Weekend Gardening: Peppers

Peppers, both hot and sweet, are a favorite for our summer garden and indoors in the winter, and this year we are growing more types than we ever have before, though we’ve had trouble with production. The cold wet spring that carried through into early June affected some of our plants, and some of the bells haven’t even flowered yet. Though we don’t have peppers yet on all the plants, we do at least have flowers on most of them now, a huge relief as we were worried we might end up with nothing this year.

Here’s what we are growing this year.

Hot Peppers

Anaheim

Big Chile hybrid (Mild like an Anaheim, grows 8 to 10 inches long. Matures red.)

Chocolate Habanero (Same size as a regular habanero.)

Hot Paper Lantern (Habanero type with smaller elongated pods. Matures red.)

Jalapeno

Kung Pao Hybrid (Medium heat, about 4 inches long, matures red. Good for drying and storing.)

Numex Big Jim (Anaheim type, good for chile rellenos. Can grow up to 12 inches long.)

Poblano/Ancho

Royal Black (Small plant with black stems and foliage. Very hot black pepper ripens brilliant jewel-like red.)

Serrano Grande (Larger version of traditional serrano, matures to bright red.)

Thai Hot (Short plants, 1-inch long very hot peppers.)

White Habanero (Smaller than a regular habanero, but just as hot.)

Sweet Peppers

Miniature Chocolate Bell (Tiny chocolate colored bells, great for stuffed appetizers.)

Park’s Whopper (Large bells, matures red.)

Purple Beauty (Compact plants, medium size dark purple fruit.)

Sweet Islander (Medium size bells, with bright streaks of violet, yellow, and orange. Matures red.)

Tequila Hybrid (Amethyst pepper that ripens red.)

Yellow Corno di Toro (Italian bulls horn type, 8 to 10 inches long, ripens bright yellow. Delicious grilled, sauteed, or in salad.)

[Updated August 15, 2009]

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