I might have mentioned this either here or over at veggieboards.com, but I think chili pepper plants are ornamental. They have a nice, tidy growth habit- and if you don't pick the chilis green, instead letting them ripen to fully red, they look even prettier! I once had 3 of them, and brought them inside for 2 winters. The third year, they all died in late summer. I assumed that this was the limit of their natural life span.I think it'll grow edible chilis. But I'm not sure if it will be successful indoors and at an apartment. We'll see.
What's in your Garden (& Indoor Plants)
- Thread starter Tom L.
- Start date
Hmm... I'm not sure if I follow...? But...Yeah, they can be pretty. But also they produce edible berry-fruits.
It's interesting that your chillies died after three years. I suppose it's important to collect the seeds and cultivate them.
Many perennials either die or get inedible after a couple of years.
Brian W
Conscientious Christian
Is there a particular time when it is best to harvest the seeds?
At least with other edible plants (or at least those I have heard of) you should harvest the seeds when the fruit has fully ripened and gone a bit over. Like for example with zuccini you let the fruit grow large and so that the peel goes dark brown and hard. Then the seeds are ready. Also always harvest when the weather is dry. And dry the seeds even when they seem dry. I'm assuming it's the same with the chili. But am not sure.
Oh, here is something about seed saving:
Saving Pepper Seeds 101: Easy Harvesting Tips | Grow Hot Peppers
Saving pepper seeds lets you grow your favorite varieties each year. Here's how to dry pepper seeds for planting using three different methods.
growhotpeppers.com
Oh, I was just commenting that pepper plants are decorative as well as edible. Although I usually don't think much about decoration, I think some vegetables are as nice to look at as some plants we wouldn't think of eating. Bush-type zucchini squash and okra are two others, although I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
These are the plants I was referring to. I love them. They’re so pretty!
I can agree. Many of the edible plants are also very beautiful.
Dandelions are also very beautiful. And can be used as an instrument.
I can't find any info on this online, but when I worked at the gardening store we had a problem with drug users coming in and stealing chili seeds. My co-worker told me that you can use the seeds to make some kind of drug. I didn't ask, so I have no idea how that works.
Chilis do contain capsaicin in varying doses, but that probably has nothing to do with it. All capsaicin does is determines how spicy the chili is and can also work as a form of pain-killer.
SuicideBlonde
Adorkable rockstar!
I want a little crazy last weekend and bought eight pepper plants. Two jalapeno, two habanero, two Carolina reaper and two ghost pepper. Fingers crossed that I don't kill them because I am awful with plants.
I mentioned one of my plants was an early girl. The other one is this:
'Bush Champion' is one of the best varieties for growing in large containers on patios and decks! The plant is more upright and bushy than other vining types, which makes it ideal for gardeners that have limited space but want to grow their own tomatoes. This determinate, disease resistant variety will produce one large crop of tomatoes. The large, round globes slice well and are delicious when added to salads or sandwiches.
'Bush Champion' is one of the best varieties for growing in large containers on patios and decks! The plant is more upright and bushy than other vining types, which makes it ideal for gardeners that have limited space but want to grow their own tomatoes. This determinate, disease resistant variety will produce one large crop of tomatoes. The large, round globes slice well and are delicious when added to salads or sandwiches.
Yikes! I like jalapenos- they're hot enough to give blander foods (like many beans) some interesting flavor; I can even eat them raw and straight. I almost don't even consider the other 3 varieties as food: "food" shouldn't be painful to eat, IMHO. I have tried habanero, but besides it being unpleasantly fiery, it seemed to also have a funky "off" undertaste, even though it was fresh.
I understand Carolina Reapers and ghost peppers are many times hotter still, so I haven't tried them. (If you killed them, I would almost call it self-defense!!!) I'm not sure I've even seen them for sale in any of the stores I go to: Price Chopper, farmers' market, or natural food store (this one sells fresh, organic produce as well as whole grains/flours, etc.).
Anyway: I bought some hot pepper seeds (jalapeno-level heat, I think) and started them indoors- they're outside now and have been for about a month, but they don't seem to be doing anything other than staying green. Maybe they're growing very slowly. I didn't plant the whole packet of seeds- only a few.
Here's hoping they grow back!
Another thing I did recently: a local native wildflower came up in the strip between the sidewalk and curb in front of my house: Potentilla norvegica, AKA Rough Cinquefoil; I might have mentioned that I moved it from there to the planting area around my foundation almost a month ago. I had to keep an eye on it and carefully water it a bit because the weather was warm and dry and it was tending to wilt, but it's settled in now. Some sources say it's an annual, others a short-lived perennial.
I had four potentilla plants/bushes at my previous house. I really liked them. The flowers are so pretty.
Not my photo but they looked like this
Wahhhh!!! 
Something took a bite out of my very first tomato.
Can I cut off the bit part and eat the rest or is it contaminated?
Something took a bite out of my very first tomato.
Can I cut off the bit part and eat the rest or is it contaminated?
Probably best to chuck itWahhhh!!!
Something took a bite out of my very first tomato.
Can I cut off the bit part and eat the rest or is it contaminated?
View attachment 27431
Yeah I did. I also asked in the Connecticut Gardeners group on FB. I was surprised the majority said to eat it. But others said no. I opted not to eat it. It kind of creeped me out.
They suggested I put a dish of water on the ground near the plants. I have three water sources in the yard but they are not accessible to the chipmunks. So I put a bowl on the ground in case it was a chipmunk or even a rabbit. The CT Gardeners said sometimes they will nibble vegetables because they are thirsty.
I have since picked two more tomatoes. I will taste one today. Can’t wait!
My beautiful decoupaged rocks! I love them! Just need to spray them with clear sealant.
My stepping stones. One stenciled, the other decoupaged. Stenciling is hard and time consuming.
Chryssie
Internet Junkie
@KLS52 -- when you say decoupaged--like you took a picture wrapped around the rock or tile, and lacquered it?
I've never seen that, it's beautiful!
I've never seen that, it's beautiful!
I actually purchased paper napkins at the dollar store. I watched a few YouTube videos first. It’s so easy and so cool! I used that modge podge stuff. The videos were very helpful.
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