Q: Hi Dave,I bought commercial seeds this year and plan on saving seeds from this year’s garden. I was wondering, since I have a lot of annuum peppers planted next to chinense peppers, if I would be able to tell if they cross-pollinated when I have fruit from them next year? And are they safe to eat if they did cross-pollinate? …
Pesticide Use on NuMex/Anaheim Varieties
Q: Hi Dave,I have a question regarding pesticide use on NewMex/Anaheim varieties. I applied Ortho’s "Bug-Be-Gone" (permethrin based) powder last night and noticed that the label indicated that it could be used on peppers, but only "Bell" type peppers were listed as approved. I contacted Ortho for verification this morning and I got the standard, "If it’s not on the …
When & Why To Pinch Back Chile Plants
Q: Hi Dave,I started my Sweet Delight Mixed peppers from seed and they are now in pots on my kitchen windowsill, supported by canes. They are around a foot and a half tall with flowers starting. I read a book saying to pinch back the growing tip at two feet, but my plants already have many growing tips, as they have …
How to Germinate Chiltepin Seeds (with seagull excrement)
Q: Hi Dave: First of all I want to congratulate you for your site—it’s very useful. I live in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. I work at a vegetable seed company in the production department. I was wondering if there is some information about how to germinate chiltepin seeds. I want to establish a crop to export dried chiles to the …
Holes in Leaves & How to Beat the AZ Heat
Q: Dear Dave,I discovered your site earlier this year and it’s been a tremendous help. This is my first year growing peppers and I’ve noticed lately that a couple of my plants have holes in some of their leaves. I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and am growing the peppers in a mixture of Amend and sand. The plants …