Buddy Garden

An article in the August/October issue of Organic Gardening talks about different varieties of peppers that have bigger yields, earlier harvest, and more intense flavors.  It also talks about tips and techniques of growing peppers.  This year I tried growing the sweet green pepper, I took good care of it but at the end I only got 2 peppers out of it.  So next year I will definitely try some of the recommendations in this article.  Here are some interersting points in this article:

- Six pepper picks:

1. Jimmy Nardello - long and narrow, harvest in 80 days
2. Sweet Banana - carrot-shaped, harvest in 65 days
3. Pritavit - thick wall, juicy, heavy yielding and early, harvest in 75 days
4. Alba Regia - thick wall, sweet, crunchy, harvest in 90 days
5. Lipstick - looks like a jalapeno, intense sweet flavor, harvest in 73 days
6. Corno di Toro - heavy yielding and early, harvest in 75-80 days

- do not plant too early, wait until soil is about 60F, and daytime temperatures between 70 and 80F, nighttime temperature stay above 55F.  Planting too early will stunt the plant’s growth.
- Add dish detergent into liquid fertilizer helps the fertilizer coat the leaf surface (1/4 teaspoon in 1 quart of water)
- Add worm castings in the soil around the base of the plant for nutrients and give the peppers a good start in the beginning.
- Add mulch only about 4-6 weeks after planting because the mulch will insulate the cool soil and prevents it from warming up.
- Author recommends “Age Old Organics fertilzer Age Old Bloom”.
- I had the blossom drop problem at the beginning and the author recommends spraying the plants with liquid kelp at 4-week intervals.