# Calling all pepper growers! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678 "2005-09-08T17:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/1 "2005-09-08T17:31:47Z")
In my second year of pepper growing, I’ve managed to coax several peppers out of a jalapeno plant (much improved over last year, when my harvest was… one pepper). However, I’m noticing on the plant that the peppers have a black mottled discolouration on the side that faces south. Is this just a case of the peppers getting too much sun? Is this going to affect their flavour? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/2 "2005-09-08T17:37:10Z")
You can cut one open to check for mold, but it sounds like sunscald, which is harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Malice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@Malice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malice)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/3 "2005-09-08T17:39:52Z")
Mine get that too from strong sun, but I’ve never noticed any adverse effect on flavor. But I’d be curious about any growing tips for actual experts. The first year I planted, I got an explosion of _hundreds of big peppers_ from three plants. Ever since, about 5-8 apiece… ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/4 "2005-09-08T17:50:05Z")
> [@Malice](#): > > The first year I planted, I got an explosion of _hundreds of big peppers_ from three plants. Ever since, about 5-8 apiece… Could be you’ve put on too much fertilizer. Peppers are [quite sensitive to nitrogen](http://www.google.com/search?q=peppers+nitrogen&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official). I fertilized some with 10:10:10 one year, and managed to get only 5 or 6 jalapenos from the stunted plants. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/5 "2005-09-08T18:00:47Z")
Hijack: What about heat levels from peppers? My dad grew some jalapenos and habaneros (accent marks optional) this year, and the jalapenos were so hot that none of us could even _nibble_ them without dying. The habaneros were appropriately worse. And we live in the temperate NW Arkansas! ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/6 "2005-09-08T18:36:09Z")
Pepper plants are some of the most frustrating plants i’ve grown. Over the years I have gotten better, and have learned some tricks to getting more fruit. 1.) Keep them outside as much as possible. Peppers require insects to help pollinate itself. at first I was growing mostly inside, and not getting very many peppers. 2.) Be very careful fertilizing they are very sensitive plants. i dont feed my plants very often, instead I make a very nice organic soil (worm castings, bat guano). organic soil breaks down slower giving a consistant low nutrient flow. 3.) Micronutrients. these are very important, most gardening soil contains very little. Pepper plants love Magnesium, which i give through adding 1 tbs of epson salt to a gallon of water, twice a month. hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/7 "2005-09-08T19:09:43Z")
I tried growing jalapenos for several seasons with meager results, so I gave up. Last June a friend stopped by with some plants in containers and said, “here, you can have these, I’m moving north. They say don’t water the jalapenos too much when it gets hot.” So I was blessed with two squash plants, a tomato plant, and one scrubby looking jalapeno, that after an entire season of neglect, has produced probably 50 peppers of the highest quality. Good genes, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pepper-growers/320678/8 "2005-09-08T19:18:15Z")
I don’t know how different bell peppers are from yours, but I grow bell and have seen that sort of thing from the sun. But my peppers are not frustrating to grow, but a joy. Very easy.