I've grown a 'bell pepper'-type capsicum plant last year and was really disappointed with the yield- I only got three ripe red ones in the whole season! I've still got that plant growing this season (it survived winter just fine & is now flowering & setting fruit again), and I've added some more generic 'colour mix' bell pepper-type capsicums to my garden.

I've just been wondering if there are other varieties of sweet capsicums/peppers that are more prolific than the bell peppers? I've heard references to things like "banana peppers" being similar in taste to bell peppers but more prolific- is this the case? I haven't found anything by that description in local seed catalogues but I figure the more varieties I have to look up, the more likely I am to find them!

The name differences between countries are quite frustrating. I don't want to go by pictures and accidentally plant a bumper crop of some incredibly spicy chili!

So I'd really appreciate variety recommendations for prolific sweet peppers. It might be too late for me to get them in this year (we're mid-spring here), but I'd like to at least collect seeds for next year.

Thanks in advance,
Slashy

One thing about many bell peppers is, if you allow the first fruits to mature to red (or orange or yellow depending upon the variety), they do shut down and stop producing more fruit. This isn't such a problem on the non-bell types, which, like chili peppers, seem to have the ability to continue to fruit while having fully mature, red or yellow pepeprs on the plants at the same time.

And basically, yes, these other types taste the same, but as a rule, the flesh is thinner than that of bell peppers. There's a whole world of "other" sweet peppers out there waiting to be explored.

Dennis
SE Michigan

I found a local seed supplier for the Bull's Horn peppers, they look great! Do you think that mid-spring is too late to be starting seeds for those?

Thanks for your help,
Slashy

Cubanelle peppers.

Italian sweet peppers.

Both are very productive and have their own taste.

Um, without knowing the particulars of the climate in Sydney (I believe that's where you are, if memory serves), I'd say that it's probably not too late to start some new ones, especially since you indicated that you don't have frost, and the plant from last year survived the winter for you to grow again.

Dennis
SE Michigan

had 1 plant this year and it produced 15 bells, approx. 5 or 6 full size with the remainder from 1/3 to full size. barr 1 that only got to an inch before i popped it in my mouth. i let about a half dozen mature to orange and they were particulary sweet and flavorful.

be nice to see a thread on the most prolific,best tasting bell or other, best fryer,best stuffer etc. hopefully maybe everyone will chime in.

with so many varieties out there it would help separate the chaff from the wheat :)

regards,
wildlifeman

Of course, I didn't get a lot of peppers because my tomatoes had them shaded out. First year boo boo on my part.

The only way I've ever been able to get those Italian sweet peppers to turn red in my garden is to wait until they are just changing color (and the frost is right around the corner), pick them, and hang in my kitchen. So Marconi Rosso or not, most of these Italian sweets are used green.

Giant Marconi is my favorite. It is especially tender and, well, giant. However, it isn't as prolific as regular Marconi. And, in looking around for capsicum (.au), I think you may not have a source for that one and maybe not for the "regular" Marconi, either. However, if I can get the Marconi Rosso lost amongst these other varieties - I suppose it doesn't much matter at the dinner table. Or, it wouldn't to me. If you try 'em, I hope you like 'em, Slashy.

Steve

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/sweet.htm

These are the earliest and most prolific peppers I've ever grown - and they produced for over two months (I'm in France) but I don't what variety they are. Does anyone know?

Sadly we had a poor year for capsicums & chilis this year because spring and summer were quite cool, and we seemed to get all our summer heat in about ten stupendously hot days. Ah well, such are the joys of gardening....

As you can probably tell, my fiance and I are growing our first garden together, and trying to make as few mistakes as possible! I remember being a little girl out in my daddy's garden, but he always held my hand and helped me pick everything. Plus, since I was only 6-8 years old, I don't recall all of the things he taught me (I am now 34). Daddy died in 2004 and my fiance is trying to help me deal with hard emotional times by planting "Daddy's Garden" this year. Any advice will help!!! Thank you sooo much!

Thanks.

