Foliage Pro 9-3-6. Sometimes when I am lazy I might also just reach for MG 24-8-16. The only problem with these ferts is that peppers will do best with a little more potassium. I use Dyna Gro Protekt 0-0-3 for that. In fairness I should add that this is what I say about everything grown in containers. It's always Foliage Pro or Miracle Grow plus ProTetk for plants that do best with potassium being the same or a little higher than the nitrogen.

Chalstonsc asks: "Al, in another thread you said you would probably still add dolomitic lime to your 5:1:1 mix as a PH buffer, even with using Foliage Pro. I'm using the 5:1:1 mix, had some problems with BER with my "paste" tomatoes last year (although I recognize as I think Justaguy has pointed out before that BER can happen for any of number of reasons) and would like to know if you think I should add the dolomitic lime in addition to the Foliage Pro." When we have an acidic medium it means we have lots of Hydrogen ions causing the low pH. Hydrogen is the 'H' in 'pH' - potential Hydrogen. Even though most container plants are capable of growing at the pH level of 5.0 (or even lower), which is where the 5:1:1 mix comes in if unlimed, we see Ca and Mg as marginally unavailable and we start getting closer to potential toxicity issues with Fe (iron), Mn (manganese) and AL (aluminum). These are some good reasons why I lime the 5:1:1 mix, but not the only reason. H concentrations are mainly associated with the (colloidal) surfaces of the organic component of the medium. In acid mediums, a high % of the colloidal surfaces are taken up by H (and aluminum) ions. When we add anything that soaks up H ions to our soils, it raises pH. It makes good sense to use something the plant can use, so we generally stick with compounds that contain Ca and Mg, or sometimes K. Ca in soils can be either reactive or residual. When we apply Ca to a medium with a pH of around 5.0 the Ca will be very reactive until the medium's colloidal surfaces have soaked up all the Ca they can hold. After that, there is more residual Ca in soil solution that is more readily available for plant uptake. This is why I suggested that the 5:1:1 mix should still be limed, even if you are using a fertilizer that contains Ca in the proper proportion relative to N. Since the Gritty Mix already has a pH of around 6.0, it's not as important that a liming agent is used - as long as you are using a fertilizer that includes Ca and Mg in a favorable ratio and a favorable % relative to N. Changing gears to a comment about BER in early fruits: Though it may not be applicable to JaG's situation, mixing a soil that includes a liming agent & then planting in it soon after can still leave Ca unavailable for 2-3 weeks. It can take that long for the pH adjustment to occur, and during that time, what Ca is available is mostly reactive and marginally available. The same would be true when using the FP 9-3-6 in unlimed soils. The Ca component may have been initially reactive and partly unavailable, a condition perhaps avoidable by the inclusion of a liming agent if warranted. Al

LOL it was at a sweetbay where I found it. having looked at a bunch of pics, it does not look like the jamaican hot chocolate, especially since those are supposed to be smaller than a normal hab, and this one is enormous, far larger than my orange habs. the descriptions on thehotpepper refer to the normal choc hab as the st bernard of habs, leading me to think that's what this one is. it's also quite wrinkly like a normal choc hab. gonna eat it with my lunch today, maybe flavor will be an indication (not only an indication of what it is, but also whether to grow it next year). maybe next year I'll make some brown hot sauce. that oughta look appetizing.

THanks patti, for putting up the link, I am either going to do this in my grandson's room or give it to his schools art class, I think it would be a great project for an art class and if they put it on a large piece of plywood they could auction it off...I just thought it was awesome. Huggy