Really enjoying the peppers and tomatoes this year, I thought I planted too many but I wish I had more now. The scorpion and long chocolate habanero are my favorites so far. I did get to eat a habanero tree pepper which I also liked. I do have one problem with the rocoto de seda. It is a nice big plant with purple flowers but no peppers form, thoughts? Maybe @thepodpiper can advise
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The pubescens species of peppers are late producers and require a very long season in most cases, you might want to overwinter so you can get a crop next year. Worth it!
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Noted , I would like to try and keep the habanero tree also
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This is my first red scorpion butch t , I diced it up and mixed it with a tomato and put it on top of a small steak for my late evening snack. Now that was a hot pepper!! I had to get me a glass of milk halfway through, oh I added a chocolate habanero to help heat it up, it was green though.
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I really like these scorpion peppers, my new favorite pepper. Just an intense flavor followed by scorching heat. The younger ones have less heat but still very good flavor. Very thin walled, they dice up very small easily and really make super salsa. I only have one plant this year but will have more next year.
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Was out most of the day, just got back from the tomato/pepper patch, still no new damage since adding the black fabric wall between the tom’s and peppers.
The peppers are really pumping out the fruit, some plants more than others. I picked a handful of them, and here’s a pic of them. The tom’s are trying to get back into production model after the repeated deer assaults.
From left, one Jalapeño, four yellow banana’s (don’t know if they’re hot or not), two Pepperoncini (can be very warm), two Padron (maybe hot), and the first habanero (super hot). I’m getting a big glass if ice water prepared as I sample them. Mrs Dood has decided not to participate in this folly.
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How do you handle all of that heat in your mouth? Don’t your eyes and nose run? Yikes!
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My bell peppers are just sitting there. Each one set a single fruit, then no more - no flowers. It’s weird
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I don’t know, you kind of get used to it. They are really hot , I just ate one and a tree habanero mixed with tomato and avocado for supper. I cut them up very small so you don’t get a big piece all at once, that helps too.
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Mine have been pretty slow to get going but they are starting to set some small bells. The biggest one is about the size of a small plum. The plants are mostly about 2ft tall with deep green leaves.
My Ancho Mulato plants, on the other hand, are over 3ft tall, and haven’t set hardly anything. Maybe they’re just slow growers.
If yours aren’t setting many peppers, it may be that they need some phosphorus, more than nitrogen, which would cause more vegetative growth. @JustAnne4 mentioned that manganese might help , but it’s important not to use too much.
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I always till in triple phosphate before planting - tomatoes in the same area are fruiting away
But I’m going to hit them again with soluble stuff
Well, I’m full of veggies after sampling most of those peppers, and then some 'mater’s and cukes.
The jalapeño was mild, this is the second one I’ve tried, and it’s not really warm at all. I think they’re ripe enough, but maybe not. The banana’s were mild, the Padron were medium warm.
The habanero was surprisingly tame, I cut it up in small slivers just in case, and it was milder than the jalapeño. The Pepperoncini was by the hottest, they generate some good heat.
As mentioned, the hot peppers all probably need to ripen more.
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I’ve had that experience too w/the 1st few hot peppers. Not sure what causes it but I’ve heard of others experiencing that. Then they heat up.
Phosphates are needed for growth and transport (high brix) but I think that a diverse microbial population is needed for making the phosphates (and other minerals) available to the plants.
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Great collection! 
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Can I get a consensus about seed starting for the autumn garden? I want to know if anyone is good at it. I know how to do it, but every year its the same. I get about 50% of what I plant to grow (brassicas and lettuce). It doesn’t matter if I direct sow them or start them in containers to transplant later and what’s more is it seems to be a variety of problems. Some just don’t germinate, some wilt on the first hot day, some get eaten by slugs, some get eaten by other insects, and some mysteriously disappear.
Is anyone planting a fall garden and if so do you have better luck than me?
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I do plant a fall garden. But like you I’m not all that successful with it. This year looks promising though, because of cooler than normal temps and a lot of rain lately. Normally everything g gets toast in the heat. Very little comes up and thrives.
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I do one every year. To me it’s much more enjoyable, albeit slower, than the summer garden b/c I don’t do heat well.
Sowing should be done inside b/c winter plants’ germination rates are higher in cooler soils - something July and August does not afford me. For spinach I’ve even used the frig, but for brassicas and lettuce, the AC vent is fine. When you seed inside, start treating for slugs outside (pellets). I sow in small cups then prick out to a larger flat to grow on to a large healthy plant. By then there is room in the garden. Surround the planting area w/ 1" chicken wire and have ready some kind of netting (bird or insect) to put over top of that. Brassicas need spraying every 10 days with Bt and Spinosad (even whilst in the flats). After a few good freezes you can stop spraying which is usually in December for me.
As cold weather approaches, prepare your hoops and poly - make sure to vent. In fact for brassicas I leave the vent open most of the time until the temps go below 20.
I was thinking this would be a good thread to start sometime.
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It’s not good unless your eyes and and nose run! If your upper sweats you have reached nirvana.
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I put my fall plantings in a couple of weeks ago, with the July heat wave fading. I started the plants inside a month before that, except for peas and spinach, that I direct sow. Everything is covered now, because of rabbits and other pests
I’ve had mixed success with the fall garden. Peas in particular are usually a problem, but this year’s seedlings look great, so I’m encouraged.
Weather makes all the difference, and we can’t control that.
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