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Peppers '12
Yeah, I know, it's only the day after New Year's and I'm already posting a pepper growlist. It's a sickness really ...
I promise not to post every time I add or delete another pepper, but I will post a final version of the list, after all of the seeds are started.
Not sure where I'll put all of my other veggies this year, since my pepper list is so out of hand, but I'll have to at least squeeze in a few tomato plants for salsa : )
2012 Preliminary Pepper Grow List:
Aji Yellow
Alma Paprika
Ancho Gigantia
Ancho San Luis
Barker (NuMex)
Big Jim (NuMex)
Black Hungarian
Chile de Arbol
Chile Hidalgo (don't actually have seeds for this one yet)
Chilhaucle Rojo
Cosa Arrugada
Costeno Amarillo
Georgia Flame
Giant Szegedi
Habanero Chocolate
Habanero Peach
Hawaiian Sweet Hot
Inca Red Drop
Jalapeno 'Biker Billy' (The only hybrid on the list)
Jimmy Nardello
Lemon Drop
NuMex Espanola Improved
NuMex Pinata (don't have seeds for this one yet either)
Patio Red Marconi
Piment 'd Espelette
Rain Forest
Sante Fe Grande
Serrano Tampiqueno
Tollie's Sweet Italian
I will be hosting my annual pepper seed swap again in March, so I'm sure I'll add a few things to the list once that's going. The biggest problem isn't where to plant all of these peppers, but finding space indoors to start them all!
Feel free to add your own list, even if it's not finalized yet. Or just stop in to give your opinion on a variety or two.
Best wishes for a bountiful growing season!
A nice list. I saw it over on the Hot Pepper forum. I'm still whittling on my tomato list. I have most of my pepper seeds. Most of my pepper list will be NM Chile types along with several jalapenos. I have grown several on the list.I will try to post mine when I get it compiled. As stated on the pepper forum I will be growing Chimayo seeds from 4 sources. I will compare to see if I can tell any difference. I have read so much conflicting reports about what are true seeds and what isn't. Jay
Thanks, Jay! I didn't realize you were over there as well.
I'm pretty sure that the Chimayo peppers I grew last year were NOT from true Chimayo seeds. Didn't look or taste anything like the descriptions I found online. Plan to try from a new source this time. We'll have to compare notes and photos.
I'm posting my tentative list for 012. I will probably grow all of the chile and jalapeno types on it but will probably cut back on some of the sweet peppers. Chile and jalapeno types do better here in a normal year than sweet peppers do. Jay
2012 Pepper Seed Inventory Chile and Jalapeno types
Agco Fire Red
Ancho Mulato
AZ-20 Curry Farms variety
Barker's Hot
Big Jim Legacy
Casados Native
Chimayo - Will grow plants from 4 sources to compare
Hatch Green Chile
Isleta Long
Kim's Colossal
Larson's Big Kim
Larson's Colossal Kim
Nambe Supreme
Negro de Valle
Nu-Mex Heritage 6-4
Nu-Mex Heritage Big Jim
Pico de Gallo
Pico de Pajaro
San Felipe
Zia Pueblo
Zia Pueblo Mix
Biker Billy
Craig's Grande
Gigante Jalapeno
Grande Jalapeno
Lawson's Jumbo Jalapeno
Nu-Mex Jalamundo
Nu-Mex Pinata'
Nu-Mex Vaquero
Santa Fe Grande
Black Hungarian
Doux D'Espange
Hungarian Volcano - A new favorite. Must grow. Hot but very good flavor. And a steady producer regardless of the environment.
Italian Relleno
Leutschauer Paprika
Nu-Mex Suave Red - Mild Habanero
Pasilla Bajio
Serrano Tamperquino
Summer Sizzle
Tunisain Baklouti
Sweet Peppers
Declaration hybrid
Gordo Hybrid
Green GIant
Lady Bell Hybrid
New Ace Hybrid
Olympus Hybrid
Ozark Giant Bell
Summer Sweet 8620 Hybrid
Non Bells
Giant Aconcagua
Giant Marconi
Golden Treasure
Like always after I post a list I see a few I missed and a few I meant to delete. The additions are Big Jim Legacy developed by a NM grower and supposed to be very favorful, Lumbre - Very hot and spicy NM Chile type and NuMex Sunrise a multi colored NM Chile type. Jay
I have not had success growing bell peppers, they seem to not get very big and are thin skinned, what is your secret for successful bell pepper growing? I'm going to try a short season bell pepper for northern climates (King of the North) hoping I will have a better turn out. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks--I live in Arvada.
Rumble, I have just about quit growing bells, not because I didn't have any success, but I just found a lot of other sweet peppers that I think taste better.
Here are some bells that have done well for me:
Chinese Giant - these were humongous
King of the North
Keystone Giant
Giant Szegedi - Cream to red, elongated bell
Mini Belle Mix
These aren't bells, but they are thick walled and don't have any heat, and were good performers for me:
Feher Ozon
Tangerine Pimento
Mariachi - very mild
The issue I have with bells isn't that they are small, I've had some ginormous ones, but because the fruit is so large, the plants will only produce 3 to 5 bells per plant.
I think if you try some of the shorter season ones, you'll have better luck.
My experience with different varieties pales by comparison . . . And, I would have been delighted if my Chinese Giant plants had produced 3 to 5 bells per plant. It was more like 1 ginormous one and 1 puny one!
There is probably no question that cool June growing conditions here stunt the pepper plants. Still, my pepper patch can have good sweet pepper yields. The bells I had last year, Snapper and Big Early, did okay. Snapper has been in my garden for several years and hasn't failed me yet. Big Early is much bigger and did an outstanding job - considering the record-cool start to the growing season!
But, what I really want to do is add something to what Bonnie said about good performance from non-bells. Italian sweets have as good or better flavor than bells. Of those that I've grown, Giant Marconi is just super flavorful and tender!
It is my understanding, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, that even those peppers with Caribbean names are Italian sweets. Many of the newest introductions are in this group. Corno Di Torro is not in my top choices for a sweet pepper but they were my most productive.
Who cares if a pepper has 4 lobes, or not? Productivity, flavor, and thick tender walls are important. If you really want stuffed peppers - big Italian Sweets, laid out horizontally work fine. Chopping the sweet peppers and mixing them with the stuffing makes a delicious casserole!
The most pepper patch fun I had last year was with Yummy peppers! Some were actually bells but most didn't have 4 lobes and they were waaaay too tiny to stuff with anything other than cream cheese . . !! They couldn't have been more flavorful and the small plants were covered with fruit!
OK, over on the cooks garden website, they have seeds for the Yummy peppers,
and seeds for Marconi - is that a different pepper than the Giant Marconi?
