Growing Chili Peppers or other foodstuff

I searched and couldn't find anything so figured I'd start a thread. Anyone in here grow food plants? or more specifically chilis? I decided I wanted to grow some randomly and like many of us I have a go big or go home kind of mentality so I currently have 15 varieties, 72 plants in all, growing in my closet under a grow light, and have spent most of my free time figuring out how I want to grow them once it gets warm enough to put them outside, in the ground, raised beds, pots, hydroponics, etc etc. I waited too long to get some of them under the light so they're a bit leggy, but I should hopefully be able to fix that when I pot them up. Anyone else into this and have any beginner advice? Assuming I have a successful year maybe someone would be interested in a seed swap if you have any cool varieties?

I think a lot of things are similar between tomatoes and chili peppers, and many other plants, so if you grow other things feel free to join in!

 

Did you try the search terms "cannoli's lady activities?" The thread is out there.

 

Those do not look like chili peppers and/or tomatoes. Look a little more illicit. Nice camo with the Burpee stakes.

 

In case anybody thinks I'm joking…

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/and-now-time-to-discuss-a-manly-topic.288108/

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/burpee.168336/

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/my-summer-garden-experience.184319/

I don't know how anyone who's been here a year thinks that there is a topic that hasn't been done yet.

 

Dammit... I searched chili, and gardening, and didn't get anything...

I never said it hadn't been done, just that I couldn't find it...

 

I didn't use those search terms either. See post #2 again.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Wests-HOT-Pepper-Farm-695366040858750/

 

I don't think there is a topic that HASN'T been covered here before.

And yeah, I'll be starting my Tomatoes and Peppers soon.

 

You must have a huge garden space to plant all of those. I plant @ 4 jalapeños, 4 bell pepper, 4 sweet pepper and 4 birds eye chillis and they completely crowd a 4x8 section of my garden. I plant tomato’s, cucumbers and zucchini’s in the other half.

 

Wait till the helicopter flies over and sees that hot spot.

 

View attachment 152361 My plot 30x30
Current peppers in 2x2 tent.
My last season I had 50 pepper and 30 tomatoe
That area was not large enough.
This year it's 15 of each
Geminating tomatoes on Sunday.
If you wait too long before transplanting, you can have issues with growth & yield due to them getting root bound.

 

You say that like I planned that far ahead ... I definitely don't plan on keeping all 72... Probably one of each ish, and maybe two of a couple I really like. The tentative plan is a couple in the ground in a ~ 8' X 8' area where I used to have a lilac bush that died, maybe in raised beds. Some in 5-7 gallon pots on my porch, and then probably a couple inside in either a hydroponic or aeroponic system. I'm growing a couple baby birds eye plants that I plan on making into a bonchi too so those will be handled a little differently.

 

Peppers generally have pretty large yields, so 1 plant should be enough.
Keep in mind, they spread outward not up. Bell peppers not so much.
But my chilies spread about 3 ft.

 

I start about 2-3x what I actually need to. Swap some with friends, and inlaws, etc, and hold back a few for the first month incase something eats one in the garden, or the transplant doesn't take. Typical garden year I put about 20 tomatoes in the ground, and 10 -20 peppers. It's easy to get carried away when you have the space, and canning tomatoes really gets old after the 5th batch, but cracking open a mason jar of $20 homemade pasta sauce in January is worth all that time and effort, vs store bought $1 ragu lol.

I want to try making some fermented hot sauce this year, so I'm going to plant a bigger variety of chilis than I normally do. On a side note, all the berry bushes, and fruit trees I planted 3 years ago should start bearing some fruit this year, so I'll try making some wine too.

 

I can & make sauses /salsa also.
This years crop: All from Burpee

• Pepper, Hot, Jalapeño Gigante - 1 Pkt. (30 seeds)
• Pepper, Sweet, Carnival Blend - 1 Pkt. (100 seeds)
• Tomato, Roma Organic - 1 Pkt. (250 seeds)
• Basil, Sweet Organic - 1 Pkt. (300 seeds)
• Oregano, Organic - 1 Pkt. (1500 seeds)
• Pepper, Sweet, Costa Rican Sweet Hybrid - 1 Pkt. (40 seeds)
• Tomato, Orange Roma - 1 Pkt. (30 seeds)
• Tomato, Patio Paste Hybrid - 1 Pkt. (25 seeds)
• Pepper, Hot, Serrano Chili - 1 Pkt. (100 seeds)
• Tomato, Sweet Tangerine Hybrid - 1 Pkt. (30 seeds)
• Pepper, Hot, Sweet Heat Hybrid - 1 Pkt. (20 Seeds)

 

This was kinda my plan... Already have a couple people that said they'd take ones I don't want, and have a trade worked out for tomotoes with a guy I work with so I can make some fresh salsa.

This is what got me interested in growing my own. I have an entire cabinet of different hot sauces, and started watching "chili chump" on youtube who grows his own in the UK (so similar climate and issues) and makes a bunch of different sauces and canned peppers and the like. Worth checking out if you want some sauce ideas as he has a ton of different varieties and variations.

 

Chili Chump was the one who got me interested in it too. One of his videos popped up in my recommendations, and I've almost watched them all since. Can't wait to try making my own, even though I can't really "do" hot sauce anymore, I still think I can lol. I'd like to make a good buffalo/franks style sauce. Not too hot, not too mild would be perfect. I use it for everything, even as salad dressing lol. I don't really have any interest in the ghost pepper insanity type stuff.

 

You guys know that a (Monsanto financed) chopper will pass by and drop some white shit on your plants turning them into toxic plants right?

 

It's not the Monsanto chopper I'm worried about

 

this is a good reminder that its time to start my salsa garden.

what's with Burpee? a well-trusted source? ive never heard of them.