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I am growing a couple varieties of peppers this year. They are Red Thai, Bhut Jolokia, and Red Marconi. What is the most effective way to maximize the amount of fruit I get from them. They are growing very well and are starting to get peppers on them, but since I live in Western NY I want to get the most out of the short growing season. Any help is appreciated.

Mike
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1 Answers1

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You may get other advice from others, but a good start is to pick them when they are ripe enough and big enough to eat. A pepper will not set as many fruit if it already has a lot of fruit.

I haven't grown the Thai and Jolokia types, but generally hotter peppers prefer hotter weather. I've tried the Italian style (like Red Marconi) but had mixed success in Texas - my understanding is that they are a cooler weather fruit, so you should do well.

The main fruit season for us is September to November. The real trick is to keep the plants growing during the hot summer months. There will be little if any fruit, but if the plant keeps growing, then there will be a good large plant ready for September. If you have a short growing season, then this might be the secret. If growing from seed, you could start them earlier indoors; or if you are buying plants, buy them earlier.

winwaed
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  • So far this hot weather has been doing them wonders. They all have a good amount of peppers. Is there any fertilizer I can give them to increase production? I started all them from seeds in March, so I tried to stay a little ahead of the game. – Mike Jul 06 '12 at 19:45
  • Thank you for responding. I will give you the answer since didn't get much feedback. What you said was helpful, but not exactly what I was looking for. – Mike Jul 10 '12 at 14:44