Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Lardman on August 31, 2014, 11:06
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What's the point ? ??? I've just harvest my first red bell pepper (Californian wonder) and frankly it was rubbish. The skin was tough the flesh was thin,chewy and lacked any juice at all. I've only ever managed to get them to the green stage before but if this is as good as they get, they'll have to put in "not worth bothering" column.
Bad experience or do we just not have the climate to make it worth while?
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Never had any like growing these. Thought I'd give it one last go this year but again disappointment so I shall not be bothering again.
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Same here too I will not be growing them next year.
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Best crop ever for me. Have just cut up two and they are wonderfully crisp and juicy. I grew them in my polytunnel as others who try outside don't seem to have much success.
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I've had my greenhouse for 7 years now and last year was the only crop of bell peppers that I could say grew perfectly.
This year they keep being eaten by little cattypiddlers :mad:
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I've just harvest my first red bell pepper (Californian wonder) and frankly it was rubbish.
California Wonder seems to be the variety perpetually available - like Moneymaker tomatoes - which in my view are a disappointment, and I wonder why seed companies produce them (clearly lots of people like them enough to buy the seed??)
I've had a lot more success with the poncy F1 varieties ... bought in the 50p-a-packet sales, otherwise each seed costs more than the cost of buying Peppers in the supermarket!!!
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I've never seen California Wonder - Bell boy is the common bell pepper down here :)
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We fail every year but its one of those I just have to try and fail at ;). Next year trying the tunnel
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Californian Wonder is the variety I've grown this year - for me they aren't as bad as Lardman has found them, but they don't compare particularly favourably with supermarket-bought sweet peppers, and are nothing like some I grew a few years ago which were fleshy, juicy, sweet and tasty.
Unfortunately I can't tell you the variety name because they were part of a pack of mixed pepper seeds (and most of the other varieties in the pack were very average.)
For the record, the Californian Wonder were sown indoors, transferred to the GH, then back to a sunny windowsill about 4 weeks ago because I thought they might otherwise never ripen (when they do they go more or less straight from green to red.)
I don't find bell peppers particularly difficult to grow, but it would be nice to hear of a variety which reliably makes it worth the effort.
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I've never seen California Wonder - Bell boy is the common bell pepper down here :)
I see Bell Boy (and Green / Red Bell, from memory) sold as plants in the Spring, but pretty sure they aren't on the seed racks aroundabout these parts :)
it would be nice to hear of a variety which reliably makes it worth the effort.
Snap! :)
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I have grown Doux d'espagne successfully in the greenhouse borders for yearsand have saved some seeds, so I could send a few if any of our regular members want to try them.
pm me.
Can't promise success, and I'm not sure how they would do in a pot, either, as they're greedy plants IMO - but you're welcome to try them ;)
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I've never had much luck with these. This year, I have two enormous plants, one with two peppers on it, and the other with three. The best ones I ever grew were from seeds that I knocked out of a supermarket long type. I was making a salad, and it was about time to sow seeds for peppers, so I just sowed the ones from the bought peppers. They came true, and it was the best crop I've ever had. Loads of sweet, juicy, large fruits. Gues I know what I'm going to do next year.
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Last year I grew gypsy and I was very pleased with them both in flavour, crop and quality. I don't have a greenhouse so I had just 4 plants crammed in a little growhouse.
This year I have grown "mini bell red" which have been pleasing but not that plentiful and also "tasty grill red" which so far look ok but just 3 large green peppers on one plant!
I bought a packet of california wonder in the wyevale sale (noticed when I got back that you got far more in the pack for the money than any other pepper!!) as it was about all they had left, not so sure about them now, might look out for a packed of Gypsy to grow again!
Hannah
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I've been getting 2 good sized peppers per plant, later ones have been better but nothing to write home about. Really think to justify their place they'd need to give 15-20 peppers or have outstanding taste. Off to room 101 with bell peppers. If I forget and you see me with seeds and compost next year can you please remind me ;)
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I've been getting 2 good sized peppers per plant, later ones have been better but nothing to write home about. Really think to justify their place they'd need to give 15-20 peppers or have outstanding taste. Off to room 101 with bell peppers. If I forget and you see me with seeds and compost next year can you please remind me ;)
But next year could be the year Lardman, we have to keeo trying otherwise we'd have nothing to moan about...... Go on just one more try. :lol:
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I'm going to try cordon growing for my Peppers next year.
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Best peppers I've ever grown were red and yellow Di Asti peppers from Seeds of Italy.
This year, however, I bought plants in and they're utterly useless. Must remember to get new seeds for next year.
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I've been getting 2 good sized peppers per plant, later ones have been better but nothing to write home about. Really think to justify their place they'd need to give 15-20 peppers or have outstanding taste. Off to room 101 with bell peppers. If I forget and you see me with seeds and compost next year can you please remind me ;)
I got 12 good-sized Californian Wonder peppers from 3 plants in an 18" window trough (yes, they are overcrowded but they grew bigger than expected!) A couple of small ones too, but all the others dropped off as the plants presumably couldn't carry any more to maturity under the growing conditions provided.
Not bad, but I will keep looking for a variety which produces truly outstanding fruits - not planning to give up as I do think they're quite easy and also good fun to grow.
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I have had a really good crop of Californian Wonder even though I have had a bad whitefly infestation - each of three plants still has about 10 peppers on it and I have already picked quite a few. Only thing is they are not turning red yet - but that is not too much of a problem as I like the fresh taste of green peppers. :)