Norma, you're not butting in at all. Anyone is welcome to ask questions. :-) Epsom Salts contain Magnesium (not sodium), magnesium is essential in small doses to the successful production of chlorophyll. Per Wikipedia: In agriculture and gardening, magnesium sulfate is used to correct magnesium deficiency in soil (magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule). It is most commonly applied to potted plants, or to magnesium-hungry crops, such as potatoes, roses, tomatoes, peppers and cannabis. The advantage of magnesium sulfate over other magnesium soil amendments (such as dolomitic lime) is its high solubility. Since Brugmansia is in the same family as potatoes and tomatoes (Solanaceae), they are considered a magnesium hungry crop. Hope that helps! Ryan

Same problems with heat and flower drop up here in northern California. I had all my potted superhot peppers on the back deck so that I could keep an eye on them. But I noticed that the morning sun, reflecting off the windows and heating the deck, was causing the plants to wilt right at the prime time when the flowers would be pollinated. The plant that had the most shade - the Bhut Jolokia - did set a nice pod, so I decided to take my container peppers down to the garden, where they could enjoy dappled sun throughout the day. Within two days in the shadier location, all of my plants have begun to set pods. And, of course, they're all covered in flowers. I have a friend who recently moved from the foothills to the upper Sacramento valley into an apartment. He put his peppers on top of his balcony to get maximum sun, but all of his flowers and even his set pods began to fall off. So I told him to put his plants below the rail in some shade. I haven't checked back with him yet, but I think his plants will be doing better. Josh

I suggest you buy some powder from a friend of mine that will allow you to keep your tolerance and maybe even boost it up a little. Here is a link . Here is a link that might be useful: pepper powder

I smoke, dry, and make various blends from any and all peppers that get red ripe, along with some yellow, orange, and soon to be white superhots too. I buy large red bells when on sale to use as a base pepper, then blend in some of everything else I grow to make various heat levels... usually mild, medium and hot in both powders and flakes. For smoke, I use hickory and sometimes oak together. Many like pecan. Some like mesquite (I don't). Four hours of smoke at low temps (125 to 140) is enough, then switch to electric heat at the same temps until completely dry, usually overnight. Ps, No matter whether you're smoking peppers or meat, don't apply the smoke until the surfaces are no longer moist/wet. I leave my vents wide open for the first hour of electric heat to dry them out, then switch to a hibachi with several ashen charcoals and overnight-soaked hardwood to get the smoke rolling. This method will give you that perfect pink 1/4" deep smoke ring in your meat (since smoke won't penetrate wet meat/peppers until dry) while not leaving you with a wet off-tasting smoke flavor (image the smell of a burned out building after the fire has been put out). I know a venison sausage maker that doesn't understand this principle and his all-electric wet-smoked sausage tastes just like that building. Yuk. Anyway, I like the pepper blends. Maybe some here can be more specific with what individual peppers types make their favorite flakes and powders, I just haven't gone that route, yet. This post was edited by mecdave on Wed, Jan 14, 15 at 19:18