And Steve, didn't you say that Yummy was open pollinated?
As for pepper growing tricks for the climate, and I'm repeating myself here, I found that:
a) start seeds early, like in February
b) use Fox Farm potting soil, local favorite of your 'alternative crop' farmers
c) use 2x2x4 inch deep pots
d) set them out when they're a foot high and flowering
e) containers work great
f) when they get big, leave them on the plant until they start to change color - then the walls are thick.
But honestly, I am 'pepper challenged', and this last summer was the first time I've had real success.
David, there are now a few companies that carry that seed but I have never seen any reference in the descriptions to hybridizing so I assume that Yummy is open-pollinated.
Marconi is also an open-pollinated pepper. Giant Marconi is a hybrid. Both were in my garden at the same time many years. G. Marconi are definitely larger but Marconi really are more productive.
Can you give a bit more info on the pepper swap?
Alas, I have no good seed to share this year. Maybe next year... Thanks for the recommendations of decent peppers for our climate. Since some of you also posted on the tomato thread, thank you for those recommendations, too.
(And if anyone has some extra seed for varieties that do well here, and is able/willing to share, let me know. I do have some old seed that is still somewhat viable for a few types of tomatoes, but probably not peppers.)
The 2012 pepper season has officially begun now. Wahoo!!!
So I placed a couple of orders, and did a few trades, and now my growlist is around 60 different varieties. Yeah, I have no idea where I'll put them all, but I just can't seem to narrow my list. I want to grow them ALL!!!
Today, I only sowed the chinense and baccatum peppers, since most of them require long growing seasons. I'll start the annums in a couple of weeks.
I'm using Rapid Rooter plugs this year, so I'm curious to see how they compare to just regular old seed germinating mix. Anyone use these before?
So here's what I planted today:
Aji Angelo (2)
Aji Chinchi Amarillo (2)
Aji de la Tierra (2)
Aji Picante (2)
Aji Yellow (2)
Belize Sweet (2)
Cachucha (2)
Cheiro Recife (2)
Cajamarca (2)
Grenada Seasoning (2)
Habanero Chocolate (2)
Habanero Peach (2)
Inca Red Drop (2)
Lemon Drop (2) (sown after picture was taken)
Pequin (2)
Pimenta Barro do Robiero (2)
Rain Forest (2)
Rocotillo (2)
Tobago Seasoning (2)
Trinidad Perfume (2)
Zavory (2)
The real problem is going to be where to put the sprouts when they're ready to pot up. There's no way that table will hold 120 4" pots! Trying to convince DH that I need another shelf and light, but he thinks that would allow me to get too out of control. I'm pretty sure it's too late to reign me in at this point, hahaha!
I'll start some this week as well - still waiting for some seeds I've ordered, but they're from Sand Hill Preservation, so who knows when they'll show up.
I saved seed from a 'sport' of the Gypsy hybrid that were maybe an inch in dia and 6" long, see what happens. I'll probably lose track of which is which, as usually happens.
I planted my seeds in a standard tray with a dome, on top of a heating mat. It's interesting to see that the 'fresh' seeds from last fall, where I just left the peppers to dry on a shelf, are already sprouting nicely, while the ones from the shop aren't showing any traces of germination yet at all.
I took the dome off this morning and moved the whole heat mat/tray thing over by a window for better light. Still misting the surface at least once a day.
Same phenomenon with the onion seed. I'd collected some last fall from 'Evergreen' bunching onion, and they germinated within a few days, while the store bought ones took at least a week, and are still coming up.
Still waiting for my first sprout. Kind of wishing I had one of those heat mats now! Actually, it's only day 9, and according to my records, germination usually takes 10 - 20 days without a heat source. Guess I was hoping those Rapid Rooters had mysterious germination powers!
You both must be more optimistic about the weather than I am. I haven't started a pepper seed yet. Have onions from a month old to just coming up. I received my final seeds Friday and planted them Sunday and they are coming up. Overall I've had real good germination on the onions. I will be starting my first tomatoes in a few minutes. I will start a few dwarf's to go in 5 gallon containers later for early maters and then the first of the maters I will graft. I have been practicing on grafting and also trying to get my healing chamber set up to work properly. The healing chamber is the critical part of grafting. I thought I was done adding pepper seeds but a member of another forum is sending me seeds he bought in India. Two of them are for heirloom varieties over there. Jay
Hang in there Bonnie. I bet it's just a few more days!
You have me thinking about getting started early. I don't usually start the peppers and tomatoes until early March. If this storm we're expecting cancels work tomorrow (and I'm hoping for that) I might join you!
I've never seen the Rapid Rooter set up before, but it looks good. i like the high dome on it. It's much taller than the Jiffy 7 starters I have. It would sure help protect the seedlings from the kitties till they get some size. Was that mail order or did you get it at a store?
Jay, I'm surprised you start tomatoes before peppers, since they grow so much faster.
Thank you, Barb, for the encouragement! I purchased the Rapid Rooters, trays, and domes from Rocky Mountain Hydroponics & Organics, which is located in Glenwood Springs. I've linked their site below. Due to the medical marijuana industry here in Colorado, you probably have several hydroponics stores near you too.
Here is a link that might be useful: Rocky Mountain Hydroponics & Organics
"It's interesting to see that the 'fresh' seeds from last fall, where I just left the peppers to dry on a shelf, are already sprouting nicely, while the ones from the shop aren't showing any traces of germination yet at all. "
I have found that, in general, seed I collect myself germinates better and lives longer than seed from a catalog or a store.
Thank you for the recommendations of good sweet peppers to grow in our area, bell or not. I'd love to grow some this year, along with some good hot peppers. I will, of course, collect seed from any open-pollinated successes!
I posted a response last night. It seems to of disappeared. I stated that I learned from older chile growers in NM. There are 2 crops I don't push and set out early. They are the southern NM chile varieties and okra. I usually set both out around Memorial day here. I was always taught and then had to learn for myself if you set either out when the air and soil temps are too cool they can be stunted and never recover. Many of the older growers started chile plants as seeds in NE NM and usually raised a good crop. Those that transplanted would plant a few seeds of whatever crop they were going to grow and only when the seeds germinated would they set out their transplants. This indicated the soil/air temps were ok for that crop. Of course they didn't have low tunnels, Wall O Waters and others means we use today. Some did use hot kaps. Now sweet peppers, chiles grown at higher elevations can take more coolness than a NM chile type from south of I-40. But from my experience I don't gain a lot if I plant them out earlier so usually just wait and plant all at once. A few of the reasons I'm starting some of my seeds of tomatoes earlier is because I plan to grow some in 5 gallon containers in the lean to for earlier tomatoes. And also I plan on grafting several varieties. Most say grafting sets a plant back 7-10 days. I feel it is more like 10-14 days. As I'm still learning my grafting techniques and also how to operate a healing chamber properly I want to get some started early so I'll have time for a second batch if needed.
