Q: Hi Dave,I love chiles–all kinds–but at times, when I eat spicy foods, I get an instantaneous reaction which is a bit difficult to describe. Most accurately, it makes my head "swim" and my eyes want to close. This happened in a very pronounced manner this evening at a Thai restaurant. We had a very spicy soup, and I have …
Pimiento de Padrón
Q: Hello Dave,I heard on a television cookery program (by Rick Stein) that there is a certain pepper which, although not hot and spicy, every so often is very fiery (almost like playing Russian Roulette with chiles). Have you by any chance heard of such a pepper? I think it is grown around Spain, but I am not sure.Thank you …
Habanero Taste-Alikes
Q: Hello Dave,I am growing lots of habaneros (orange and red savana) and just love the flavor. Can you tell me which other pepper varieties have similar flavors? I’m interested also in what varieties produce very bushy plants with lots of pods. Thanks again for such great advice.Regards, Mark A: Hello Mark:Habaneros are members of the Capsicum chinense species, and all …
Light Cycle for Indoor Chiles
Q: Hi Dave!I’m going to grow chile peppers in containers indoors using artificial lighting. I was wondering what would be the best light cycle for the plants during their respective periods (vegetative, flower)?–Ronald A: Hello Ronald:Chiles benefit from the long days of summer, so use a cycle of 18 hours on, 6 hours off. Unlike some plants, chiles are not …
Grubs in the Bed
Q: Dear Dave,I have a raised hot pepper garden with 40 different types of peppers. Lately I’ve been finding grubs in the bed—will this hurt the plants? If so, what can be used to get rid of them?Thanks, Gordon A: Gordon:Most of the time grubs are common cutworms that attack only pepper seedlings and chop them down at the base. If …