Ornamental Pepper for Fall Market

2009

Objective

• To test if Ornamental Peppers can fit into mum production program for Fall Market.

Material and Methods

• Variety– Sangria– Chilly Chilli– Calico– Purple Flash– Black Pearl

Materials and Methods• Sowing date: 5/15/09• Plug tray size: 288 cells• Transplant: 6/24/09• Move to outdoors: 7/7/09• Container size: 8x5” mum pot• Number plant per pot: 1ppp, 2ppp, and 3ppp• Production site: outdoor• Fertilizer program: Constant fertilizer with

300ppm N, similar to Mum feed

Photo taken: 07/07/09

Calico (8/25/09)

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Purple Flash (8/25/09)

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Black Pearl (8/25/09)

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 9/16/09

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Sangria

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Chilly Chilli

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Calico

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Purple Flash

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Black Pearl

1 PPP 2 PPP 3 PPP

Photo taken: 09/24/09

Crop Time

• Plug crop time (288 tray): 6 weeks

• Transplant to finish:– Foliage only: 9-10 weeks– With mature fruit: 12-13 weeks

• Total crop time:– Foliage only: 15-16 weeks– With mature fruit: 18-19 weeks

Summary

• The trial demonstrated that Ornamental Peppers can fit Mum production program with the same mum fertilizer regime.

• In 8x5” mum pot, while it is doable with 1 plant per pot, it is recommended to use 2 to 3 plants per pot for premium quality plants.

Comparison between outdoor and greenhouse

production

Materials and Methods• The plants were sown at the same time (5/15/09) and were

grown under the same conditions until two weeks after transplanting.

• Afterward, plants were divided into two groups. One group was moved to the outdoors and grown with a similar fertilizer program as a mum. The other group was produced inside the greenhouse and treated with 200ppm N fertilizer once a week as other bedding plants.

• No PGR application for either inside and outside production.

• Pot size and number plants per pot: pot was 8x5” mum pot for outdoor and was gallon pot for inside greenhouse production. Both were with 3 plants per pot.

Sangria

Outdoor Greenhouse

Chilly Chili

Outdoor Greenhouse

Calico

Outdoor Greenhouse

Purple Flash

Outdoor Greenhouse

Black Pearl

Outdoor Greenhouse

Summary

• O. Peppers grown outdoors with heavy fertilizer (mum feed program) were much more compact and with more fruits than the plants grown inside greenhouse.

• Plants grown inside the greenhouse were a little stretched or with a looser canopy. They may need some Sumagic applications (see O. Pepper PGR response).

• For Calico and Purple Flash, the foliage colors were darker in outdoor production than indoor. This may not be a benefit for variagated foliage items, like Calico.