# Anybody here good at growing peppers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967 "2012-03-27T18:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/1 "2012-03-27T18:31:41Z")
Hi all. I have a bunch of pepper plants that I’ve started from seeds about a month ago, mostly of the hottter varieties. Soon they are going to need to be put in pots or in the ground (I’ll probably do it both ways). Anyhow, I am going to need some advice on sun vs shade, what to do for the soil for ground planting. What to do for the plants that go in pots. That sorta thing. I live in the deep south east and the soil is pretty sandy FYI. Advice here or some useful links would be greatly appreciated. And us hot pepper lovers need to chat it up around here sometime! thanks Blll ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/2 "2012-03-27T18:39:07Z")
Doing a bit of research, it looks like peppers like full sun and sandy soil, so plant away! A note for all of your plants in containers - containers dry out much more quickly than you might expect, so keep an eye on them and keep them well-watered. If your soil is really sandy, I don’t know if you’d want to amend it with some compost or topsoil before planting. [This guy has some good advice.](http://www.theveggieguy.ca/vegetables/pepper) He talks about aphids on pepper plants - I’ve been fighting the Battle of The Aphids all frickin’ winter - the aphids are winning. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/3 "2012-03-27T18:53:04Z")
There is one and only one sure-fire solution to aphids: Ladybugs. Lots of 'em. You can mail-order them from various catalogs. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/4 "2012-03-27T18:58:01Z")
Peppers and tomatoes like the soil to be really warm, so you don’t gain anything by putting them in the ground before the night temperatures are consistently no lower than the 50s. If the soil is cold, your plants will just sit and sulk until it warms up. If the plants go in when it’s warm, they will put out a lot of growth right away. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/5 "2012-03-27T19:58:16Z")
I’ve planted hot peppers as ornamental plants. They were easy to grow. They like full sun. I think they’re really pretty. I thought about pickling some in vinegar, but never got around to it. I plan to pickle some peppers this year. [http://dixiecaviar.com/2010/08/20/hot-pepper-vinegar/](http://dixiecaviar.com/2010/08/20/hot-pepper-vinegar/) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/6 "2012-03-27T20:02:30Z")
I can seem to get hot peppers to grow but not bell peppers, don’t know why. I pickled a lot of them last year but haven’t tried any yet. I’m still working on the pickles from the year before. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/7 "2012-03-27T20:12:32Z")
Don’t grow hat and sweet varieties anywhere near each other. Hot is a dominant trait and you’ll you’ll get hot bells. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/8 "2012-03-27T20:54:07Z")
Hot pepper plants are basically weeds. Give them full sun and reasonable soil and they’ll do well. They may prefer sandy soil but we have no problem getting them to produce here in our Illinois clay. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/9 "2012-03-27T20:58:25Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Don’t grow hat and sweet varieties anywhere near each other. Hot is a dominant trait and you’ll you’ll get hot bells. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you… Interesting. How close would you consider “anywhere near”? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/10 "2012-03-27T21:19:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Don’t grow hat and sweet varieties anywhere near each other. Hot is a dominant trait and you’ll you’ll get hot bells. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you… I have a 4x6 bed in which I grow not only hot and sweet peppers, I also grow tomatoes and I’ve never, ever gotten hot bells. Nor sweet Jamaican cherries for that matter. And these guys are right on top of each other. I have had poblanos that vary in hotness from the very same plant but I believe that is a characteristic of poblanos. Mmmm fresh off the vine and smoked poblanos. . . ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/11 "2012-03-27T21:22:20Z")
If they get cross-pollinated, then heat will develop. The books say keep them 40’ or so apart. Tomatoes and peppers will not cross-pollinate, so hot tomatoes aren’t a problem. I have gotten hot bells before, so I know the books are right. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/12 "2012-03-27T21:29:07Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If they get cross-pollinated, then heat will develop. The books say keep them 40’ or so apart. Tomatoes and peppers will not cross-pollinate, so hot tomatoes aren’t a problem. I have gotten hot bells before, so I know the books are right. Of course tomato and peppers won’t cross pollinate, I was explaining how close my peppers are to each other. I’d LOVE to get hot bells. P.S., other delicious peppers to try besides poblanos (anchos when dried) are cubanellas. They are also sweet peppers and are oh, so good in rice and omelets. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/13 "2012-03-27T21:35:07Z")
