I like the fish pepper. It is a hot pepper, not a super hot. The plant is also attractive.
At the end of last season I decided to overwinter my fish pepper. It has a small branch low, so I left the small branch and cut the rest off. I brought it in. In a south window for now. I tried to slow growth whacking it down. It’s starting to grow now, and when I put it out in the spring I will cut it back. But I have an established plant, so it will take off like crazy. I have done this before, and it is amazing how big the pepper becomes the second year. Here it is right now.
The Fish pepper is a variegated cultivar.
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I saw hot peppers in mexico that were almost 20 years old and looked like trees. Treat it right and you might have that thing for a while.
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Yeah that is cool. I have grown a couple times one called Habanero Arbol AKA Tree Habanero. Wow, it grows 5 feet tall then branches. If you cut it back, root prune and bring in. You can easily make a pepper tree, even in Michigan. A friend of mine did keep one a few years. I never overwintered one, but I might next year.
I think i will grow some out next year and at least renew the seeds. It’s been about 4 years, better do it before seeds are bad. I’m going to overwinter one next winter, what the hey!
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The trees I saw were habanero. I have been wanting to try it. Think all you have to do is keep from freezing temps. That tall one in the pict. is nice. Who sells those. I want one. Or ten.
I really like this pepper too. It has a mild flavor and can add subtle heat when used for cooking. Really productive variety as well. I still have bunch of powder I made with this.
I’ve tried overwintering with some success. The biggest problem I’ve had is aphids. Even washing the roots and trimming them back they seem to come every time. I only overwintered one and made it into a small pepper bonsai.
Scarlet’s variegated is another beautiful variegated pepper I grew last year.
It’s only in growers hands. I have seeds. You have to grow and overwinter a year or two to get a tree like that.
Spider mites for me. I had 7 pluot seedlings growing and by the time I saw the mites, 6 were goners, and the 7th was set back. Going on 2nd leaf this spring.
Yes aphids love peppers. I had white flies once and they are the worst! I now spray 2-3 times just before I bring them in. Drench the soil too. So far so good.
Never heard of that one. Sounds nice!
I often grow Variegated tomato which is similar with white and green leaves. Beautiful to look at, but the flavor is mediocre.
One trick you can use with an indoor plant is to cover it with a garbage bag and put a burning cigarette in a holder inside the bag. Nicotine from the cigarette will kill many insect pests. Use your head with this, don’t start a fire.
I grew Fish pepper for the last time last year. The leaf (and pepper) variegation is interesting to see. Anyway, my three plants were pretty prolific, I think I got a gallon freezer bag full from my plants.
The flavor is different too, not too hot, at least to me (my wife woukd disagree). I liked it and made a few pints of hot sauce.
Regarding overwintering peppers, I had three super hots (chocolate hab, ghost pepper, and bubblegum 7 pot) that I never planted out last year, they were in 12oz cups. I guess I ran out of space so they never got planted, but I kept the plants. They’ve been sitting in the living room all winter, I water them once a week, and even tho they look a bit rough, they’re still alive. I hope I can keep them going.
Count me among the multi-year fish (and other) pepper growers. I did it for several years, but quit. They take up a lot of room and water and they are bug magnets in my greenhouse. It was fun for a while but now I find it easier to just re-start them every year.
From what I have read, fish peppers were popular long ago because you could give a white sauce a hot, peppery flavor without changing the color or the dish with a red or orange hot pepper. To me they were OK in flavor, but nothing special. The foliage really is pretty though, and it stands out in a garden.
Yes, I came to the same conclusion. But this year, the plant looked like a perfect example to over winter. So it was a spur of the moment thing.
I overwintered a Black Pearl Pepper once and it grew into a 2 foot wide bush.
The photo does not do it justice. it was stunning.
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I have some extra Scarlets Variegated seeds if you ever want to try it. It’s a purple leafed variegated plant.
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