Also Bonnie a carrier goose left my house today headed your way. He snatched something out of my hand just after he left the pond east of my house. So you might be on the lookout. Skyfire I feel after she receives what the goose left with she will be convinced not to start a seed war with me. As I can assure her there are many where those came from. LOL.
For everyone else if there is anything on my list you see you want to grow send an email. That applies to everything I grow. I think I've listed my peppers and tomatoes on here somewhere. I also have a fair inventory of beans and okra. Some of the seeds are seeds I've saved and others seeds I've bought and have extra of. I have lots of extra Sandia, Lumbre( one of the hottest NM chile types) and Big Jim Legacy(very good flavor)if anyone wants to try any of them. Jay
This question is very interesting to me: when should transplants go out in the garden? It is a darn shame if it just comes down to experience. Experience is a dear school and growing crops is sure an example of that -- get it wrong and you've got 12 months to wait to try it again. There are NO guarantees on that try either.
Rules of thumb would be so helpful. These NM farmers, Jay talks about, suggest one: set out transplants when seed germinates outdoors. I am immediately excited but then I look at seed germination at various temperatures and soil temperature recommendations for setting out transplants.
We know that pepper seeds require quite a bit of warmth to germinate. It takes them 25 days at 59F or 13 days at 68F, the University of Minnesota tells us (UM doesn't talk about variety). Also, many extension sites tell us that we shouldn't move the transplants out into the garden until the soil temperature is 70F.
That's all well and good but the nearest government recording station that provides me with soil temperature information (and, it is in a considerably warmer area) tells me that the soil at 4" was not consistently 70F until June 26th last year. Moreover, it was not consistently 59F until June 4th.
If we put these 2 ideas together, when does extension think we should set out peppers and when would pepper seed germinate, I think it is fairly easy to see that it would have been the 3rd week of June in 2011!
Now, 2011 had an absolutely terrible start to the growing year, up here. I went back to 2009 and looked at the soil temperatures and they were 2 weeks earlier!
The question for me would the plants have enough time to mature a crop if they were set out this late? I haven't figured out when I set the peppers out and would be afraid that I'd be charged with "pepper abuse" if it was known! There is NO question that my peppers are stunted each and every year, however. I mean, even tho' they may do quite well, the plants never reach the height that the seed catalogs claim they will!
So, will peppers mature if set out in mid to late June? We had the good fortune to have a very, very late 1st frost last October. After such a cool start, there was a late season warmth! Still, the only peppers that matured to red that year were the Super Chilies. Not even the Thai Hots had more than 1 or 2 red peppers on the plants.
Anyway, I'd sure like to do well for my peppers. I put out dozens of plants and they generally do okay. Some, like the Habaneros, have ZERO chance here. I'm going to try to maintain some restraint when setting the plants out this year. (Unlike the restraint I have not shown rambling on and on about peppers here. ;o)
Again with me not knowing your area it is hard for me to suggest dates. And then our weather cycles and dates change. Up till 5-6 years ago I had my early tomatoes in by April 20th and a few years set out peppers by May 15th. The last 3 years I have had freezes from May 12th-15th. Like some corn farmers I was talking too. Up till the last 4-5 years they always had their corn planted by mid April. Now after having to replant a crop or two many aren't planting till after May 1st. The soil temps were high enough to plant by April 1st last year but the early morning air temps were too low. If I want to plant peppers early I plant chile types from higher elevations. They are adapted and acclimated to the cooler morning temps. And most sweet peppers will tolerate some coolness. I have to be very careful though when I select varieties. So most years just wait and plant them all at the same time. The last several years it has been the last week of May for the 1st ones and up until early July on the others. I can pick a nice crop here even planting that late. I always keep a watch on the long range forecasts and consider the recent trends when deciding when to plant. But basically I put out a few seeds and if they germinate before I have transplanted then I go ahead and transplant. Jay
We have a winner! It was a race between three different peppers.
#1 Aji Yellow (Sorry the picture is a bit blurry, camera was not cooperating today)
... and here are the runner ups - Aji Picante and Aji Angelo
That only took 18 days!!!! I realize that a heat mat would have sped things up considerably, but I have mainly grown annums in the past, and they have always come up in 10-14 days even without heat. Glad I started the chinense and baccatums as early as I did. Hoping to get the annums sown sometime this week.
How's everyone else's grow coming along?
I started planting a few last night so obviously nothing has come up yet. Last year I did too many hot peppers. Trying to find a better balance this year. I'm probably scaling back some this year on the nightshade family as I like to have at least a 2 year rotation. I'll see how that scaling back works.
So far what has been planted is:
Lemon Drop
Fresno Chili
Pimento L
Sweet Red Cherry
Sweet Pickle
Ancho San Luis Poblano
Sandia Hot
Hungarian Hot Wax
Red Cheese
Probably more to come soon.
Hi Greg! I wondered about all of those hots on your grow list last year, LOL! The hottest thing on my grow list is a habanero. Not brave enough to try any of the super hots yet.
Today, I sowed all of the annums, 34 varieties. If you add that to the list of chinense and baccatums that I started 3 weeks ago, I'm growing 56 different peppers this year ... so far.
Here's what I sowed today:
Alma Paprika
Ancho San Luis
Biker Billy Hyb.
Black Hungarian
Bulgarian Carrot
Chile de Arbol
Chile Hidalgo
Chilhaucle Amarillo
Chilhaucle Rojo
Cosa Arrugada
Costeno Amarillo
Hawaiian Sweet Hot
Mulato Isleno
Piment d'Espelette
NuMex Pinata
Santa Fe Grande
Sucette de Provence
Tollie's Sweet Italian
Jimmy Nardello
Espanola Improved
Big Jim
Patio Red Marconi
A few more of the ones sown in the last round have sprouted - Cachucha, Cajamarca, and Rain Forest.
Here's a shot of all of them:
With 2 of everything sown, I could potentially have over 100 plants in a few weeks!
My Jalapeno, Bulgarian Carrot, Gypsy, Gypsy off-shoot, Wonderbell Hybrid and egg plant, are all up and running. Today I planted Earlired, Negro Chile, Carlo Putini, and Lipstick, seeds of which arrived Friday from Sandhill Preservation. All of those packets had 80+ seeds, except Lipstick, which only had 20. Who knows.
anyway, here's my set up -
and a close up of the Bulgarian Carrot
Wow, David, that's like a little miniature pepper forest! Do you separate all those little guys into their own pots? That looks like way too much work for me.