That doesn’t sound right. If they cross-pollinate _and then you save the seeds_, then next year’s generation will be mixed. But as I understand it, pepper heat is determined partially genetically and partially by environment, as stressed plants produce more heat. However, I am not aware that receiving pollen from a different type of plant counts as environmental stress. I expect someone will be by shortly to inform me that I am wrong, though. **Kimballkid** , sweet peppers require a lot more water than hot peppers. I believe that’s because of the relative size of the fruits. (Hot peppers are teeny compared to the big ol’ sweet bells.) Give them more water & fertilizer than you do for the hot ones. I grow one single cayenne every summer, and we dry and grind more lovely hot spice than we can use up in a year. In fact, last fall’s dried fruits are still sitting in the kitchen, awaiting grinding. Deep SE US, huh OP? (Wow, that’s a lot of capitalized 2-letter abbreviations…) It’s probably warm enough to put them in the ground. You want to see nighttime lows above the mid-50s, and that’s us over here in TX already. Use good-quality potting soil for the containers, and mix some compost or earthworm castings or whatever into the ground for the in-ground guys. Sandy soil drains well, so that’s good for preventing root rot if you get a long rainy spell, but you’ll have to keep up with watering if you get a long dry drought, too. Mulching the plants helps with the latter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/14 "2012-03-27T21:48:59Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > That doesn’t sound right. If they cross-pollinate _and then you save the seeds_, then next year’s generation will be mixed. But as I understand it, pepper heat is determined partially genetically and partially by environment, as stressed plants produce more heat. However, I am not aware that receiving pollen from a different type of plant counts as environmental stress. What, you’ve never heard of plant rape? 😃 I agree, I always thought it would manifest in the seeds. But it either affects the current fruiting or somebody slipped me some mutant bell seeds. I always attributed it to the fact that the bells were right next to the habs in the garden. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/15 "2012-03-28T00:16:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There is one and only one sure-fire solution to aphids: Ladybugs. Lots of 'em. You can mail-order them from various catalogs. Oh, I’ve got ladybugs - lots of 'em. I brought my pepper plant in for the winter since it was doing so well in the fall, and I’ve fought with the aphids all winter. I even tried bringing some ladybugs in and putting them on the plant - they just buggered off somewhere and didn’t eat the aphids. I’m going to try putting the pepper back outside now and see if the awakening ladybugs will start chowing down on the aphids. > [@silenus](#): > > What, you’ve never heard of plant rape? :D\ I always feel a little awkward when I’m trying to manually pollinate the pepper blossoms. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/16 "2012-03-28T02:02:26Z")
I checked my books and with my wife. 1. 40’ is the recommended distance for peppers 2. This only applies if you are saving seed 3. I got the “hot” bell seeds from a local grower, so who knows what happened in his plot 4. I should check with my wife before talking out of my ass. She finds it embarassing. ---
**Author:** ![pagzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pagzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pagzer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/17 "2012-03-28T02:18:28Z")
I know quite a bit about growing hot peppers, and grow all types in my flower bed. My father-in-law from the deep south taught me a lot. I am from the south west and there is little difference in technique. The main thing is lots of sun. If it’s hot where you live in the summer, it’s best to not plant in pots because the roots get too hot. The hotter the climate the better they grow. Put them in a place where they will get about half day full sunlight. The soil should be slightly basic,pH about 8, that makes them hotter. if your soil is sandy, use some manure and peat with the sand and put in some ash (like from a fireplace or bbq pit). You should always plant 2 or more plants together for pollination. The most important thing is to water every day. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/18 "2012-03-28T04:06:11Z")
I’ve grown a wide variety of hot peppers, they’re extremely easy, you can more or less plant 'em and forget 'em. Even accidentally mowing over a young plant didn’t hold it back too much 🙂 My mom used to plant them in this otherwise worthless strip of ground along the side of our house, the “soil” was basically a mixture of gravel and hard clay and they grew like weeds. This is coming from PA and MD, so with that deep south sun you should have no problems. I will say that while hot peppers plants (jalapenos, habaneros, serranos) have generally provided me with a more or less unlimited bounty, bell pepper plants were among the most disappointing vegetable I’ve grown. The peppers were few and far between, and quite small by supermarket standards. The few I got _were_ quite tasty, but I have a small plot and the yield just wasn’t worth the space. You may have better luck however. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/19 "2012-03-28T04:22:18Z")
I’ve grown hot peppers without much effort. Plenty of sunshine seems to be the key. Bell peppers had varied results. I’ve never tried this, but if you plant peppers in pots you can bring them indoors in the fall and they’ll continue to produce peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967/20 "2012-03-28T04:54:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > \ > 4) I should check with my wife before talking out of my ass. She finds it embarassing. You’d think she’d be used to it by now. 😃 If I could figure out how to pollinate my pepper, it would be an amazing producer - it has about 24 buds on it right now, and has been blooming all winter. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-good-at-growing-peppers/616967.md?page=2)