A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Cayenne Pepper Yield Question

I am growing a bunch of hot peppers this year, for the first time (been on a hot pepper kick lately!) How many peppers do Cayenne plants yield, and do they continue to fruit until frost or do they set a bunch of peppers at once and then quit? I have some cayenne pepper plants i started indoors from seed , that are flowering already!

Wow! Flowering already? When did you start them? Mine just have their second set of leaves Maybe some of the pepper experts can answer this, is it a good idea to cut off the first flowers so the plant can concentrate on getting stronger? I read that but it was about bell peppers I think.

I dont know the answer to your questions but the seed packet from the cayennes I started says "prolific!" I have visions of strings and strings of the red buggers hanging to dry.....

Karen

Pick those flowers! Don't let them flower until you get them in the garden.
If grown properly a plant can yield up to 80 I believe. If I don't use them all up, I just throw them in the freezer whole and use them to simmer in soups, stews, sauces, etc..I just love it hot!!!!
Some peppers will ripen before and u still may be pickin' in late fall but generally you'll get most at the same time...frost will kill them.
Good luck!
Christina

Im growing other hot peppers too- Jalapenos (early & M) Seranos, Thai Pointsettas, Habenero, Anahiems. Im going to dry mine in the Food Dehyrdator! I started only a few cayennes real early to see how it would grow indoors, the other have been started much later. They are in 3 inch pots. Im thinking maybe to set them outside, since the bees are around pollinating fruits trees, and gooseberries, just to see what will happen. Ive heard they will produce indoors, but Ive never tried before.

Now I don't know much about peppers...
I'm better at eating them than growing them, but I've done a dozen varieties...
The books say to pick off the first blooms and they'll produce more, better fruits. I've never done this...I'm too eager to get some. Generally, when you see flowers, fruits follow right away. I've heard of blossom drop, but never seen that happen. Don't set them out unless you know you won't have any weather in the 30's.
The small varieties like cayenne will produce a LOT of fruit. Picking them green will promote more flowering/fruit, and they will produce over a long period, regardless, but yes, there will be a peak when they have the most fruit. I would recommend putting a few of your small varieties in pots and treating them like houseplants...set them out for the summer, bring them in in the fall. In a sunny spot, they will produce some peppers all year long, and they can live for years. I know of a guy who kept a plant for eight years. The small varieties are the perfect size for containers...a 2 to 3 gallon pot is good enough to get some pretty good fruiting. Even a smaller pot, if you've got a decorated pot you like, will be enough to get a limited amount of fruit.

All of my peppers have produced pretty continually through the summertime. Though there is a huge spurt where you will get more all at once. I also freeze peppers but roast them first. And you can also dry them by making ristras. Have not been able to do that for years cuz I have never planted enough, but this year I plan to do that as well.

How large are the plants that are flowering already? And they will produce indoors, but you have to hand pollinate.

Triss...the jalapeno I overwintered this year produced a fruit on every flower. Don't ask me how it got pollinated...
I hope you'll give a lesson on making ristras and properly drying peppers when the time comes...my attempts at air drying have been a disaster, but I don't like them that well dried in my dehydrator...it gets too hot or something.
I have more info on germinating pepper seed...I'll post again here this afternoon...

I will Dave once I do them so I can show the steps!