This year, I'm doing one seed per cell, but in the past, when I used 1L bottles to start my seeds, I put 2 - 4 seeds per container, and even that was a pain to separate. Can't imagine doing a clump as big as the one in your photos!
I do the same thing with tomatoes and onions, Bonnie. They're not that difficult to separate, I just slip the whole cell out of the six-pack and then swish it around in a bucket of warm water, most of the soil just washes out, then its pretty easy to pull the plants/roots apart. The trick, if there is one, is always hold the plants by the leaves or the roots, never the stem. I try and wait until at least one true leaf shows up, by then they're a bit more sturdy.
Then I transplant them into 4x4x5"deep pots, bury them up to the leaves, and off they go, and they should be a foot high and flowering in late May.
Hmmmm ... still sounds like work to me, David. I'll be popping those individual plugs in some 3" pots already ready with potting mix. I'll let you know how long it takes me, LOL! We'll compare notes later : )
I sowed a couple of Joe's Long aka 'Whippet's Tail' seeds today. Not that I needed to add any more to my growlist, but I couldn't resist entering the Longest Chile Competition over at THP.
I've also received several items on my wishlist as a result of hosting the Pick-A-Peck of Peppers swap. Still trying to decide if I can wait until next year to grow them, or if they "need" to be sown now. Haha!
Here are some pictures of a few of my pepper babies.
Fish - Has anyone grown this one? It's supposed to have variegated foliage, and I'm just wondering when that will start to show.
Biker Billy Hybrid Jalapeno - the only hybrid I'm growing this year. Hey, check out the fused leaf on the right.
Chocolate Habanero - this is the hottest pepper I'm growing this year, and it was one of the last things to germinate, so it's a little behind the rest.
Big Jim
This one was taken earlier in the week, Black Hungarian. Love the coloring on this one, including the pods!
I have half a dozen overwintering pepper plants enjoying a day out in the sunshine. I'll be checking them closely for passengers before I bring them back in tonight.
Sigh - this will be my first summer in CO after moving from MI late last summer. I am renting an apartment right now (but kept my home in MI) and my balcony is completely shaded, really doesn't even get filtered light with the trees, so even peppers in containers are out of the question for me. Although I know they will not get the sun they need, I couldn't resist starting a few tomato and pepper seeds. I started Santa Fe peppers and some tumbler tomatoes, both of which are going strong. I have met a neighbor who has full sun on her balcony, and she is excited to take over the seedlings once they are ready to put into pots. Nothing like the common love of gardening as a way to meet new friends!
That is a very positive message, Zinnia.
Far down the scale is this little bit of information: Just a few days ago, I had decided that my Takanotsume did not germinate because the seed was old. But they did, too! The little bent heads of the Takanotsume are showing above the soil!
Some of The Big Early bells were taken out of their common cookie boxes and transplanted into flats, yesterday. I've got more of them to move and should be moving the Thai Hots, as well. Then, here are the Takanotsume. The seeds for all were sown at the same time.
I don't think those little, hot Japanese demons will be too late. They mature quickly but, obviously, start off slowly. Thirteen varieties of peppers and they are weeks behind everything else. I must have contributed to their delay by putting all the seed in only 2 containers and needing to move them out of the warm darkness of the kitchen to the cool light of a window.
Oh, but they are hot!! Too much so for me make much use of them as I learned when Takanotsume was in my garden in 2010.
Bonnie, I've done it several times, its pretty easy. Similar to cabbage, just chop up the peppers, sweet and hot ones, mix with salt, mash all that down, seal the mash with a doubled plastic bag full of water, then let it ferment in a covered, sealed crock for a month or so.
Then when its ready - smells really good - I run it through a food mill to get rid of the skin and seeds, then mix it with white wine vinegar and/or cider vinegar, mango juice, bit of ginger, and so on, then can it.
The last time I did it, I filled a 3 gallon crock with peppers, and by the time I was finished, had about 3 gallons of sauce. Which lasted some time.
I love growing peppers. I have a lot to learn, but I had great success with jalapenos and serranos last year, they seemed much more fiery than I expected them to be. I am looking forward to growing bhut jolokia, which has just sprouted this week (yes I got a very late start); I also have my starts of italian sweet red pepper, pasilla bajio, chocolate sweet bell; all ready to go and growing strong. Was last year a stellar year for peppers and tomatoes or was I just getting lucky doing things "right"?
Hmmm ... where I live, last year was a decent year for peppers, but a lousy one for tomatoes, so you must have been doing something right! Not trying to be funny, but just curious why you would want to grow Bhut Jolokias if you think Jalapenos, and Serranos are hot? Glad to see another pepper enthusiast around here! I host a pepper seed swap here on GardenWeb every spring that is a great way to expand your inventory, if your interested.
Here are a couple of recent pics:
The annuums
Aji Chinchi Amarillo (new to me)
A couple of Cachuchas (also new this year), very short, but bushy.
The half dozen overwintered pepper plants have been spending a few hours outside most days, are putting out a lot of new growth. I have been pinching the buds off until I can put them in their permanent homes.
Yes, some are already in gallon containers and quite a few of the others are ready to be potted up. I've upgraded some of my lights to T5 high output and added a few CFLs which has seemed to help and the weather has been warm enough to bring the trays outside most days.
The seeds were sown about Feb. 15th. I think I'll be putting most of them in the ground but maybe keep a couple in containers and see if I can overwinter them.
The plants look great. You are way ahead of me. I haven't finished my greenhouse so only have the light stands and the lean to till it warmed enough I could use the cold frames. So I planted mine a little later than you. And didn't pot up as soon as I could have. Mine look good but not near the size of yours. I won't put anything in the ground till around May 15th I imagine. If temps hold and no sign of a cool down I may plant a few the first week of May. Jay
highalttransplant, To answer your question simply; I like a gardening challenge, even if that means babying the bhuts. I plan to smoke/roast/grill and dry the ghost chilis/bhut's for sauces....and someone I know really wants fresh ghost chilis to put in hamburgers, and I'm down to try it out, even if I cry for an hour afterward :) I've always liked it hot, but I understand that flavor is a better thing to have than simply seeringly spicy food.
Last year I had some critters digging in the boxes I grow chiles and tomatoes in...I made my special sauce/soil drench of ground up garlic and serranos, I have yet to see an animal anywhere near these beds. I plan to use the chiles in this manner as necessary to keep scavengers at bay in my gardens; I hope I can use the ghost chilis in this manner so that I can have more serranos to myself for salsa and sauces. Does anyone see a potential problem with this method (am I killing beneficial soil organisms?)?
