OK people, this is what I have been doing since the last 2 months! This chili type is called Joe E. Parker, but here in Pakistan it is called German-mirach (German chili). It is mild, not hot, and can grow as long as 8 inches! Joe K. Parker chili ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Joe E. Parker chili (up close). ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Joe E. Parker chili plants together. ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
My, those are big ones. I could mistake them for strange peppers and I don't think I would like to discover my mistake.
I grow peppers and chillies here in Scotland but in a greenhouse because of our weather conditions. Yours are so much larger than the ones I have so maybe I'll try Joe E. Parker's here if I can find them.
And if you can't find the seeds, then just let me know - And I'll try mailing you some! Over here too, the seeds of this one are not easy to find... But one day (a little over 2 months ago) I saw that my local vegetable seller was throwing away chilies that had gone bad. So I bought some from him (very cheap) to put in my compost. However I then saw 2 very big Joe E. Parkers in the heap, so I decided to dry them in the sun - And then instead of putting in the compost, I extracted the seeds to plant. Therefore these 3 pictures above are the result! So I've now got a total of 6 healthy young plants! The thing with this type of chili (which I have discovered on my own) is that it really grows very fast. The 5 inch long one shown in the picture is just 16 days old (from flower to this state)!
Aside from this type, I also have a few others. This one is called Explosive Ember - And as the name suggests, it is devastatingly hot!!! Flower of an Explosive Ember chili ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Young Explosive Ember chili purple in color ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Explosive Ember chilies changing color to red ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Fully mature Explosive Ember chili ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
My husband and youngest son love really hot peppers and chillies. I don't eat them myself but grow them for them to enjoy. I will have a look for the Explosive Ember seeds when I'm looking for the Joe E. Parker's. Thanks for posting about these types of chillies S-H as I'm always on the lookout for new varieties. :-D
In that case, here is one more type of chili that I have been growing in my home. It is called Holiday Cheers. This however is not hot, but slightly sweet tasting. Amazingly, it is (to my knowledge anyway) the only chili pepper that is totally spherical. Size it about 3 quarters of an inch in diameter, while the plant can grow to about 18 inches tall. Oh and believe it or not, it (the chili) is is full of water! Holiday Cheers 1 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Holiday Cheers 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
WOW!! S-H you really got many chilli varieties. I always plant chilli from the seeds from the chillies that my wife bought from the market. However the chillies here grow very well but it is dfficult for them to turn red without getting infected with disease or pest. I consulted with a vegetable farm supplies dealer and was told that chilli need a lot of pesticides and all sort of other 'cides to get good red chillies commercially. I practice organic farming so I never use any kind of chemicals at all.How is it like for you in your area?
Here, check it out - I just found a place online (in UK) from where you can buy seed of Joe E. Parker (along with a lot of others too)! Explosive Ember and Holiday Cheers are not listed. But I say don't worry, as I can always send you some seeds. In fact, why don't we trade!? For example (when spring comes), I can send you the ones which are not listed - In exchange for NuMex Twilight! Anyway just look at the "Big Jim" in that list - I had read elsewhere that it can grow as big as a foot long and almost 2 inches in diameter!!! And Jolokia, well, that too is a true bomb! http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/gardeners_world_hot_stuff_chilli_seed.htm
I love the color of the Explosive Ember chili! I dont eat em (though I know someone who might!), but I would like to grow that as an ornamental
Yes I too always try and avoid pesticides. But sometimes we have no choice. However I do understand the need to grow vegetables at home, which is to have them pesticide free - So using chemicals basically defeats the whole point... The pests which bother me are not too many. As my climate is very hot for about 10 months a year. So the heat ends up killing most garden pests - Except for butterflies, (however I personally don't consider them as pests). But leaf mealybugs are a big problem (if you allow them to fester). So I initially try to control them by squirting soap water with a glass syringe - I use glass because the rubber plunger of the plastic syringes easily swells up after using it a few times, and so the whole thing soon becomes useless. Anyway if you put soap water on leaf mealybug, then they should instantly change color from white to orange (if this does not happen then your soap solution is not strong enough). So this is my way of controlling mealybugs. However sometimes the plant gets too many of them, so I have no choice but to use a strong pesticide. Sometimes something funny also happens, and that is if you are living close to the sea over here. As then the salt spray from the ocean automatically drives all the pests away! But then you run into another problem, which is that your plants then start dying from salt. So we have to wash them with water twice a day.
Believe it or not, they (Explosive Ember) are the secret ingredient of my Chili Pizza! :-D I think I should now post how to make it in the recipe section. Chili Pizza ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Yes, I guess this solves the mystery why I grow so many different types of chilies! Young Joe E. Parter plant ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Many thanks for the link S-H. I will store it away in my favourites and will be ordering seeds later on in the year. Do post the recipe for your pizza as it's another favourite of my husbands. He could eat chillies on just about anything but he does love pizza. :-D
When I have time, I will also show everyone how I make chili sauce from my Explosive Embers! Explosive Ember chili sauce. ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
