Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I got seeds in a couple weeks ago, 4 varieties each of peppers and tomatoes.
I have a few of them sprouting already, I think it's the tomoatoes.
I plan to get seeds in for herbs in the next couple weeks - sweet basil, thai basil, dill, cilantro, maybe rosemary and oregano.
 
passedpawn said:
Yessir, they are fantastic! I dry them out on the smoker, then run them through the food processor.
Click to expand...

Those are lovely. But you grind them in the house?? What happens when you take the lid off the food processor?

I really like the idea of sifting them to seperate the powder from the flakes and seeds.
 
z-bob said:
Those are lovely. But you grind them in the house?? What happens when you take the lid off the food processor?

I really like the idea of sifting them to seperate the powder from the flakes and seeds.
Click to expand...

Not a big deal. I did the same with habaneros, and that did create some toxic dust :) Yes I processed in the house.
 
passedpawn said:
Hmmm. Are they spicy?

You can dilute hot peppers to make a mild sauce, but you can't use a mild pepper and make a hot sauce.
Click to expand...
They are considered one of the mild peppers but they also can be used to make chili powder and they are also known as ancho chilis when they are dried. I have several recipes I use them for. You could get a bunch and extract capsacin and do a little refining to get the hot stuff you need. Just need ethanol to extract it.

For me, being able to make chili powder in the time of need would be a huge plus. Couple them with some of my canned tomatoes, and a dead animal that equals good eats.
 
6A03E859-0C41-4D67-9EF1-1F5C0271F6D5.jpeg
Last years salsa day. Waiting on pepper starts to sprout. I’m growing hot banana, jalapeño, and Anaheim this year. I grow about 75 tomatoes plants. Starting those this week. Can a lot of pizza, pasta sauce. Bloody Mary mix also. I do mild and hot salsa. I bought an All American 941 canner that I use in the brewery structure. Doing nearly 20 quarts at a time is awesome. Can’t believe I missed this thread. Gonna try to beat the rain and lettuce mix started today.
 
passedpawn said:
Hmmm. Are they spicy?

You can dilute hot peppers to make a mild sauce, but you can't use a mild pepper and make a hot sauce.
Click to expand...

They vary in heat level but are never really hot, but the flavor is always fantastic. And I figure I could cultivate them for a few years and end up with some that are hotter :) Still my favorite all around pepper. Chili Relleno, Poblano Enchiladas, etc. :)
 
z-bob said:
Anyone here grow mild chinense peppers, like "Trinidad Perfume"? My brother gave me a packet of "Habanero El Remo" seeds. https://www.whitehotpeppers.com/products/habanero-el-remo and I'm wondering what you do with them. (yes, I know you eat them) Are they good for stuffing, and if so do you stuff them with meat or cheese or fruit?
Click to expand...

Ive grown the Trinidad perfume. Very prolific little plant but i found the pods to be nearly flavorless. That hab type on WHP is just like a Aji Dulce. There are numerous chinense "dulce" peppers. The couple i tried were way too small to stuff. There a few that are supposed to get good size.

I use peppers like that for sofrito because they go very well with bean stews like feijoada. Very tasty in refried beans too without adding the heat. The hab "funk" goes great with beans and some curries.

I would look for the stuffing scotch bonnets. Pepperlover seems to be out of the loop atm so i dont know where to get any seeds right now
 
Last edited:
Evilgrin said:
Ive grown the Trinidad perfume. Very prolific little plant but i found the pods to be nearly flavorless. That hab type on WHP is just like a Aji Dulce. There are numerous chinense "dulce" peppers. The couple i tried were way too small to stuff. There a few that are supposed to get good size.

I use peppers like that for sofrito because they go very well with bean stews like feijoada. Very tasty in refried beans too without adding the heat. The hab "funk" goes great with beans and some curries.

I would look for the stuffing scotch bonnets. Pepperlover seems to be out of the loop atm so i dont know where to get any seeds right now
Click to expand...