I already have loads of pepper plants started, and would be interested in a swap for some seeds at some point. Why is it so easy to make too many pepper and tomato starts? There always seems to be a few orphan plants that get handed out to unsuspecting friends, or friends of friends. :)
Greg, those are wonderful looking peppers!
I'm not sure if I see any problem with your "special sauce/soil drench of ground up garlic and serranos," Rockymountainkat.
I'll give you the argument that the serranos would be better to keep for the table and some of these with more pain than anything else could be used. And, I've wondered about making something like that myself.
The hot(!) pepper in my garden is Thai Hots and I can't really see picking a multitude for use as a pesticide. Harvesting the little things is a real chore. I've tried growing hananeros and the pods never even filled out in my garden climate. I've got some Japanese peppers (Takanotsume) and they are so hot that I can't eat them, really.
There was also another Japanese variety that was more ornamental than anything, both matured to red and especially that ornamental would be easy to pick.
A bunny raced out of the neighbor's raspberry jungle as soon as I started the rototiller the last time I was out there. I can't rely on loud noises and the owls or that vagabond coyote to take care of these things for me. The bunnies eliminate half the greenbeans every year!
who doesn't believe you would be killing any beneficial organisms, soil or otherwise
Wow! Everyone's peppers look great and ready for planting! Mine seem a bit stunted in comparison. Could it have been the lights?
What would anyone recommend for lighting? Right now I have hot and cool, but have read suggestions for Gro Lux (?) bulbs.
Also, those fungus gnats have arrived and I've been squishing them as best I can as I don't want to spray them with anything just yet. I'm assuming the bugs came from the soil. I've tried 'mosquito dunk', chamomile tea with cinnamon. Any other suggestions for 2013?
This year I started about 30 kinds of hot peppers. When the pods start coming in, I'd love to share some seeds.
TomatoZ, I assume you have T12 bulbs and if you have a mix then you are good. No need for grow lights. If you want to upgrade you can go to T5 high output which is a bit pricey but they really are very nice. Cheaper route is adding some CFLs in a utility lamp.
I have battled fungus gnats for a few years now. I use neem oil and Dawn. It smells like rotten onions for a day or so. Not so pleasant but it works.
Thanks for the info on the lighting. We have shop lights that either have T12 or T8s in them, but for next year I would like to use the higher output bulbs. Only the peppers are smaller - the tomatoes are huge even though they were planted around March 15 or later.
Thanks also for the remedies for fungus gnats. Last year I had very few, but this year I used Pro Mix peat oin the pepper transplant soil and know I got lambasted with the gnats from that soil. Those bales will stay in the shed and only be used for outdoor pots!
Next year I'll be ready . . . . and not plant so many peppers!
Finally got my sprouts outdoors to enjoy a little sunshine. We've had way too much wind to risk it up till now.
I've been pinching the buds off of both the seedlings and the overwintering plants, but I let a couple go on this Pasilla Bajio from last year.
Here' what it looks like now. It's more green, less black than the picture appears.
Tempted to go ahead and plant the ones that will be in containers, since I can always move them into the garage if necessary.
Anyone else close to planting out?
Frost is in our forecast here, Bonnie.
Besides, it has been years since my peppers have looks so baaad! *#^%$%@!
Too many days lost to darkness & clouds. They've had some okay weather lately but should really have some fresh soil by now in order to take advantage of it. Bide there time for awhile longer and then take their chances in the wider world. I guess that's true for all of us, anyway.
Builds character . . .
I'm waiting at least 10 more days before setting peppers into the ground. Too much hassle to protect everything should a frost come along.
My peppers are loaded with blossoms. I was picking them off but at this point just going to let them be.
My inner circle - weather freaks - said weeks ago that we were "PASSED BAD WEATHER"...blah blah blah.
I was sick of tending to seedlings.
I planted - WEEKS ago; not all but most. I would have planted all but ran out of room.
I used pepper space for dwarf tomatoes and although these tomato plants are adorable, I am short on pepper space now.
AND, now I'm holding my breath that these peppers forgive me...and build character.
I have been removing buds as well - first time for me.
I know what you mean, Deb! I passed a house the other day with their peppers already in the ground, and they looked okay, so I was tempted. Of course, they could have just put them in that afternoon, LOL! The hauling them in and out is getting pretty old, but the forecast is calling for a low of 36 degrees tonight. I'm going to wait until the lows are consistently in the 40's before planting the in ground ones. I did pot up a few overwinters, but they weren't too happy with being out overnight, even on the covered porch, so I started hauling those pots in and out too, and they are the 5 gallon size, so major pain in the you know what!
Last year, I planted out too soon, because the plants got kicked out of the guest room for company, and it set them back quite a bit. They eventually recovered and I had a good year, but I think if can hold out a little longer before planting them out, they might not sulk as much.
I don't really know what to do. We had 3 recent frosts, including one yesterday morning.
My peppers look pretty darn sad and would really benefit from being in some new ground.
The forecast for tonight is 41F and then much warmer! In fact, the highs should be well over 80 for a few days, then cool off. How much off? I don't know but I wish the cooling would come quickly so we could get it behind us and then get on with the growing season!!
The weather here is at least 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule, all the trees are leafed out, lows in the low 40's. I already planted all my tomatoes out, unprotected* because they were getting too tall in the greenhouse. I'm in the process of transplanting the peppers from 4x4x6-deep pots into the bigger containers and taking them outside a few at a time. They'll all be outside here shortly. Then still have 50-odd that need to go into the garden.
*I can always heap up grass clippings if a frost is likely
Well, David, I think I may have caught up with you today, unless you already got yours in the ground. Planted 8 in Earthboxes, and 4 in large individual containers. Still have around 50 to plant in the garden beds here, and at the community garden.
Here are some pictures:
Destined for Earthboxes
Earthbox #1 = Alma Paprika, Pusztagold, Melrose, and Patio Red Marconi
Earthbox #2 = Biker Billy Hyb. Jalapeno, Jaloro, Guajillo, and Fresno
Individual containers. Sorry this first one is a bit blurry. It's Jimmy Nardello
Sucette de Provence
Cosa Arrugada. This one was super productive last year, and made a great sweet paprika, but it was in the ground. I hope it does as well in a container.
Fish, starting to show its variegation.
They will spend the night on the porch. The low is supposed to be 39 degrees tonight, but after that were supposed to have lows in the 40's for the next few days. Sure hope my babies will be okay out there!
