I'm looking for ideas for different varieties of sweet peppers to grow next year. This year I've just got bells and mini bells. I think I'll save seed from those little sweet peppers you can buy in the store (last time I did that I had nearly 100% germination and ended yo with at least 4 times more plants than needed and they produced great). Last year my only producing pepper was a banana pepper. I'm zone 5. I don't really do heat but would be willing to consider a little (husband loves spicy things). Peppers are always chopped and cooked in things if that makes a difference. I like to get enough to freeze and use over the winter and might even start dehydrating things.

There's a variety from the Czech Republic called Zlutasek. I generally buy seedlings locally but this year due to The Troubles I found a single plant which is growing nicely.
If you want a bell pepper to try and can find the seeds (I haven't been able to so far, even in seed trading circles) that is an absolute must.

There are lots of non bell sweet peppers, some popular some exotic. You might like to look through the database to see what others have liked. Same is true for low heat/ no heat hot peppers. Anaheim to Shishito. My favorites are sweet banana types and Marconi types. I also like the bull horn types.

In the Northeast ( Norwood , Mass ) I planted Bell , Jalapeno , and Cayenne back in May as we had a late start due to Corona virus shutting down all the farms around us . Temps have been unreal as in the mid to high 90's for a while now also . Just had our first pick today .. Had to adjust the watering and fertilizer ( started using Miracle Grow Pro ) to a more pepper accommodating fertilizer as the others were I think too high in Nitrogen and flowered but did not grow . Although one plant out of 6 flowered and started growing cayennes beautifully . The rest have had a few but not many . I too am a definite rookie ! My biggest issue and still working on it is to keep the very small leaf eating insects and flies off the leave as I think I am getting the flies ( Using neem oil ) under control but not sure about the tiny flying insect . Work in progress ! I also have been looking into Hydroponic but not all the way there yet as I am still learning as well .

Regards

Rich

I actually haven't been dealing with too many bad bugs in my garden. I had 2 toads living there for quite a while. I think 1 still lives in the beans. Next year I'm making little toad homes to keep them around. Most plant eating bugs went after my milkweed which is on the opposite side of the house. I've got little hopping things going after the bean leaves but there's also a few spiders in the fence nearby helping out. I'm pretty sure a praying mantis lives in my peppers and I know a spider does. I guess as long as the bugs take care of themselves, and don't do too much damage, I'll just leave them be. The flies I've seen are pollinating the plants so three6 get to live. I even let the wasps live as long as they don't come after me.

@merlin02131
Peppers can take a while to really hit their stride. My jalapenos are still working up to it.

Big Bertha bell pepper, one plant, gave me three huge peppers in July and I guess waiting on another round, the plant isn't all that big, the fruits were nice (3 lobed, long ish shaped, decent thickness compared to my limited experience of what I've grown in the past. I used some Tomato tone fertilizer, in spring, and probably should do it again.

farmerdill said:There are lots of non bell sweet peppers, some popular some exotic. You might like to look through the database to see what others have liked. Same is true for low heat/ no heat hot peppers. Anaheim to Shishito. My favorites are sweet banana types and Marconi types. I also like the bull horn types.

I grow Desperado Anaheims. Very low heat and tasty. I hate hot peppers so if I love them they must be good.

Also Lola Sweet Banana. Most productive and fabulous.

@sallyg

Hi Sallyg

Yea I am beginning to see that as this year I have already gotten some decent Jalapenos . Patience is the key I guess LO Thx for the Tomaton tone idea as I may try that next year .

Being a beginner I have done a LOT of testing over the past 3 years and have learned so much from this group also helping on decisions on how to grow .

Anyone on here ever heard of a nitrogen deficiency changing the shape of a sweet peppers?

ijon said:Anyone on here ever heard of a nitrogen deficiency changing the shape of a sweet peppers?

Try asking in the 2020 pepper thread. A lot more people post on that since this one is more for a list of potential peppers to grown.