Re: Citrus and Peppers

Theladygardens@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Five years ago, we planted a neat and tidy row of various peppers in
> our food garden.  Then we planted the extra pepper seedlings around
> the yard under our assorted citrus trees.  The peppers in the food
> area did a ho hum to poor job of producing.  Those planted by citrus
> produced masses of big thick hearty pepprs, regardless of variety of
> pepper or citrus.
> We  have continued to do this, now only bothering to put peppers by
> the citrus trees.  One pepper planted 2-3 feet from a citrus produces
> more than a dozen in the garden area.  I move the food area around, it
> was all a horse pasture, so I continue to just move to unused areas.
> My question is, do any of you scientific minds know of a reason for
> this?  Do citrus tree roots contain some chemical that peppers love?
> We do not get around to any decent fertiliizer program for either the
> food garden or the citrus trees, can't see that the care we give makes
> any difference, it seems to be the relationship to the citrus.

Carolyn 
I have never HEARD of such a connection, but it seems very evident that
these two plants are very good companions -or at least the citrus is a
very good companion for the peppers. One indeed wonders what the actual
benefits are which the citrus ambience bestows..

Do you have any indication of reciprocal benefits? Are your citrus trees
looking more healthy as a result of having the peppers around them I
wonder.

As it is spring here I am just raising pepper seedlings for the
umpteenth time, though I rarely have very much success (my garden's
weather is a bit marginal). It seems a very good chance to find out
whether your observation is a reproduceable phenomenon in another part
of the world.

I do have a lively young Meyer lemon tree suitably situated to try the
experiment of surrounding it with peppers and I really look forward to
seeing what eventuates.

I will let you know in due course what happens!!

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
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