Red Savina or scotch bonnet in Toronto possible

[bent]

I read through the group to get a feel for things: this is my 1st post of this type. I have bought scotch bonnets to make my homemade chicken wing sauce, but I want it hotter in the future. I know I could use Capsaicin concentrate, but have no idea if it is necessary (yet), or if it is available to me in a store. Will I be able to find Red Savina habaneros either fresh, or in seed form in Toronto and could I get them to grow? If I were to have a pet plant this would have to be it, and I could give some special attention.

Up until then, I have just pulled the seeds from some scotch bonnets, within the inside pod or whatever it is called, and have them sitting in a glass jar in the fridge. What do I do with these scotch bonnet seeds right now and in the mean time?

As far I know, the last frost date here could be June 1st, so giving 10 weeks germination (12-14 in a short growing season), which is what I assume TO is, then I should put seeds in some dirt about the 10th of March indoors. If I can follow some simple procedure, I will give scotch bonnets a try. I'm really hoping for Red Savina though. I don't want to do anything heroic: I can get some good soil(s), fertilizer(s), pot(s) or flats, cover(s), I'll water them, etc., but I don't know about heating pads or fluorescent lights (mostly b/c I don't have them).

This is what I can see: I can make a plywood greenhouse and line it with aluminum foil, and put in a fluorescent lamp, maybe one of those round ones, to get the soil temp up. Can I use one pot, with one soil, except with the top inch or three having peat mixed in for germination. I do have some room in the ground, but I think I could use the same big pot and take it outdoors June 5th.

[zxcvbob]

If I can grow them in Minnesota, you should be able to grow them in Toronto. (if the summer has unusually cool nights, like last year, the yield from peppers and tomatoes may not be very good)

I will probably start my tobasco and dundicutt pepper seeds in about a week, and my other hot peppers in late February; the tomatoes about April 1. I get best germination when I sit the pepper and tomato flats on the back of the fluorescent lights for warmth. I have a heating cable, but I think I cooked my seeds one year :-(

Best regards, Bob

[bent]

Do you mean Red Savina or scotch bonnet?

[zxcvbob]

I mean just about any kind of hot pepper I grow, including some red or chocolate colored habaneros.

This year I'm going to try Fatalii, I've eaten them before and they were very good and extremely hot -- and they supposedly produce well in northern climates. I bought Fatalii seeds a few years ago and they turned out to be a mislabled very poor strain of habanero. So I bought seeds from a different vendor this time. I haven't planted them yet because it's a little early.

If you can grow tomatoes, you should be able to grow just about any hot pepper except maybe Rocoto. You just have to start the pepper seeds a lot earlier than tomatoes.

Bob

[Penelope Periwinkle]

What kind of Scotch Bonnet?

If you can grow Scotch Bonnets, you can probably grow Red Savinas. Scotch Bonnets and Red Savinas are _C chinense_, and are all considered long season peppers, I think.

Penelope

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Why Rocoto? Are they especially long season, or are they sensitive to cool temps? They're _C.pubescens_, correct?

The only _C chinense_ I have ever had problems with is Chocolate Long Habeneros. It had just started to bloom heavily when we had an unusual cool and rainy spell. It dropped the blossoms, and never produced anymore. I have noticed that some varieties are more sensitive to cool weather than others, but that's the only one I've ever grown that I didn't get a single pepper off of. Most _C chinense_ are so productive that one or two plants produce the greatest of plenty peppers!

Penelope

[zxcvbob]

They probably like cool temps. The problem is the extremely long season. (I've only tried them once and gave up. YMMV) Yes, they are C. pubescens, and the plants are interesting.

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Ah, ok. Thank you.

I belive my season is longer than yours since I'm in the south, but I wonder if the heat and humidity would adversly affect them? Maybe I'll try one as a test this year.

Penelope

[zxcvbob]

They should do very well in the south if you plant them in very bright shade or partial sun. They won't do so well in full sun -- or at least that's what I've read.

Bob

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Tsk, now you've done it. I'll have to plant one just to see if I can grow it!

Like I need another pepper to add to my list!

Penelope

[zxcvbob]

Are you gonna grow the red ones or the yellow ones? ;-)

Bob

[GA Pinhead]

Yes, we are too hot. I tried them in the past, pretty plants though.

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Penelope