In Western PA my dad and I grew California wonders and Sweet Bananas while other varieties struggled. In New England my Purple Bells and Sweet Bananas were OK but California Wonder was useless.

Here in the south my Purple Bells burned up in the sun but this year's attempt at Cubanelles looks promising. Sweet Banana's gave me 2/3 of the peppers I got (not saying much), during the 2006 drought.

When you find a pepper that works in your conditions stick with it.

Its a wonderful thing to garden, particularly when you garden with memories of family.

Also, KUDOS TO YOU for growing capsicum as a perennial. That's ludicrous to me in southeast MA, where next week is expected to be our first frost week and all of my peppers are going to die.

OP: I studied exchange in New Zealand, arriving July 1st. Of course my American palette wanted the taste of native, N. American veggies. Lo and behold, capsicum peppers were typically $15-17 per kg. About $6 per bell pepper!!!! Power to you for growing them on your own!

With some reservations, I agree with those that recommend "Cubanelle". It has very large peppers (some 7-8" long) and is incredibly high yielding. So high yielding, in fact, that it requires support to keep the peppers from pulling the plant over, and they are packed in so tightly together that it is hard to pick one without damaging others. Rot can be a problem too, and because it starts from the inside, the peppers might appear normal (for a time) until they are cut open. I've been trying to save seed this year, and it has been frustrating to see so many full-grown peppers begin to change color, only to suddenly turn to mush. To get the full benefit of the huge yield, I recommend picking them green.

While I have not grown "Carmen" personally, a gardening friend does, and her plants are loaded, with many ripe.

"Sweet Chocolate" (not to be confused with "Chocolate Bell") has elongated bell-like peppers. They tolerate cooler weather, the yield per plant can be huge, and they ripen quickly to a brick red/brown. Thinner walls than a bell though, more like a frying pepper. This one too requires support, otherwise the high pod yield will pull the plant over, or break branches.

One of my favorites is another European variety, "Elephant Ear". It has conical peppers 6-8" long that resemble the "Giant Marconi" above, but wider at the shoulder & tapering to a point. The walls are as thick as bells, and the average weight this year has been over 5 ounces per pepper. This has not been a great year for peppers here, but about half of the "Elephant Ear" peppers have ripened, and most of the rest are changing color. I am getting about 8-10 peppers per plant.

But for fresh eating & great salsa, I like the "cheese" peppers. They are pumpkin shaped, have very thick walls, and ripen earlier than most bells. "Tennessee Cheese" ripens early, and has a pretty good yield of 2 1/2" wide peppers that are deep red when mature. The walls are often over 1/4" thick, and have less juice than most peppers, so they don't turn to mush when chopped... one of my favorites for adding body to canned salsa. "Greygo" is probably the largest cheese pepper, 4" wide X 2" deep, and average 4 ounces or better. This is my favorite ripe pepper, DW & I eat them like apples... delicious.

While the OP is about sweet peppers, even some hot peppers can be sweet under some conditions. That is the case for "Pizza Pepper", from Territorial. The plants are loaded with very large jalapeno-like peppers, 3-4" long & up to 2" wide, with walls nearly 1/4" thick. They can be spicy if harvested during warm weather. When it gets cool though, especially close to frost, most of the immature peppers become almost completely sweet, with a very crunchy texture. Harvested under those conditions, this is my favorite pepper for fresh eating, truly gourmet quality. They also have remarkable storage qualities; I keep them in buckets in an unheated garage for a month with few losses, and in the refrigerator for two months.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I visited Heritage Farm (SSE's Iowa headquarters) and walked through most of their trials & preservation gardens. The pepper plot was really interesting - it was how I discovered some of the European peppers that I grow in years past. Saw some great prospects for the future, including "Melrose", a frying pepper sold by several companies. The plants were loaded with 5" long X 1.5" wide peppers tapering to a point, very deep red when mature. It was the last days of August, and not only were nearly all of those peppers ripe, they were shriveling & drying on the plant!!! Early, heavy bearing... looks to be worth trying.