Monday 3 October 2011

Ripe Peppers

What a long growing season my peppers have needed. The seed were sown on the 20th of February and the peppers have only just ripened. I've grown two varieties this year, California Wonder, which is a bell shaped pepper and is on the left, and Corno di Toro Rosso, which has a tapered shape, and is on the right. The California Wonder are extremely small and I've managed five peppers on the one plant. The Corno di Toro Rosso peppers are a much better size, but there's only three on the plant. I grew two different shapes to see if one ripened quicker than the other, but as you can see, they've both ripened at about the same time.

I'm still picking bagfuls of runner beans and there's still plenty more to come. Hubby picked some more beans from the first sowing of climbing beans yesterday which I think will be the last of them, though there's some small beans just starting to come on the second sowing so we might just have enough time to get a harvest from them before the frosts come. We also harvested the last beans from the second sowing of the dwarf French beans.

I've been hanging on for an Indian summer and just when I'd given up all hope of getting one, we had a mini heatwave. I should have been doing some jobs at the allotment this weekend, but instead, we made the most of what will probably be the last hot days of the year and had a couple of trips out. Jobs at the allotment will wait for another day.

16 comments:

  1. Your peppers look very healthy and will no doubt liven up a few salads before this heatwave ends. I didn't have any luck this year with peppers so fingers crossed for next year. Don't blame you making the most of this gorgeous weather as it won't last long! Enjoy!

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  2. It was too hot for the plot this weekend so we pottered in the garden. We have lots more ripe peppers too - must pick them quickly.

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  3. Your peppers look great. Sadly ours grew lots and lots of leaves then gave up the ghost. The ones in the greenhouse have got very tiny peppers on but I don't think they'll grow much more now.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  4. I think everyone has been having pepper problems this year mine are still small but ripe. I love the long peppers I always grow Ramona with seed saved from supermarket purchases out of season.

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  5. My bell peppers produced no fruit this year and my chilli peppers have yet to ripen. Did you sow them indoors or in a greenhouse?? I might try sowing mine earlier next year...and maybe in pots in the greenhouse instead of in the ground.

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  6. Best to take it easy when it's this hot.

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  7. My chillis have performed just like your Peppers - taking AGES to ripen. They have come on a lot in the last couple of weeks though, because of the sunshine and warmth that both they and we had been hoping for!

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  8. I gave up on California Wonder this year. The only ones that germinated I gave to my mum. Romano peppers have grown well but like yours, they took ages to ripen. I had my first one on a bbq on Oct 2nd. How odd does that sound?!

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  9. Your peppers look good. I feel like mine were finished ages ago. My hot peppers and California Wonder were ripe in August and I discarded all the plants by mid Aug if I recall correctly (memory isn't what it used to be!). I grew in door all summer on the stair/ landing window and they seemed to like it.

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  10. Do you have any tips how to get peppers on the same plant ripe on the same time? Ours always ripen one by one. That peppers look pretty!

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  11. It looks like we've seen the end of the good weather now, Caro. It was nice while it lasted though. Good luck with your peppers next year.

    I don't blame you giving the plot a miss this weekend, Sue, it was far too hot to do anything productive. My garden needs some attention too.

    What a shame about your peppers, Mum. I don't have enough room in my greenhouse to grow more than a couple of plants so I never get many peppers, but it's always nice to have some which I've grown myself.

    I've never grown anything from supermarket saved seed, but I've heard many people say that they have a lot of success, Elaine. It's been a funny year for things which need a long growing season.

    I sowed my peppers in the house, Tanya. I kept them indoors until they were a little bigger and the weather had warmed up a bit and then moved them in to the greenhouse. I might sow them earlier still next year to try and get them to ripen earlier.

    It's definitely best to take it easy when it's hot, Don't unplug your hub. I don't think you get much done in that sort of heat anyway, so why tire yourself out?

    I think the recent sunshine has worked wonders for giving everything a last minute boost to ripen, Mark. There hasn't been much sunshine earlier in the year so that's why things have taken longer to ripen this year in my opinion.

    It's amazing to think we had barbeque weather on Oct 2nd, Suburban Veg Gardener. I'm pleased that your peppers ripened in time for you.

    Your landing window must get the sunlight, Kelli. I don't think there's been enough warm weather in my greenhouse for them this year, they're very late to ripen.

    I'm afraid I don't have any tips on how to get peppers to ripen at the same time, it's just how it's happened this year, Malay-Kadazan girl. I would have preferred mine to ripen one by one to extend the season rather than have them all ripe at the same time, especially as there's only me in the house who eats peppers.

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  12. Looking good, and still picking beans lucky you!
    There's always jobs to do on the plot, and there's always another day to do them. Flighty xx

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  13. My peppers were sown at the end of February Jo and are only just ripening. Initially lots of flowers on 'Corno di Toro Rosso, but many failed to mature into peppers. The heatwave is definitely done and dusted and it was too hot to work at lottie last weekend. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Hope you enjoyed your days out. Having just seen weather forecast for the next few days - wind, rain and hail I am wondering if there's ever an ideal time to go the lottie :)

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  14. You're right, Flighty. I'm very easily able to put jobs off for another day, especially when I'd rather be doing something else. I've been very lucky with my beans this year, they've been fantastic.

    I don't think there is ever an ideal time to go to the lottie, Anna. It's usually too hot or too cold and very rarely that inbetween which would be ideal. I always get lots of flowers on my peppers which fail to grow, I think the plants can only support a few fruits.

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  15. Your peppers look lovely, I have also had chilli problems - they took a long time to ripen and now the plants appear to be dying - chlorotic leaves with yellow patches! not good!

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  16. What a shame about your chilies, I doodle garden. I don't grow chilies as we don't often use them in cooking.

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