Haven't updated in a while, so this post will be picture heavy. The in ground plants here at the house went in the ground on the 20th of May, which was a week too early. We had one more freeze warning, and high wind advisories, so everything had to be covered. Fortunately, I didn't lose anything!
Found my first bloom yesterday, on the Black Hungarian.
This past weekend, I finally got the rest of them planted down at the community garden = 48 seedlings and 3 overwinters. There's 16 in the vegetable bed at the house, and another 15 in pots and earthboxes, so that brings the total up to 82 plants this year.
This was right after planting out.
This is what went into the lucky spot of the veggie bed at the house:
Piment d' Espelette
Aci Sivri
Ancho San Luis
Rain Forest
Aji Yellow
Joe's Long (aka Whippet's Tail)
Big Jim
Black Hungarian
NuMex Espanola Improved
Chilhuacle Rojo
Pimenta Barro do Robiero
Aji Picante
For Mother's Day I asked for soaker hoses, and I purchased a timer, so that I don't have to spend my whole summer watering down at the community garden.
Here is a shot after it was planted:
So here's what was planted by row, starting with the one on the left:
Row # 1
Tobago Seasoning x 2
Belize Sweet x 2
Trinidad Perfume x 2
Chiero Recife x 2
Pimente d' Espelette
Jimmy Nardello
Row #2
Aji de la Tierra
Aji Yellow
Aji Chinchi Amarillo x 2
Aji Rojo
Aji Angelo
Chile Hidalgo
Serrano Huasteco x 2
Chilhuacle Amarillo x 2
Costena Amarillo x 2
Bulgarian Carrot
Peach Habanero x 4
Chocolate Habanero
Long Chocolate Habanero x 2
Inca Red Drop x 2
Pequin x 2
Hawaiian Sweet Hot x 2
Chile de Arbol
Rain Forest
I'm using a support technique normally using on tomatoes, called the Florida weave. Ran my first line yesterday.
Found a couple of blooms at the community garden. This one is Aji Angelo.
Aji Chinchi Amarillo
There are quite a few plants loaded with buds already. I was pinching them off of the seedlings until about a week ago, then I just let them go.
This one's Bulgarian Carrot.
Well, I guess that brings you up to date with this years grow!
They look great! Nice job on your peppers this year. Mine are doing pretty well and just a few are flowering, but they need fertilizing. I got out the Jack's Classic to mix tonight, but after being out in the wind decided it could wait till morning. I sure wish this wind would quit but I think that's wishful thinking. I'm looking forward to July monsoon!
You're looking to have a great harvest this year!
Wow, what a beautiful pepper patch!
Bonnie, your finger prints are all over this year's project! I wish you could take care of my garden. Maybe I'll post a picture or 2 here in the forum to show what things look like - but, my peppers are waaayy off in the distance in the photo.
My greenhouse was 47F when I got up about 4:30. It is nearly noon and it has made it up to 49F. Only the basil in there without the furnace on and they must hate me!
The peppers? They are developing character waaayy out there in the garden, with the rain, 30mph gusts and 43F! Poor things!
Well, it's been over 3 weeks since the last of the peppers went in the ground, and some things are finally starting to take off, others just seem to be sitting there.
We've had temps in the upper 90's for the past week, plus single digit humidity levels, and constant winds, resulting in quite a bit of bud/blossom drop. Doesn't look like we'll see any break from the heat in the next week.
There are a couple of plants that manage to set pods this week, but most of the ones in the pictures set before the extreme heat kicked in.
Jimmy Nardello @ community garden
Sandia in the veggie garden here at the house
Bulgarian Carrot @ comm. garden
Aji Chinchi Amarillo @ Comm. garden
Melrose in Earthbox (managed to set in the heat!)
Fresno also in Earthbox and set this week! I'm guessing that being on the east side of the house with afternoon shade has been an advantage for the container plants.
Black Hungarian here @ the house
Current view of the veggie bed here at the house
And a shot of one of the pepper rows down at the community garden.
Hopefully, my next update will include a harvest shot!!!
I haven't been on the forums much lately and must of missed this update. Great looking plants. They have done well for you. I always set mine out a little later than most. Just the way I learned growing up. Most of the chile types and those with heat are doing very well now. Almost jumping and good fruit set on many. It was very hot here for almost two weeks. Finally got a break starting last Sunday along with some rain. And it lasted till yesterday. I will try to take some pictures and post them soon. I was out amongst them around noon trimming the potato vines away from the peppers and noticed quite a bit of fruit set. Imagine I'll be picking a few before long. Need to go back with my list and see what is doing the best. I know at least one of the India varieties is setting very well. I will be saving seeds when possible. We received an inch of rain during the cool down. It at least perked things up but back to watering starting yesterday. Almost waited too long. Some of the onion varieties are maturing. Those varieties from Rocky Ford have up to 16 leaves and starting to bulb up. They should be huge bulbs judging by the number of leaves. The last planting of sweet corn is just maturing. It will help when I don't have to water either. They say another chance of moisture the first of next week with a better chance the first of the next week. And maybe a gradual decrease in temps as the month progresses. One does have a spell of a few days around and into the 100's. My garden can take the 90's ok. The 100's really puts stress on it. Overall though things look better than the last 4 years. I'm growing a few varieties of rare beans. One from Arkansas is an heirloom from a mountain region there that is a season long bearing bush bean that is also drought tolerant. I hope to save seeds for anyone wanting to try it. Hope to see more pepper pictures soon. Jay
Hi Jay,
Good to hear from you! Lots of growth here in the last couple of weeks. I had a lot of bud/blossom drop during the heat wave, but noticed a good bit of pod set when I was down at the garden earlier today.
This picture was taken a week ago, so things look even fuller and taller now.
Here's a couple more pod shots.
Bulgarian Carrot, loaded with pods.
Aji Chinchi Amarillo. I have two of these, and they are heavy producers. They start out upright, but as the pod gets bigger, they kind of flop over to the side. Can't wait to taste one!
Belize Sweet bloom. Love the purple stems on this one!
I'll try and get some more recent pics soon ...
