Different types grow different size plants. Many are in the same ballpark as bell peppers, but, there are also a lot that are smaller. I don't cage them, but, do stake the larger ones sometimes.

Fedco says the Hinkelhatz, the Thais, and the Hot Portugals are "compact" but Totally Tomatoes website doesn't say how large the 3 varieties mentioned above are.

Darn - I had moved my tender pepper plants to the (west-facing) 7-ft deep porch, right up against the house to get some shade this afternoon, trying to make room in garage since I promised DH he could park there this weekend, and the late afternoon sun scalded the sweet bananas! Have to wait til tomorrow to see if others are affected.

Hopefully I can salvage a few of the sweet banana peppers, I was hoping to sell some of them since I have over a dozen and I really had planned on growing just bell and hot peppers. I really hope my Hinkelhatz, Thais and King of the North bells are OK.

Guess I'm going to have to cage them all just to shade them, unless I keep them all in pots in the garage until the tomatoes are large enough to shelter them. This is my first year growing from seed, and first year growing hot peppers. In the past we've just picked up good-sized plants at Walmart or Agway, they must have already been hardened off.

I'm also finding the summer sun to be less forgiving as far as hardening my little guys off. They don't like being left out in the sun too long even if the temps outside are not that hot. I wonder if it's the actual increase in the radiation from the sun or maybe just a different angle of it that puts more light onto the plants?
But since it will only get worse from here until Fall I'm proceeding with caution anyway.

Rudy

Yep, careful with the hardening off. Mine are all set now and in their summer homes but a couple months ago, the or 4 hours of sun and only about 55 degrees scortched many leaves...mostly on my habanero and Bhuts. Some of the leaves died. Others survived but still show their scars. It isn't like when we get sun burned, it seems plants don't recover so easily. I hope mine are fully hardened off because less than a week ago, we had a freeze warning up here, today it hit 89 degrees and Friday, it is supposed to hit a scorching 98. This Wisconsin weather is crazy and probably has my peppers completely confused.

I believe many think they their plants can tolerate outside sun after having been left in direct sun from a window for several days or weeks. I am not sure but I think most windows have a lot of radiation filtering built into them. When you switch plants to outside, they are not used to the full spectrum of radiation and get sun burned. I dont think it matters so much what the outside temp is but just the direct unfiltered sunlight. Starting them out in window light is good but when going outside you have to cut way back the amount of time they are in direct sun to start. Probably the best way to get them used to direct unfiltered sun is to start them out in tree shade for several days or more on those clear sunny days. That will give them a lot of time outside but less direct sun. Then gradually move them to spots that get a little more sun until they are taking a full day or most of a day of direct sun. The temp and wind are also a consideration so keep those in line at the same time. It takes a lot of attention and constant adjusting to start with. Especially when the outside weather doesnt want to help you out.

Monday was rainy so they stayed in the garage, but I had started hardening them off on Tuesday, just put them out on west side of house in the AM and moved them out of direct sun, let them have some direct sun Friday but they got hit by the late afternoon sun Friday. Have been more careful with them this weekend, some leaves on the bananas are bleached out but the others look fine. Have them out on the west side again this AM, will move them out of direct sun (to the east side, not the porch!) at noon, will continue hardening them off this week, will probably even keep most in pots for another week or 2 since they are so small. Hope to get the tomatoes in the ground this week, the ones started in Feb are really tall, I repotted them into 1-3 gallon pots last week and they have been outside 24/7 on the north side of garage for a few days.

Everything will have to come inside tonight since chance of hail tomorrow!

I have been thinking the same thing, esox. Most modern windows filter out a lot of UV. Outside - even in the shade probably has more UV bouncing around than you get indoors.

Yes, indeed! Outdoors, your shade is about five times brighter than your sunniest indoor window.
You guys have hit all the major points. The wind will dry leaves, which makes the entire plant less
able to tolerate the intense light and keep up with moisture loss.

Sometimes I luck out in that the early Spring sun isn't as intense at first.....
and as the sun becomes more intense, my oak trees leaf out to provide dappled sunlight.

