Alex Hitt

1. Peppers:
Seed to Market
Alex Hitt
Peregrine Farm
Graham, NC
www.peregrinefarm.net

2. Bell Peppers #6, Chiles #12
Together #4!
2017 data Bells 11.4#, Chiles 7.7#

4. Keys to Production
 Well drained soil
 Good fertility with adequate calcium and
potassium
 Moderate Nitrogen
 Drip irrigation
 Good mulch/weed control
 Vigorous transplants
 Don’t plant too early
 Good trellis support
 Spacing
 Proper harvest and packing
 Good variety selection

6. Fertility
the fall before
 pH 6.—6.2, insures adequate Calcium
 Lime or wood ash the fall before
 Potassium needs to be at least equal to N
or more, 100-300# per acre rate depending
on soil texture
 For late spring planted crop
 Crimson Clover and Wheat
 Hairy Vetch and Rye

10. Transplant Production
8 weeks
Pre-soak seed (BLS)
Start small move up the best (200’s)
50 cell size
Watch Cotyledons
No brushing
Harden Off

17. Trellising

27. No-till
 Have to have a massive cover crop
 Roll and crimp
 Cut slits to plant into
 Drip on top of mulch
 Large Crabgrass a late season
problem
 Best suited to Bells

34. Harvest and Post Harvest
 Harvest once a week
 Sort by full color, partially green
and 2nds
 Careful inspection for soft fruit rots
 Store at 45° with high humidity
 Ethylene sensitive
 Pack in 1 1/9 or half bushel waxed
boxes

37. Major Pepper Problems
 Season long weed control
 Mulches, mowing
 Lodging
 Trellising
 Hot weather pollination- increase humidity
 Sunscald
 Trellising, variety selection
 Fruit rots and fruit worms
 Good air flow, sprays
 Blossom End Rot
 Irrigation, potassium
 Bacterial Leaf Spot
 Resistance, copper sprays, work only dry plants
 Southern Stem Blight
 Careful irrigation, sanitation, rotation

41. Pepper Variety Selection
 Continuous Set
 Medium to Large Plant
 Good structure
 Good leaf coverage
 Bacterial Leaf Spot resistance

43. Sweet Pepper Varieties
 Red Bells
Aristotle X3R
Red Knight X3R
Camelot X3R
Big Bertha
King Arthur
Sentry
 Islander
Tequilla
 Yellow
Abay
Early Sunsation
(BLS)
Gold Crown (BLS)
Golden Cal
Wonder (OP)
 Orange
Milena
Gourmet

45. Sweet Pepper Varieties
 Cubanelle types
Aruba
Key West (BLS)
Corno Di Toro
Giant Marconi
Carmen
Karma
Belcanto
Naples (BLS)
Xanthi
Crest Yellow
Oranos
 Lunch Box peppers
 Pimento
 Ashe County
 Greygo
 Jimmy Nardelo
 Piquillo

46. Appetizer and Seasoning Varieties
 Shishito
 Padron
 Guindilla
 Aji Dulce (c. chinense)
 Tobago
 Trinidad Perfume
 Grenada Yellow
 Aji Amarillo (c. baccatum)

47. Hot Pepper Varieties
 Poblano/Ancho
Tiburon
San Ardo (BLS)
Baron
 Anaheim/New Mexican
G-76
Joe Parker
Big Chile II
Sahauro
Guajillo
 Jalapeno
Jedi
Ixtapa (BLS)
 Serrano
Hot Rod
Tampiqueno
 Pasilla
 Salvatierra
 Holy Mole
 Cayenne
 Habanero
 Datil
 Espelette

49. HowHotis Hot?
OfficialChile HeatScale
Matches Rating ScovilleHeat Units PepperVarieties
0 0 0 Sweet Bells, Cubanelle
1 1 100-500 AjiDulce,Padron,Shishito
1 2 500-1,000 NewMexican(Anaheim)
2 3 1,000-1,500 Poblano,Pasilla
2 4 1,500-2,500 Hot NewMexican
3 5 2,500-5,000 Jalapeno
3 6 5,000-15,000 Serrano, Hot Wax
4 7 15,000-30,000 deArbol
4 8 30,000-50,000 Cayenne, Tabasco
5 9 50,000-100,000 Thai,Chiltepin
5 10 100,000-300,000 Habanero,ScotchBonnet

51. Seed Sources
 Rupp Seeds
 Tomato Growers Supply
 Johnny’s Selected Seeds
 Stokes
 Seed Savers Exchange
 Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
 Sand Hill Preservation Center

54. Resources
 The Pepper Garden
 Dave DeWitt and Paul Bosland
 Peppers of the Americas
 Maricel Presilla
 Commercial Pepper Production in
North Carolina, NCSU