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i was wondering if it is possible to grow store bought peppers?
has anyone done it successfully?
i don't really care much about quality, so long as they are spicy and almost close to what the store was selling or better; will i get some decent peppers?
i was thinking serrano and jallapeno along with those small thai chilis.....should i get the seeds from the fresh peppers or from the ones that they sell dried?
one more important thing....i live on the california coast with alot of morning fog and afternoon sun...the morning fog moisturizes the ground every morning....will peppers grow well in this environment? the temperature will be around 50-85 F ...50s at night and around 60-85 in the day
Hello and welcome burningredphoenix!! I'm new here myself and have found the people here to be friendly and helpfull. Much like yourself I love to add alittle kick to dishes and grow my own peppers. I have not tried using seeds from store bought peppers, but I do grow them from seeds bought from anywhere that sells seeds. I generaly stick to the really hot habeneros cause it takes alot less of them to get the desired heat I'm looking for so they last longer. But they are pretty much grown the same way.
First you will want to start your seeds indoors and you want them under a constant heat source..The ideal temp of soil for germination of peppers is at 80 degrees. If your are using fluorescents you want it as close as possible to the soil, if your using an HPS lamp then you wont have to worry cause they produce plenty of heat. If you have an old radiator heater that you can place under the plants it will help also ( If you do this make sure you use and alluminum pan or steel so you dont melt your containers ).
After they have reached a few inches tall you want to prepare the garden, adding plenty of compost, manure, and a general fertilizer. Make sure they are in a spot where they get the most sun possible. If it is still kinda cool outside you will want to gradually remove them from their heat source to get the better equiped for a lower temp. Space them 18-24 inches apart, in rows 24 to 36 inches apart for most pepers. Peppers like the soil to be very moist especialy in more dry, airy areas.
Add mulch around the peppers to keep down weeds, and to retain soil moisture. As they develope switch to a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous and Potassium and has less Nitrogen or you will get bushy plants with little fruit.
Though they are able to be infected with disease in does'nt happen often, however fungus is a threat so if you see it starting to grow just use a fungicide. If spider mites and aphids are a problem in your area you can use any pesticide just about, I prefer organic..though it does not always work.
Peppers are self pollinating although some bees will make a habbit of cross pollinating when you do not want them to. Try to keep different types as far away from eachother as possible to avoid this. It won't effect you first crop, but if you decide to use the seeds from them for your next crop, you will notice they will all have more bite to them from the hottest of the bunch.
hey thanks for the advice....a bit daring eating those hot habaneros.....i actually want the leaves more than the peppers....theres a recipe id like to cook but no one sells pepper leaves.
Burning,
Welcome to Garden Forums!
I have successfully grown and kept plants for years from store bought peppers.I usually do this only if I can not find seeds for a specialty pepper. I live in Fl and from your screen name I gether you are in Phoenix, equally as trying as Fl gardening. Peppers grow really well here I find if I mulch them pretty heavy they can withstand very hot dry conditions. We are on a 2 day watering restriction so I Have placed soaker hoses under my mulch which has newspaper under it. The newspaper keeps the water from evaporating and keep is close to the roots where it needs to be, and it also take a lot less water. My soil is also very ammended with compost as we have almost all sand, which as you know holds not moisture.Top watering is becoming a thing of the past with many water challenaged gardeners. Finding more effective ways to water is important and more healthy for your garden.
If you are going to eat the leaves you will want to make sure you use organic fertilizers. The leaves act as fitlers for toxins.
What dish are you makeing with the pepper leaves??
hello and welcome to the place...I also have done this ...but remember that hybrid ones will not work..... you can get soem great seeds for nice spicy peppers thruPepper Joe's... www.PepperJoe.com
As you mentioned how hard it is to grow in the FL sand crabbergirl I have always looked for new compost and mixtures for our less then freindly soil here. Do you think that all this dead sawgrass I have around the house would provide a decent additive in the mulch and help to retain some moisture?
> I have a website with all kinds of detailed information on organinc additives
"allabouteverything1234"
Wow, "all about everything"? Writing that should keep you busy for a while . Meanwhile, we sell Google ads too, (You know what those are, you've got them on your site...) and if you'd like to advertise your site here, you'll need to pay to do it, not just post links.
I don't grow from store bought peppers but it can be done...
If you do have seeds and you think its to late to grow peppers in your area, you may want to dry them out to use next year. Just make sure you keep them cool and dry and seeds can stay good for several years... (a food dehydrator and the refrigerator work perfectly for this)
As you mentioned how hard it is to grow in the FL sand crabbergirl I have always looked for new compost and mixtures for our less then freindly soil here. Do you think that all this dead sawgrass I have around the house would provide a decent additive in the mulch and help to retain some moisture?
If you can get it cut into small pices other wise it take an eternity to decompose. Pile it up and run it over with your mower before you add it but I sure wouldn't waste it
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