I have Aji Jobito seeds. Habanero flavor but no heat ...kind of nice for people who intolerant to heat but can experience the C. Chinese flavor
 
"That flavor" is essential for some dishes. Like Caribbean curries. There is a distinct aroma too. You either learn to handle the heat or grow a dulce hab variety. Dulce simply meens "sweet" and aji is pepper. The majority of aji dulce ive seen are members of the chinense family. I grew a variety last year from the baccatum family but it was a hybrid. They had almost jalapeno heat but were very seedy so im skipping them this year.

Im going to try the Habanada this year, mainly because im too far behind to start anymore seedlings. Numex Suave is also a "sweet hab" worth trying.
 
Finally got a chance to put some plants in the ground! Between all the rain and all the covid insanity, didn’t know if it was ever going to happen.

Next up - finish drip system.......

Peppers:
Jalapeño
Anaheim
Trinidad scorpion
Carolina Reaper
Bell- red, yellow, green
Cayenne
Sweet banana

tomatoes:
Better boys
Early girls
Chocolate cherry

misc:
Yellow squash
Cucumbers
Golden potatoes
Russet potatoes
Red onions
Yellow onions

still growing indoors.
Crimson sweet watermelon
Heart of gold cantaloupe

3F2854BA-6A94-4B85-8152-2A9EB954139B.jpeg
49D05770-3CCF-41A6-8D64-DE21D9F8DBA9.jpeg
 
This year its

Liana yard long beans and another yard long variety too.
West India Burr gherkins again....these are just great and last all summer.

Rosemary, 2 kinds of thyme, 2 kinds of oregano, Siam Queen basil and Lime Basil...forgetting something

Now i remember...Laksa from my over winter clones. Aka Vietnamese coriander or rau ram. Taste very similar to cilantro but wont bolt in my climate. VERY hard to find around here even at our largest specialty markets. A must for some Indo/Malay curries

Catnip
A few sunflowers

Zapotec tomato...heirloom from southern Mexico...Supposed to love hot weather.
Sweet 1Mil hybrid
Early Girl hybrid
BeefMaster hybrid

Aji Amarillo
Aji Panca
Aji Oro...only rocoto that seems to do great in my climate and the flavor is wonderful. Like a piece of fruit.
Antep Aci Dolma...spicy bell from Turkey but very sweet too
Brown/Chocolate Reaper from a mutatant plant. Original seeds came directly from PuckerButt as Reapers but 1 plant produced brown pods
CARDI Scorpion...From my pods last year. They seemed to be just as hot as the Reapers i grew but tasted better
CHILHUACLE NEGRO...chocolate spicy bell from Oaxaca
CHILHUACLE ROJO...spicy bell from Oaxaca (red variety)
Death Spiral...from Baker Creek aka Rare Seeds
Habanada
Joes Long Cayenne
Mucho Nacho Jalapeno....personal favorite...excellent flavor and good heat.
NuMex Orange Spice Jalapeno...VERY hot jalapeno


Over the last few years ive grown several Asian long beans and the Liana from Southern Exposure hammer them all. Pods stay thin and tender longer. VERY high yield too. Super easy to grow.
https://seedracks.southernexposure.com/products/liana-bean-asparagus-seed-packet

I gave up on most cukes but i still like some slicers for fresh or Asian style side dishes. Burr gherkins work better for me for pickles. Nothing bothers them. Ultra low maintenance and they crank all summer. They dont do that great in cooler climates but explode in the peak summer temps. Have not lost a single plant to bugs, disease or mold yet. Baker Creek aka RareSeeds has the seeds again!!!!
https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/cucumbers/west-india-burr-gherkin
 
Last edited:
Doing my tomato starts today. All my gardener friends started theirs 3 weeks ago. Plus I don’t fight the cold in the cold frame. Once they germinate, in they go. In my area people always try to plant at Ky Derby time. I’ve found that if I plant my tomatoes the first of June that my production is better. We had, like many, a terrible drought last summer. The early planters tomatoes didn’t fair well. My thinking is that my plants were not flowering. I’ve been doing this for 2 years and my plant production has been crazy. Time to mix my soil and get them rocking. I will be doing this with a homebrew Kolsch in hand of course.
 