Plants with established roots will almost always survive a sunscalding.

Josh

That explains why the bananas were affected and the others weren't. I hadn't thought of it, all these were started in a greenhouse - most have never been inside my house with low-e windows, but the banana peppers *were* since they came home with me earlier than the others. I was trying to baby them a little more, thinking more temps than UV though, so brough them back inside the house (not the garage) the first few nights but they got the same amount of sun as the others.

At least they should have pretty well-established roots, my cousin started them a month earlier than I did the hot peppers and they are about twice as tall.

Anybody have an answer to my original question? Thanks

Some do and some do not. I had a cayenne that grew to 5 feet high in the ground. I had one in a 3 gallon pot that only grew to 3 feet. I use bamboo to hold them up. Unlike maters peppers are much easier to anchor. Much stronger stems. I think it depends on the elements andtype of hot pepper plant to determine size.

My cayennes get as big or bigger as my bells. Same with my jalapenos. My anchos usually get bigger but my habaneros are shorter and bushier.

I haven't grown the others but from my experience pepper plants need support if they are very full of fruit and might be subjected to strong wind. A $1.99 cage provides peace of mind.

It depends alot on what and how you grow em as to how big they will get! There are many variables!
Had a few good size plants last year!

Kevin

HOLY Pepper forrest! man i wish i had enough land to make that happen! i excited that here in socal we are getting 70 for the next 4-5 days! the plants are going to enjoy the sunshine!

Give me a break. What planet did you take that photo on? I didn't know there was such a think as a pepper tree. I would almost be scared to walk through that garden without a machette.

HAHAHAAH Esox07! i would not walk around without a jump suit, i would be covered in hot pepper oil and be in PAIN!

Holy cow! What have you been feeding those things???

So should I plan on cages for all of my peppers? That's a lot of cages. I have some different varieties of bell peppers, plus Hinkelhatz, Thai Hot, Hot Portugal, cayenne, serrano tampiqueno, and Numex Sunrise and maybe I'll get a few early jals from my cousin though he sprayed everything with Rotenone so I don't know if I want them (trying to stay organic). About 45 plants right now. Thanks

Yah, I think that is actually the last known photo of wayright. He was never seen from again.

Kevin, you are such a showoff. . . . . . . .and for good reason too. You may need to hire a forester to manage that place for you brother.

BTW, did y'all know wayright is only 3'4" tall??? ;-) ;-) LOL

Haha Redtail!! Good call! ;)

I do know a forester named Dan that is welcome over anytime!
:)

Kevin

Wow, waywright. Those peppers must like that red, Georgia clay. That is quite the forest.

Thanks guys.
They love the clay Midwest! Thanks :)

Ajsmom, I wouldnt bother with cages! stakes do fine just tie em every once in awhile! Much easier IMO!

Tsheets, ya may be off by a few inches man!
But ya do crack me up!!
Cheers!

Kevin

Wayright - besides obviously great pepper weather and soil, you must be doing something 'way-right'. Can you share your fertilizer secret?

LOL. Damn Kevin!

Im hoping some of my plants will get that big. I got some plants in my garden with similar DNA as those plants ;)

Yeah, im also a fan of the stake and tie as needed method. I can get all the stake material for free, but i did buy a roll of that twine stuff this year for 4 bucks.

Jim

Nice peppers Kevin, I'm praying mine take off soon but with only 10 hours of sun in the last ten days, I dunno.

Those plants are AmaZing!
hope I have half the luck.

Thanks for sharing :)

Do peppers like tobacco smoke ;-) b/c I hear you shouldn't smoke around tomatoes LOL. Got some cages but also have 200 row feet of trenches dug (80 left to fill) so should have some room for peppers along with maters if I want to string them up.

Hey, shoontok, what kind of twine did you buy and where? I was planning on baling twine to string up my maters, but dad bought sisal and he says it'll rot in 1 season. I need 720 ft of something cheap that won't rot/break in 3 months of UV and wet, won't hurt the plants (don't want to buy 9000ft of poly baling twine that won't fit in the baler). TIA.