I grow about 60 Habanero pepper plants every year, using about 2/3 of my 600 sq ft garden in Carrollton, TX. At my age of 73, I don't enjoy getting out and weeding in the Texas summer, so I use a combination of distributed soaker hoses under weed-block, aka ground cover.

Sam's Club used to sell rolls that would last for two years before I had to rip it up and start over, using the overwinter time to dig in many bales of peat with my Mantis tiller. The quality of that weedblock deteriorated so far over a decade such that last time I used it, I put it down in early May and it was falling apart by July, with overwheming weed and grasses problems.

For 2013 I ordered a 6' x 100' roll from Growers Supply of their best #108197 best heavy-duty ground cover. It wasn't cheap, but if it worked in the hot Texas sun and lasted more than a year, it was worth it. BTW, bricks work much better than pins around here to hold down the weedblock when winds whip up.

It WAS worth it! I laid it down in April '13 over the soaker hoses, cut ~3x3" holes, used a stand-up bulb planter to remove soil to a bucket, and planted my peppers, and got a great crop, putting some slow-release fertilizer in each hole, and stirring it in with a stick. The only question remaining was, how do I remove the dead, woody plants without ripping the weedblock, to save it for next year?

Make a weedblock saver. The photo shows the result about a week after the dead plants were pulled out in Jan 2014, and my hired help was able to pull all but the sturdiest plants, brush the loose dirt back to the center, and move on. My hired help was my neighbor's 14-year-old daughter who pitches softball, so this is not for everyone! Not to promote sibling rivalry, but she did a better job than the older boys did in previous years.

Parts list:
2' x 2' x 3/4" plywood [lauan]
2" x 2" x 2' board [good quality]
hinge to fit
8-10 #10 1-3/4" phillips screws
6 #10 1 1/2" phillips screws

Tools:
Jigsaw
Phillips drillbit
Drill bit for starter hole

Cut both wood pieces in half as shown. Cut center notches so each side of the internal square is about 3" x 3".
Mark location of six hinge holes. Attach the 2x2 pieces to the plywood from the bottom side with the longer screws, being careful to miss the places where the hinge screws will go.
Assemble the wood and attach the hinge with the short screws.

To remove dead plants, close the device over the plant hole, stand on it, and pull the plant up. Brush loose dirt back into the center, and move on.

So if you want to try my method, don't scrimp on materials. You'll have much less effort in the long run. And I now have a backup roll of the #108200 6' x 300' in my garage; three more complete covers. At my age, it could be a lifetime supply, tho I hope not.""

Also, my vote for the BEST hot pepper, based on pod production, taste, and heat, is Park Seed Maya. My emphasis is on many large pods for my canned Habanero mash. I de-stem the pods, smoke them over mesquite, and then can them after cooking and fine blending with white vinegar and canning/pickling salt, but my recipe is for another post. The mesquite adds a great flavor to the mash, which spices up any dish, used sparingly.