Well, since school is cancelled at least until april 30th.... if not totally... I brought my pepper plants home. 2 tobasco plants, going on their fourth summer. One peach ghost pepper going on it’s third summer. I have some pepper seedlings started, and I also order some live plants that will show up the end of May. Surprised though that I have kept these 3 going as long as they have. They produce really well if you can get them to overwinter.

thumbnail_Image-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Braufessor said:
Well, since school is cancelled at least until april 30th.... if not totally... I brought my pepper plants home. 2 tobasco plants, going on their fourth summer. One peach ghost pepper going on it’s third summer. I have some pepper seedlings started, and I also order some live plants that will show up the end of May. Surprised though that I have kept these 3 going as long as they have. They produce really well if you can get them to overwinter.

View attachment 674070
Click to expand...
That is super cool. I’ve never kept any
 
I always try to overwinter a few of my plants and have found them to be hit and miss. Aji Limon went for a few years and was a heavy cropper. this year I did espelette which are struggling to regrow and biquinho which are going great
 
A couple things that I have done the last few years that seems to help...... In the fall, when it is time, I remove them from the pot or dig them up.... I cut them quite a ways back. Not every leaf, but cut them back to very compact and leaves that are left are basically "new growth" type buds - not mature leaves. The other thing I do is to completely hose off all the dirt on the roots, hose off the plant entirely. I cut the roots back some with a scissors and then plant in a clean pot with new potting soil. One of the biggest problems I have had in the past is bugs - in particular, white flies. These little guys lay eggs all over the stems and they suck sap out and gradually stress the plant till it dies. I also put "sticky traps" for white flies on the plants because eventually there will be some pests trying to attack the plant indoors. Into a sunny window in my classroom and water about once every 3 weeks or so when the soil dries out. That process has really seemed to help my success rate over the past few years. But, I find it hit and miss too. I generally try to overwinter 4-5 plants. I usually lose 1 or 2.
 
First of my seedlings went in the window for real sun. Middle plants just came up today so they have not kicked in yet. They explode with growth within a week after coming up. Plants on both side have been there less than a week and more than doubled in size.
HqnkKpo.jpg
 
I didn't put them in the ground yet, but I bought 3 habanero, 4 cayenne, 1 Jalafuego, and 1 Super Chili pepper plant. Never tried the latter 2 before.

I bought 1 Dad's sunset tomato just to try it out, as well as 6 Rutgers tomatoes (not realizing they were a determinate variety).I actually had 14 or 15 Marzinera or Boxcar Willie (or both) tomato plants sprout themselves up out of the pots I had the plants in last year, so if I'm lucky I don't need to buy any more tomatoes this year:rock:
 
Last edited:
I topped my plants a few days ago as they were getting a bit leggy. Hopefully they will bush up a bit. I need to transplant them too, to bigger pots. Not sure I can put them out in the greenhouse yet as it's unheated
IMG_20200410_171257139_HDR.jpg
 
Apple_Jacker said:
I didn't put them in the ground yet, but I bought 3 habanero, 4 cayenne, 1 Jalafuego, and 1 Super Chili pepper plant. Never tried the latter 2 before.
Click to expand...

Nothing really stands out from the latter 2 but i do grow the Super Chili hybrid every year. Very easy to grow in a small pot. Pods can be fairly hot. Not as bitter as some Thai peppers. Makes a pretty good hot vinegar when they are green. Cram a bunch in a bottle after cutting the tops off. Fill with vinegar. Try to get as much INTO the the pods as possible. Pour out the vinegar and heat it. I just use a microwave and a pyrex cup. THEN pour the heated vinegar back in the bottle with the peppers and seal it. Leave it alone for a couple weeks to a month. It wont go bad.

Ripe i dry them. Add them to pickles. 2-3 per quart adds a little zip without being an inferno.

Jalafuego is just a longer jala hybrid bred to resist corking. Corking to me is not a bad thing. Nothing else really stand out. I like Early Jala better and Mucho Nacho MUCH better. I like ripe corked jalapenos.

BTW if you like cayenne, you must try Joes Long Cayenne. Great flavor for cayenne and stellar yield.
 
