice is boring compared with
my garden.

If it is any consolation, my tomatoes are putting on like crazy. I
harvested 6 lbs yesterday from my 30 plants for the 3rd straight day and
took cuttings for a second season in a month or so (we have a 231 day
growing season here in Dallas). 

If any of you have not tried the Merced hybrid, I highly recommend it.
My average fruit mass is around 10 oz per with the largest to date at
around 15 oz. and I am getting enough that the neighbors (I bribe em
with goodies) are no longer bitching about the fact that 40% of my
backyard is a black hole with steaming compost piles in the winter!

I thought the squash information was fascinating. I have planted mine at
1/2 seeds per sq. ft for years and never thought twice. I guess I will
just have to get all those I have enjoyed in the past back and do it the
right way. Or better yet, if I could snag all snails and slugs, I could
plant 1 per 2 sq. ft. Beer is too important a commodity to waste on
slugs.

I experimented with my Okra this year and planted in 9" X 9" blocks. All
seems to be well. and they are gorgeous and forming appropriate flowers
now. Of course there are only 350 of them (I like Okra) so we will just
have to wait another week or so for the bee food to be in full bloom
;-). 

Just got my first ears of sweet corn too!

IF any of you are interested, I keep a homepage journal of this garden.
It does contain all the natural adult language that goes with gardening
in my neck of the woods and a lot of other good info too. I will post
the URL if you guys will keep it private. 

Daniel (zone 7, Dallas)

> >I have noticed that several of you have commented on pepper problems
> >this year.
> >
> >After some research I ascertained that soil temperture is one of the
> >variables that directly effects fruiting of peppers. Above 85 degrees F
> >they will not polinate and effectively need a shot of viagra.
> >
> >As an experiment I began to liberally foliar water in the evenings to
> >the point of drenching the soil and cooling it off. After only 4 days I
> >now have literally dozens of forming baby peppers. Normally I would not
> >foliar water peppers, but in this instance I saw no alternative and plan
> >on continuing through the production period.
> 
> Soil temperature is a big factor in fruit development of sweet peppers.  One
> way I've alway counteracted that problem was to plant all my sweet peppers
> (hot peppers actually do better with hotter soils), in containers.  In
> Texas, and in other hot summer regions, peppers benefit from the dance of
> the pepper pots.  Place them in an area that receives full sun in the
> morning and is shaded by 1 p.m. You may have to move pots every couple of
> weeks as the sun swings its summer arc in the sky in order to find morning
> sun only. This solves the hot soil problem.  Of course, with containers, you
> have to water daily or invest in a drip systems.  Colored bell peppers like
> the ivory, lavender and orange ones really produce in this manner.  It's not
> unusual to harvest 15-20 fruit over a season per plant.  Another
> observation--fruit set will be scanter and fruit will be smaller in
> mid-summer.  But, when nights cool a bit--below 70 degrees--fruit set will
> be abundant, and the fall maturing peppers will be the biggest of the
> season.  Use an Epson salt foliar feeding once a month, too, for better
> pepper color, size and plant vigor.  A mild pruning of foliage in mid-July
> will also stimulate branching, more flowering and more fruit set in late August.
> Doreen Howard
> Zone 9b, soon to be Zone 5
> 
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