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  • From: "Rob Wallbridge" <rob AT songberry.ca>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] peppers
  • Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:03:57 -0400

I may as well chime in on peppers. After the past couple of disastrous
seasons, we're at least harvesting peppers this year, but I still wouldn't
call it a "normal" year by far (remember those?).

Fat 'n Sassy has been my favourite bell for a long time, but they were
really late setting fruit this year. New Ace is one that I have moved away
from due to its smaller size, but it's been producing very well this year,
and selling well at market, too. Early Sunsation has been a flop, after
actually being one of the better ones last year. Tried Red Knight for the
first time this year, and I've been impressed, although the fruit shape is
pretty wonky. Excited to try some of the other orange bells that people have
mentioned. Last year was my first with Carmen and Lipstick and I love them,
though the Carmen are slower this year.

On the hot side, I don't do a lot, but Hungarian Hot Wax started early and
has continued to pump out fruit.

I grow everything on BioTelo mulch with drip tape -- for whatever reason,
this year the rows on the higher, sandier ground have set more fruit than
the rows on heavier soil.

Cheers,
Rob

Rob Wallbridge
Songberry Organic Farm
24 Sixth Line, Bristol, QC J0X 1G0
email: rob AT songberry.ca
web: www.songberry.ca
facebook: become a fan of "Songberry Organic Farm"
-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
Allan.Balliett
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 7:05 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] peppers

I'm just contributing a data point.

I'm in the eastern panhandle of west virginia.

We had hot days VERY early, record heat days through July and August,
and about zero rain since the end of June.

My main sweet pepper plantings were California Wonder and Golden
California Wonder, each of which I planted a thousand plants of.

We have not had a descent harvest of either of these so far this
season. As the temperatures cool, however, the plants are looking
better and blossoms are coming back in.

I was on black plastic, did not use mulch, believing the pepper
canopy was cooling enough for the roots. Did not take soil temps.

Much of our fruit has been distorted and discolored and there has
been little of it.

I also had several hundred sweet banana peppers, a plant that is
generally unbelieveably productive here. We've only gotten a couple
of small harvests from them this season. (I noticed yesterday,
though, that there are more and longer ones than there has been.)

Our hot peppers seem to be doing fine. They were on black plastic, no mulch.

OKRA did horrible, which is sad since it is always effortlessly
productive here. In normal years, I never have to irrigate it. I
assume that's what caused the problem this year (assuming okra can't
get too hot to produce). I waited late to start irrigating it. It was
productive early, at least one variety was, then it dropped down to
about zero productivity through July and August. More fruit on it now
but it is growing about half as fast as it normally does (which, in
okra, might be a virtue! ;-)

Our egg plant crop has been much the same as our pepper crops. I
planted thousands of various japanese varieties and have seen little
fruit. They, too are coming back, but the fruit remains very small.

I sent some soil and plant samples to the WVU plant pathology labs
where, initially, they told me that they thought I had root knot
nematodes in the peppers, tomatoes and egg plants, but they were
doing further testing. That was 3 weeks ago and I haven't heard any
more about nematodes in my plant roots or the soil and compost
samples I sent in.

I was speaking with the produce manager of a local organic super
market chain. He said that this was the worst year for sweet peppers
ever with many of the Pennsylvania growers getting none this season.

On the other hand, many of the farmers I know in the DC-area got much
more rain than we did up here and have no complaints about peppers
and egg plants. In fact, I think some of them are claiming bumper
years. (Obviously, I don't know if rain was the only weather factor
that was different or if they got the extreme early heat that we got.)

Strangely, this was out best potato year ever. (Something I heard
other area farms claim as well.)

Sorry for not giving more detail.

Allan Balliett
Fresh and Local CSA
Eastern Panhandle, WV



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