Evilgrin said:
Nothing really stands out from the latter 2 but i do grow the Super Chili hybrid every year. Very easy to grow in a small pot. Pods can be fairly hot. Not as bitter as some Thai peppers. Makes a pretty good hot vinegar when they are green. Cram a bunch in a bottle after cutting the tops off. Fill with vinegar. Try to get as much INTO the the pods as possible. Pour out the vinegar and heat it. I just use a microwave and a pyrex cup. THEN pour the heated vinegar back in the bottle with the peppers and seal it. Leave it alone for a couple weeks to a month. It wont go bad.

Ripe i dry them. Add them to pickles. 2-3 per quart adds a little zip without being an inferno.

Jalafuego is just a longer jala hybrid bred to resist corking. Corking to me is not a bad thing. Nothing else really stand out. I like Early Jala better and Mucho Nacho MUCH better. I like ripe corked jalapenos.

BTW if you like cayenne, you must try Joes Long Cayenne. Great flavor for cayenne and stellar yield.
Click to expand...

These? the plants are about a foot tall and are already producing.
 

Attachments

  • 20200418_111419.jpg
    20200418_111419.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 17
Im getting close to being able to put mine it outside pots but we had a frost just the other day too. My rocotos could handle it as long as i cover them but pretty much all my others hate the cold. So for now a few hours outside and back in on the widow sill will have to do. I cant afford to lose most of what i got started. There is not enough time left to replace them.

I only got a few still under lights. Most are just a couple backups and a couple Joes Long Cayenne which got a late start.

This pepper originated from Calabria, Italy and circulated through the Italian-Canadian seed saving community in Toronto before being sent to Joe Sestito in Troy, New York. It was later Introduced to SSE in 1996 by long-time member Dr. Carolyn Male. Heavy producer of finger like thin-walled red peppers up to 12" long. Plants get to around 30 inches tall and are great for containers
Click to expand...
 
Can't believe I never have seen this thread before... I love gardening and growing stuff. Inside I've started a few bell peppers, big jim chili peppers, and a market giant pepper variety. Also, a few different tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, pumpkins, and lots of different kids of squash. Some of these just germinated this morning and are sprouting- mainly the cucumbers.
In the spring outside garden I have 3 kinds of radishes, turnips, carrots, broccoli, peas, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and of course, hops! Also have a few blueberry bushes and just planted a couple hazelnut trees. Trying to squeeze in a few apple trees too. I'll post some pics when I can but good to see everyone growing!​
 
Peppers like C. Reapers should have been germinated months ago. They take a long time to produce. Really good idea to start germinating most "supers" and many rocotos in January depending on your location. Best rocoto plants i ever had i started at the very end of the previous season. Most of them hate my summers and need plenty of cooler months to produce well. Pods/flowers just fall off in the heat and humidity.

Pretty much any small seedling hotter than an annuum still under lights has little chance of good production here in the midwest. My CARDIs, Death Spirals and long season Ajis are ready to go outside when the weather is willing to cooperate. Dont have much hope left my brown Reapers will do much. They are still very small and under lights.

If you want a super that grows fast and produces well, try red CARDI Scorpions. Try to make sure they are CARDI seed stock. Mine were crazy hot. Couldnt tell a heat difference sampled right next to Reapers and Dragons Breath.
 
Thanks @Evilgrin , this is my first time growing supers, so I just got them going at the end of February. I read that they're tricky to grow, and I looked at the days to maturity on the seed packet and figured that would be enough.

These were originally supposed to be a gag gift that I would've already given away by now, but given our current environment I'm kind of stuck with them. But I'm to stubborn to just let them die. If I get a half dozen peppers from these, then I'll have have more than I personally want.

If I try supers again then I'll try your Cardio Scorpions and/or I'll be starting them in January. But that's unlikely.
 

Similar threads

A
Hop Plant Help
Replies
8
Views
294
Northern_Brewer
Northern_Brewer
Rodent
Gardening 2024 - Whatcha got going on this year?
2
Replies
40
Views
1K
Deadalus
Deadalus
Agent
Tomato Serum Wine Adventure
Replies
14
Views
1K
Agent
Agent
Rodent
Gardening: Raised Beds for veggies
Replies
24
Views
1K
Deadalus
Deadalus
N
New Member - NYC area
Replies
4
Views
486
ncbrewer
N
SSBrew 300

Latest posts

Back
Top