Planting Vines & Jalapeño Peppers Not ‘Hot’ Enough

Question:

 I'm looking for a vine that can withstand the heat, has bright flowers, and preferably no thorns. It should also be able to be maintained on a trellis.

Answer:

  • I'd consider planting Honeysuckle, Blue Dawn Morning Glory, Carolina Jasmine, or Jasmine Polyanthus with adequate water. These vines tolerate the heat and have cream, blue, yellow, or pinkish/white flowers.
    • There are other varieties that the nursery professional at your favorite garden center can suggest. My concern is the support or trellis.
  •  Most vines are aggressive growers that cover three to five hundred square feet or more. The stake or trellis that comes with the plant is never adequate. The prefab trellises are short-term answers as the vines quickly overpower them.
  • I'd suggest building a support structure out of rebar or PVC pipe for the long term. You alter and enhance the look by integrating a decorative trellis. This should be expandable over time and last a lifetime. As you explore options, the poorest choice is the community fence.
    • Today's wooden fences are pours, so the vines encroach into your neighbor's yard, and that's a neighbor dispute waiting to happen.
    • This is a bigger problem than you think, with the tiny yards of many of the newer homes
    • The other issue with vines is that the growth hastens the deterioration and costly fence replacement. Selecting a vine is not that difficult. But it's the support structure that requires the most thought and consideration. All too often, it's ignored.

Question:

 I finally planted several Jalapeño Peppers and was pleasantly surprised at how well they have grown. However, I'm disappointed that the flavor has been mild rather than hot. My wife thinks I picked them too soon. What do I need to do to increase the heat? 

Answer:

  • Your wife is correct. You're harvesting the peppers too early.
  • Jalapeño Peppers should be three inches long and two inches wide when mature. The color will cycle from green to a darker, almost blackish-green color. Some varieties of hot peppers do turn a blackish red. All the varieties will turn red if left on the plant long enough.
  • Red Jalapeños have a wonderfully sweet/hot taste. Once you think maturity has been reached, harvest a few and check their flavor. If the taste is suitable, you'll know you can pick the rest when they reach that stage. If they're not quite spicy enough for you, wait a few more days and try again.
  • You'll need to keep trying the peppers at different stages until the taste suits you.
  • The Scoville Heat Unit Scale measures each pepper variety's spicy heat or spice. This scale runs from twenty-five hundred to over five million. Jalapeño Pepper is around ten thousand, while the Ghost Pepper is over a million.
    • In addition, geography plays a role, as mature chili peppers are more intense the closer they're grown to the equator. Hence, a mature  Jalapeño Pepper growing in Orange County will be hotter than those in San Jose or Portland, Oregon.
  •  Jalapeño Peppers sold locally are not being grown in the Bay Areas. They're probably from Central, Southern California or Mexico.  If they continue to be too mild, you should plant another more intense variety next year.Buzz Bertolero is an Advanced California Certified Nursery Professional. The Dirt Gardener's website is www.dirtgardener.com, and questions can be sent by email to [email protected].

NOTE: When harvesting hot or chili peppers, you should carefully snap each pepper from the plant. Better yet, use a pair of sharp garden shears or scissors to cut the stem an inch or so above each pepper. It's highly recommended to wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands, especially those with nicks, and cut from any of the plant juices. Also, don't touch your eyes for whatever reason, as you will encounter severe and intense discomfort. Remember, safety first when dealing with hot peppers.