Serendipity - I was looking at that very pepper in my Totally Tomatoes catalog today wondering if it might work...still want to stick with some traditional Bell's though. Please keep me posted on how this pepper works for you this summer.

Tom

I haven't had good luck with bell's in the summer here. Any hot pepper does very well and the Cuban sweet peppers seem to do the best for me. But with the bell's I add a lot of cow manure to the soil before planting they are heavy feeders.

Great harvest there! I am growing a similar looking pepper called bullhorn and it seems to be doing well. Of course they aren't bell's, but what does that matter. These types are big enough to stuff lenthwise, if you wanted too. If you really like it, let one pepper fully ripen and save the seeds for next time. ;o)

I also have two Marconi's from HD which have some beautiful peppers on them. Each plant has 1 right now, but I have some flowers, so I'm hopeful that I'll get more peppers.

I'll definitely be seed-saving from these! They have been right next to a couple of problem-ridden tomatos all season, yet haven't had any problems themselves. :)

I have had one of the mini types produce decently-- the 'golden baby belle' from burpee and the 'yummy' from HD. They weren't prolific, but the latter had been kind of crowded out by some filet bean plants until recently. When I cleared them out a month ago, the pepper has set several new buds, but they are pokey.

We had luck with hot peppers, but we don't use them frequently enough to need an abundant plant. Either way, smaller varieties of any veggies seem to work best for me-- that way I get to them before any passing rabbits or raccoons!

Shelbey

How about an update on the Marconi's and the Bullhorn? Are they holding up well to the heat? Still good yields? Taste and texture like the Bell's? Based on your experiences I may just give up the Bell's and move to one of these....

The bull horns are doing great so far. Producing well, even through my neglect and late start. I have them in a pot, (not as neat as yours) and in the ground to try. The leaves look very good too, bright green and healthy. They look just like the macaroni's in size and shape. I got the plants from another GWer who grow them from seed.

My single plant is still in production. And very healthy looking. Near time for another harvest.

I believe that my plant from HD was labeled Marconi BullHorn. I will re-post a note after I look at it again to see if it is still setting buds.

Jimmy Nardello peppers produced a lot the few years I grew them. I need to order more seeds.
Cachucha peppers do amazingly well too. Although they are small, they're loaded with flavor.
I know these aren't the sweet peppers you're asking about, but I can't grow a bell pepper, tried, but no luck.
The bullhorn Katkin gave me is doing great, flowering up and healthy. But it has been dry so far. The true test for all peppers comes with the rain and humidity.
Timing is everything, I've found. If you have plants reach maturity during spring or fall the harvest is great.

Those Marconi's look wonderful! Another added to my "must grow" list.

They do grow here. In 2006 I had so many, I had to freeze them. Last year, I grew some from a packet of seeds bought at HD. They outdid themselves. I had reds, greens, purples, yellows and orange. The freeze in Feb/Mar put an end to most of them but about three survived and are currently blossoming.
My neighbors also have a lot of bell peppers. BTW I live in Apopka. So they DO grow here

First, Hi to Kat Kin...we're neighbors! :)

Second, I picked two of my marconi's and they were very good. I used one on a chicken recipe and the other went into making a small batch of salsa with some vine-ripe tomatos! YUM! That salsa passed hubby's taste-test and, since he's the salsa eater here, that's all that mattered!

Hi back at ya Lissa! Yes, we are neighbors.

Rosarama, well you go girl. Tell us your secret. ;o) Kidding aside, I think the bells do better as a winter crop, when it isn't as hot and humid.

Update on my first post. I contacted Bonnie and stated that their pepper that I grew from six-pack seedlings rapidly grew to four foot plants and gave me good production from fall right through the next summer. They stated that this was more likely the Big Bertha pepper, and I noted that the UF website lists Big Bertha as a good pepper for production in Florida. Any one else have experience with this one?

Regardless, I'm ordering some Marconi, Lino Lamuyo, Carmen and Corno de Toro (Bullhorn) seeds so if anyone else would like to try these drop me a line and once I have the seeds I'll send them on.

Big Bertha is the one I have too. I planted 3 plants in containers in April & they are about 4' tall. Doing very well & have loads more baby peppers coming.

Good to know phoebe. This fall I'm going to try the Big Bertha and Jupiter bells since both are listed at the UF website, and that will be it for me with the bells if they don't produce well. I've also purchased Marconi red/gold, and Corno di Toro red/gold so if anyone wants to try some of these seeds drop me a line.

Tom

Does Big Bertha "taste" like a regular Bell also?

Does Giant Marconi "taste" like a Bell?

Hot peppers do exceptionally well for me here and produce well till frost. The sweeter ones produce but not as well in general as the hot ones.. Last year I had one that was called a mexibell pepper and that one did really well. They were smaller than a regular bell pepper and had a little kick to them. Good stuffed with spanish rice if you like spicy stuff.

Cal Wonder was a total zero for me in 9B native soil. Maybe in a container it would be different. Carolina Wonder which is supposed to be nematode resistant is one I'd like to try or hear from someone who has.