Overall my plants look very similar in size to yours. I just came in from spending about two hours out in the garden. I did some watering. Most by soaker hose. I really hate to water at this time of day but had some that needed it. Most of the older plants I have fed liquid bone meal too( high in P) too looked fine. They have developed a good root system and are fine. Those plants that have germinated over the last 2-3 weeks some I haven't fed yet grew too much foliage during the cool down and were hurting this afternoon. It is a normal occurrence on young plants after a cool down this time of year. I used to have the same issue with tomatoes and peppers to some extent before I started feeding them a liquid bone meal starting right after transplant or usually at around 3 weeks of age. I had to trim the potatoes back big time. Have never had potato plants as big as these and still showing no signs of quitting. I was hoping they would be done by now. A few of the pepper plants they had grew into stretched out a little to get above them. I went through and checked each plant for fruit set. Overall they are setting well. Some better than others. Should have a good harvest in 6-8 weeks. I won't make any promises about pictures. But hopefully soon. I try to take pictures through the growing season so I can compare and see how they performed from start to finish. The big Jim WC plant is setting very heavy. Will see what kind of size I have on the fruit when it is mature. I have a few minor issues with a few plants. I planted them next to my onions which I know better than to do. Peppers will do better next to onions than tomatoes but they will still develop a few issues because of it. Jay
What kind of issues? I have never heard this, but you have a lot more growing experience than I do. I do have that companion planting book 'Carrots Love Tomatoes', which says not to plant the onions near beans or peas, but I don't remember any mention of peppers not doing well near onions. The reason I ask is if you look at this photo of the community garden, you will see a row of onions right next to the first row of peppers.
Here's a few more pepper pics:
Chile Hidalgo (@ the comm. garden)
Chilhuacle plants and a pod shot (@ C.G.) Also, a good picture to show the Florida weave support technique I'm using this year.
Jaloro, a yellow jalapeno type (this one's at the C.G, but I have one in an Earthbox doing about the same here at the house)
Here's my tallest plants, at least 3' in height, Costeno Amarillo, and a close up of the latest pods.
A couple of Chilhuacle Rojo pod shots (here at the house)
Patio Red Marconi loading up with pods (in an Earthbox here at the house)
Sandia, looks good from the photo, but this plant has me worried. Showing signs of some kind of wilt. Had to cut a couple of lower branches off, but am worried it will spread to the whole plant. At least I have another one down at the community garden if I have to rip this one out.
... and finally, an old favorite, Alma Paprika. (In an Earthbox here at the house)
Sure with the peppers would start ripening soon. It would be nice if I could get a couple harvests processed before the kids go back to school, and the schedule gets all hectic again!
Bonnie the main issue I have is with thrip vectored diseases when I plant next to the onions. The onions are a magnet for thrips. I've had some minor thrip damage to the onions this year. And from the looks of a few pepper plants I'm afraid they are showing early signs of disease. I will leave them long enough to confirm whether they do or not. If they do they will be yanked quickly. With the heat and hot dry winds stress issues can fool a person early on. It seems if I plant a least one crop in between the onions and my tomatoes or my peppers I see very few problems. The year that it became apparent I plant two tomato rows 4 ft apart with the south row 3 ft north of the onions. I had 19 plants in that row if memory serves me correctly and I lost 18 of them to thrip vectored diseases. So have been careful with where I plant the tomatoes since and haven't had that severe of a problem since. One extension service said it is best to keep them separated in areas where the thrips are a problem. When I planted my peppers I felt the onions would be out by now so thought I could squeak by. Another mistake I made is I planted them on the north side of the onions. With our SW winds if you plant them on the south side they usually move to the NE when they move. Jay
Just realized it's been quite a while since I updated this thread.
Deb, a couple of people in that swap sent that one in, and I didn't make a note who's seed I sowed.
I have been getting some small harvests for about a month now, and they are starting to get bigger. All the plants have pods on them now, except Aji Rojo, which is just now flowering. That one won't be on next year's grow list!
When the weather was really hot and dry, I had a lot blossom drop, but some set pods in spite of the conditions. So far, the stand out varieties have been:
Jaloro. Just about every bloom set a pod. They are loaded with thick yellow jalapenos. Make excellent poppers too!
Aji Chinchi Amarillo. I grew Aji Yellow last year, and loved the flavor, but it needs a long season. The Aji Chinchi Amarillo has a similar flavor with slightly less heat, but what it really has going for it is that it's super early, and very productive. They are on the left in the photo below.
Another early and productive variety has been Jimmy Nardello.
Not far behind it is Patio Red Marconi.
... and Inca Red Drop. Little bite sized morsels of sweet heat.
Biggest disappointments so far:
Bulgarian Carrot. It's early, and somewhat productive, but the skin is tough, and the flavor is lacking. If all you're looking for is heat, it will do the job.
Big Jim. Lots of BER on this one! Sandia has pods that are just as big, but without the BER, and it has way more pods on it than the Big Jim.
Chile Hidalgo. The plant looked so cool with all its fuzziness, and the pods were all nice and shiny, but the one ripe one that I tasted was tough skinned, not tasty, and lacking in heat. Hoping that the later pods will be better.
I have quite a few varieties that are just starting to show some color, so I'll try to remember to report back as I try them out.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
have: trade: 10th annual native plant garden tour tickets
I have 4. Would like to trade for succulent clippings to start my garden- most interested in Aeoniums, not interested in aloes or cactus.
Also will trade for rocks to use for edging in my garden. I don't need boulders! :) Smallish to medium rocks are preferred. Please see a pic for size reference.
I am located in Woodland Hills and Culver City (91335 and 90323 - CA), willing to travel up to 15 miles from either city.
About the Tour
The Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour is a unique adventure: a two-day self-guided journey through 35 or more of the Los Angeles regionâÂÂs most beautiful and inspiring home landscapes. At each location, youâÂÂll meet garden owners, designers, knowledgeable docents and fellow gardeners.
Planning Your Tour
The gardens are divided into two groups: one group open Saturday, April 6, and a second group open Sunday, April 7, 2013. Tour hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
Saturday gardens are located inland, with destinations in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and around downtown L.A., along with one high-elevation garden in Acton (near the Antelope Valley). Sunday gardens are primarily on the Westside, with locations from Santa Monica to the South Bay, with two stops in Oxford Square (near West Adams).
See the complete list of gardensor an overview of features, including slopes, edibles, recycled hardscape materials, child-friendly design, and more.
How to Attend
Tour tickets are $10 per person for members, and $15 per person for non-members. Tickets are available in our online store, by phone at (818) 768-1802, or at our Sun Valley headquarters.
Each ticket includes admission for a single visitor to all gardens across both days, and a printed color guide with addresses and driving directions. The tour is self-guided so you can make your own itinerary and go at your own pace. Guides will be sent to ticketholders via postal mail beginning late March 2013.
This post was edited by black.thumb on Mon, Apr 1, 13 at 12:47


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Never had a bad meal at with place. Love their four cheese pizza. Thin crust and very creamy. All meals are very tasty. Owner is on site and very helpful. Staff is great and friendly. If you want good Italian food. This is your place!
I eat here at least several times each year! I love to sit and relax and enjoy their very fine red wines. The background music and old Italy decor is great. They are right downtown in the Villages of La Mesa! They have a variety of goodies on the menu like Steak and Fish entrees. I always go for their...
