Peppers, schmeppers.

[beac]

:(

Well, I think I've finally learned my lesson after three years. No matter HOW early I plant them and how much warm, wonderful sun they get, I will NEVER get a red, yellow or orange pepper to ripen to its full color before it acquires either mushy, rotting spots or gaping bug-eaten holes.

I've had good luck w/Anaheim, Poblano and several "mini" peppers, but the colored "bells" are a complete bust. Wish I liked green peppers more. :(

[WhiteTara]

1. You can take those green peppers and let them

completely ripen off the vine to a beautiful red.

[beac]

2. REALLY? I read several places that if they had started to turn you might get

them to finish inside, but this is GREAT news!

Off to yank my remaining greens from the vine... Any advice on ripening? In a paper bag? Sunlight? I know to keep them and other veggies away from tomatoes b/c the tomato off-gassing rots veggies faster.

Thanks, Tara! :hug:

[WhiteTara]

3. I leave them on the counter, but you could hang the

whole plant upside down too, I would think.

I like to roast them then and I'm thinking of stuffing and my anahiems are getting really big and my mouth waters for chili rellones (so?) yum.

Thanks for the tomato tip! I didn't know that. :hug:

[beac]

4. Back in the dark ages before we all had the series of tubes in our homes and The Google,

I heard about the tomato gassing thing. As it happened, soon after I called in to Sara Moulton's show on the Food Network, never really expecting to get through, and used that as my question b/c it was the first thing that popped into my head. Sara confirmed it's true -- and that was my 15 seconds of "fame"! :)

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. You will if you grow them in 5 gallon pots in full sun - I get them ripe in 70 days.

They love hot roots, as do eggplant - my bell pepper yield in pots is 10X what they were in the soil when I attempted them there.

[beac]

6. Actually, I am growing them in pots. Not sure of their exact size,

but they must be around 5 gallons or so. I get a decent amount of peppers, but they just won't ripen on the vine w/out getting mushy spots or bug attacks.

I'm going to try Tara's ripen-them-indoors trick on the ones I have remaining green on the plants.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. You can try - I've not had luck shelf ripening peppers.

What are you using in the pots? Watering/feeding regimen? Full sun? Also you may want to bleach the pots first - peppers can get the same kind of viral, fungal and bacterial infections as tomatoes.

I can also send you some good sweet pepper types, non-bell, that ripen very early for me - really sweet. PM me whenever you want me to send you some seeds. I've got many good varieties, always happy to share

[beac]

8. Wow, that is incredibly generous an I will definitely take you up on it!

I do disinfect my pots both in the fall when I empty them and in the spring before filling w/organic potting soil. I use worm castings and and organic fertilizer and this year tried a fertilizer called "Great Big Tomatoes" (kind of a liquid organic compost that you mix with water). Hard to tell if it made a difference, since it was such and wonky weather year. Oh and, of course, I do Lyric's milk bath.

They get all-day sun and I don't think it's disease that's getting them... more like the same kind of soft spots peppers get that have been on the grocery shelf too long.

Anyway, I will absolutely hit you up for some seeds and, no kidding, I am still considering a pilgrimage to you for tomato seedlings next spring. ;)