I had great peppers 2018 (a lot were Aji peppers), I planted 140 pepper plants in 2019 that were just blooming and just starting to get a few peppers... Then deer ate pretty much all of them in about 5 days... I did find 2 Japanese peppers that deer didn't like eating were Shishito and Santaka. I converted peppers to deer, then converted deer to burger and sausage. I thinned 3 does and a yearling around the garden this winter and putting the peppers in wire cages for 2020.

PCMG, what kinds are you growing in 2020? And do pepper-fed deer taste any different?

This year I'm growing Bishop's Crown, Poblano, Korean Dark Green, Cherry Bomb, and the ornamental Onyx Red. There will also be the continuation of the ornamental Sweet Pickle which has survived several years of abuse.

The deer around my rural garden don't bother peppers much if any. They seem to prefer my beans, cucumbers, carrots, beets, and squash which I have to protect if I want to harvest anything. Peppers and tomatoes just get their cages. I do eventually have to put some temporary fencing around the tomato beds to keep the possums from pulling off the low hanging fruit.

I probably shouldn't have said anything. Now I bet my peppers won't make it a week before they get gobbled up.

Nan6b wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:42 am PCMG, what kinds are you growing in 2020? And do pepper-fed deer taste any different?

This year I'm growing Bishop's Crown, Poblano, Korean Dark Green, Cherry Bomb, and the ornamental Onyx Red. There will also be the continuation of the ornamental Sweet Pickle which has survived several years of abuse.

I'm seeing a lot of deer, love peppers... But they don't like Japanese peppers, I DO...
Himo Togarashi
Takanotsume
Yatsufusa
Murasaki
Santaka
Shishito
Fushimi
Manganji
Big Thai

What you say, deer don't like Japanese peppers?
Thank you so much for that information. I have learned something today. A good day is one where you learn something new. Now I can grow peppers again... Yippee.
What is your favorite source for seed?

Kitazawa Seed Company and Baker Creek seed... Or seeds I grew 2 years ago.

I just received a gift of Elephant Ear sweet pepper. Might have to re-think the garden a wee bit.

Nan6b wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:33 pm I just received a gift of Elephant Ear sweet pepper. Might have to re-think the garden a wee bit.

See my ajvar recipe in the Elephant Ear thread.

arnorrian wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:10 am

Nan6b wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:33 pm I just received a gift of Elephant Ear sweet pepper. Might have to re-think the garden a wee bit.

See my ajvar recipe in the Elephant Ear thread.

Oh, I did; one of the reasons I need to find space for it.

Be aware, it's addictive.

Good to know about the addictive thing. I'll be growing elephant ear ones too and extra eggplant to make that recipe!

I only grew a couple of new varieties of peppers last season, since I had so many must grow varieties. This year I'm reducing the numbers of some of those must grow varieties, so that I can try some new ones. I've never liked to grow just one of many of these varieties, since it might die, for whatever reason! But getting far more than I need from two plants, I'll take the chance, and get more varieties, this way.

So far, I have 8 new varieties (just got my last 4 today!). I'm trying several Aji varieties - C. baccatum species, which I couldn't grow when I tried some years ago, because I hadn't yet figured out how to prevent pepper maggots, and they were some of the most prone varieties. These will all be in EBs, with covers, for this reason.

NEW 2020

Aji Amarillo
Aji Colorado
Aji Mango
Aji Melocoton
Aji Panca
Aji Pineapple
Byadagi
Meteor Pepper
Pepperdew

OLD

Aji Dulce
Aleppo
Big Jim Numex
Chocolate Habanero
Hanoi Market
Jalafuego
Jyoti
Masquetero Ancho
Superchili
Thai Vesuvius

Update: The Byadagi is an Indian pepper I am trying from seeds from some peppers I bought (I was reminded I would do this when I used the peppers tonight in a dish!). I just put some to soak tonight, and tomorrow I'll put them in a petri dish, and put it on my warm spot on the stove, to see how they germinate. I did this with Kashmiri peppers a few years ago, and got almost all of them germinated, but another variety years before that didn't get a single sprout.

I made 4 flats (72 ea), some have sprouted.

Wow, that's a LOT of peppers! I just grow enough sweet ones for freezing for cooking and fresh use. The jalapeno plants will make enough for putting up a year's worth of pickled slices and for hot sauce. That hot sauce I made for the first time last fall was good enough that I added two more plants for this year for a total of four. It's time to grow cayenne again since my stash of cayenne powder is getting low.

Sweets for this year:
Carolina Wonder
Charleston Belle
Feher Ozon Paprika (for dehydrating and making powder)
Gypsy
Red Marconi

Hots for this year:
Ancho
Biquinho
Jalapeno M
Mucho Nacho jalapeno
Maule's Red Hot cayenne

My byadagi seeds haven't germinated in the first trial run, so a few days ago I tried the thing I try last, when I think some seeds are dead - I put some in a seed sprouter! However, I first soaked them in some chlorine bleach! I got this tip from the U of Numex, where they suggested soaking pepper seeds that had a problem germinating in 10% bleach solution for 10 minutes. I only had 5% bleach (I think the only 10% is swimming pool chlorine!), which I soaked for 20 min., rinsed, and started soaking in the sprouter, rinsing several times a day, with tepid water. In just 5 days I have a couple seeds (out of about a half teaspoon) with hints of sprouts. I was afraid these were one of those that were irradiated, or whatever they do, to kill stuff in many imported items - probably why I could never sprout any of those sanaam peppers years ago.

pepperhead212 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:45 pm MI got this tip from the U of Numex, where they suggested soaking pepper seeds that had a problem germinating in 10% bleach solution for 10 minutes. I only had 5% bleach (I think the only 10% is swimming pool chlorine!),

Usually when I hear "10% bleach solution" they're talking about a solution of one part bleach to 9 parts water made with bleach that is 5% chlorine. I think that's what UNM meant.

@GoDawgs When I've seen weaker solutions, like you mention, it's for a longer tome. This was for a brief soaking. They even said that if they didn't germinate in a week, soak again, though I never did this! And usually, I soak my pepper seeds in saltpeter overnight, before planting. Only do this with difficult ones.

pmcgrady wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 7:42 pm I'm seeing a lot of deer, love peppers... But they don't like Japanese peppers, I DO...
Himo Togarashi
Takanotsume
Yatsufusa
Murasaki
Santaka
Shishito
Fushimi
Manganji
Big Thai

I'm thinking about maybe growing Santaka in containers, how big do they usually get for you?

I grow Santaka in dirt, they are 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall.

I've got a couple surprises for deer this year!