My friends and I had lunch there, We ordered a bottle of wine but they seem to be surprised that 3 ladies are ordering a bottle of wine. I came late and was never served water. We had to ask for our appetizer 3x before it came (cheese, no need to cook). My sandwich tasted so bland, didn't eat it....
Excelent service excelent food one of the best Restaurants in la mesa
Fast service, great atmosphere , very romantic
The food is very tasty. The owner comes from Italy and it shows in the food they cook. Tried almost everything on the menu and have yet to have a bad meal.
We enjoyed this nicely appointed restaurant and found the food to be excellent. As i typical of restaurants in Italy, they do not hurry you. We found the waiter available anytime we needed him to be, otherwise he let us enjoy our meal and wine. We'd been to San Pasqual Winery, and this restaurant does not charge corkage. Nice that...
They were always unpredictable in terms of service. Sometimes friendly (especially the manager) mostly not. Went in for take out, was given a seat by the manager & then asked to move so a lady with her dog in a baby buggy could have my table! Last time the chicken was rubber & the pasta hard.
We went to this restaurant on a whim. It was close to where we were. The food was excellent. The tiramisu salad was delicious. The veal picatta was fantastic. The portions were huge. The service was excellent. The dessert was a great way to finish the meal. The wine list was extensive and the prices were quite reasonable.
We recommend...
The owner, servers and cook always are attentive to my wife's food allergies such as no alcohol, tomato, lemon or spices, which makes it kind of tough for an Italian restaurant. But her meal always come out delicious and made to order as requested. I especially enjoy some of their seafood dishes and a martini to start with. Thanks a...
I had a portobello ravioli in mshroom cream sauce and it was brilliant -- one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. My wife had the filet mignon in green peppercorn sauce and felt let down by a fairly tough cut of meat. Ate here a couple of years ago and both had excellent food, so maybe theas just...
We contacted our supplier and had quite the chat. We have received a promise of only top quality cuts to be delivered to Tiramisu Trattoria. Thanks so much for the heads up; your feedback means so much to us as we strive for excellence is everything we serve!
Register now for free — and start getting automatic notification of new reviews, responding to traveler feedback, adding new photos to your listing and much more.


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Driveway Re-do Concrete or Blacktop?
Which is the more economical alternative up front and in the long run?
We have a small incline driveway, basically two concrete treads, the rest grass that allows one car to park there.
Well, we want to re-do this area as shoveling the snow always digs up the turf and when it rains, it is just down right muddy. Being on an incline, muddy could lead up to slipping.
Does anyone have any other alternatives?
In the long run, concrete.
In the medium run, asphalt/blacktop.
In the economical short-run, professionally tamped laid gravel.
In the more economical shorter-run, a load of gravel dumped, that you spread out, and then the car traffic tamps it in.
I live in a climate with a frost depth of around 6 inches. That said, long drives over 100 ft get asphalt, short drives less than 30 ft get concrete. Concrete has a longer life span but both types suffer a short life if there is a problem with the sub-base. Short concrete drives have the advantage of being part or all a DIY project.
I'd do macadam if it gets any sun at all. You are talking about mud, but should be thinking ice. To a certain extent, blacktop is self-clearing. If the sun is able to hit the surface, it will heat up and melt any ice or snow near it. Concrete doesn't do that.


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Chris Britt by Chris Britt
- August 30, 2013
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Yes, Dr. King was very much for peace. But i'm not sure if he would have been able to stomach the pictures on TV every evening these days. Ruanda rings a bell?
I may be a white man from cornfield county but I also began educating myself on the civil rights movement in grade school. I think MLK would disassociate himself from Obama's recent words and antics. Obama is one of the most divisive political figures of our time, polarizing would be a pc way to say it!
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New life for landmark Marshal Scotty's
Marshal Scotty's Playland, the beloved East County park that has been renovated, redeveloped and renamed several times since its 1967 grand opening, is getting new life.
The once bustling park off Interstate 8 where Lakeside and El Cajon meet, vacant for the last 17 years, is set to reopen Nov. 5. The latest, and its owners hope final, incarnation will be called "Canyon Raceway."
While the Tilt-a-Whirl and roller coaster won't be part of the action, the site's husband-and-wife owners Rudy and Carrie Ludeke are opening part of the park for go-cart racing, one of its most popular late-era features.
Grand opening
Where: Canyon Raceway, on site of former Marshal Scotty's Playland, 14039 Ridge Hill Road, El Cajon
When: 12:30 p.m. Nov. 5
Info: Go-carts will run from 1 to 9 p.m. El Cajon Christian Church will bless the track at 12:30 p.m. U.S. Navy color guard will perform the National Anthem
More info: canyonraceway.biz
Rudy Ludeke, who owns a fabrication business in El Cajon, traveled to Texas two weeks ago to bring back five of the six go-carts that will be used at the track on Ridge Hill Road near Lake Jennings Park Road.
"My husband has always had a dream to open up the track," Carrie Ludeke said. "This has been his quest for months. We both would go (to the go-cart track) all the time in high school, when we went to Granite Hills. We loved it. It was so fun to go at night and race under the lights in the back country."
Carrie Ludeke was reluctant to say how much they invested in opening part of the park but "basically it was everything we have... retirement, savings, everything... down to the last penny. We are saying a big prayer for opening day."
The park will be open, at least for the time being, from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, 2 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 to 7 p.m. Sundays. As the Ludekes gauge the park's popularity, hours of operation may change.
The park had a "work the quirks out night" last weekend, Rudy Ludeke said. People from around the county heard by word-of-mouth that the raceway was opening soon, and many paid a visit to see the coming attraction, Rudy Ludeke said.
"It was great to see smiles, blast from the past, are you kidding me?" he said. "Old school Cajon Speedway racers came, Barona racers came. The smiles, the expressions, the emotions were high. I had people telling me, 'I remember back in the day' stories. Nobody can fathom that it was 17 years ago! The track looked great, too. Everybody was really stoked and energetic about it."
For people like Lakeside native Jennifer Griggs, the park can't open soon enough.
Griggs worked at Marshal Scotty's from 1993 to 1995 and her last year was spent in the ticket booth at the go-cart track.
"I have lots of wonderful memories and funny stories," Griggs said. "My favorite is meeting my husband at the track. I was going to college and would sell tickets and do my homework in the booth. My now-husband loved racing go-carts and came to the track almost every night. We soon started dating and now 16 years later we're still happily married with two children. Our son is 10 and races go-carts, and in fact was the 2010 So-Cal Oval Karters champion."