Show March 161994 Supplement to The Richfield Ileaperlleaper Extra Peppers Come In An Array Of Varieties By Adrienne Cook SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON WASHINGTON POST — For many years peppers have ranked among the 10 most popular garden plants according to surveys by the National Gardening Association While tomatoes invariably top the list peppers consi- follow stently closely demonstrating they too are highly regarded by most gardeners And it’s only looking up for pepper lovers In contrast to five years ago when fewer than a sweet types and only the most familiar of the hot kinds were available to home gardeners today’s array of pepper varieties is dizzying Most often the newer pepper plants can be found through specialty seed catalogs but increasingly even the more conservative local garden centers are carrying them Sweet and hot are the two broad categories to which most peppers belong Sweet peppers scant in half-doze- the heat-producin- g n chemical called capsaicinoid include a rainbow of bell peppers (red yellow orange purple black white and lilac as well as the familiar green) and many kinds called “frying" peppers Hot peppers come in dozens of shapes colors and degrees of hotness determined primarily by the level of capsaicinoids The most sophisticated palates can distinguish not only degrees of hotness but also subtle permutations in pungency so that one pepper might deliver an oaky spiciness while another gives a citrusy fire Although peppers can be temperamental when young — they abhor cold weather and can be permanently set back by a chilly start in the garden — if given warmth they are nearly care-fre- e as they mature Plants usually can go in the ground any time near the end of May horn-shape- d Ideally soil temperatures should be above 60 degrees w hen seedlings go in To add warmth to cool soil in late spring many gardeners cover their pepper beds with black plastic a few days before planting The black plastic should be removed before the end of June for pepper roots will stop growing in soil temperatures that top 85 degrees Plants are spaced according to their estimated size at maturity Sweet varieties typically are the largest of pepper plants getting to three or four feet tall Cayennes and jalapenos are big plants too and serranos which have a very different appearance from other peppers because they are in fact a different species also reach heights of three or four feet These large plants should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart They also should be offered some support either a cage similar to tomato cages or a strong stake the plant can be fastened to as it grows It is true that pepper plants are strong branchers and often very sturdy and bushy how- ever modern varieties boast heavy meaty fruit which is quite capable of weighing down branches sufficiently to break them Many of the super-ho- t types such as Thai hot pepper and Fire are small dainty plants that need no support These are excellent plants to place among annual flowers or in a perennial bed for not only are they fine hot peppers they also are very showy Once established and growing vigorously peppers exhibit few problems and are free of most pests and diseases Slugs can be a problem and pepper plants are no less susceptible to the nightroving pests than other young seedlings in the spring garden Until the ground dries out and the summer's temperatures inhibit slugs try to deter them by sprinkling wood ash or diatoma-ceou- s earth around the plants If large chunks of foliage are missmeasure is ing a more-drasti- c necessary Fashion cloches from jars milk jugs or plastic bottles I & Clean Installation I Intermountain Landscaping I First 10 Feet Free L nights while fruits grow will cause stunting How rapidly peppers color up is subject to temperatures too Most varieties are slow to mature spending half their lifetime growing the other half ripening If fruits do not reach maturity until September many may never achieve their ripe color since coloring occurs when temperatures hold at around 75 degrees Color notwithstanding mature peppers are much higher in vitamin C than immature ones In fact a fully grown ripe sweet pepper is higher in vitamin C than a tomato of the same weight It is a common misapprehension that hot and sweet peppers should not be planted together e lest they spicing up the sweet or diluting the hot occur Should the result would show up in ensuing generations of peppers Rather as with so many pepper charcross-pollinat- cross-pollinatio- n acteristics the weather affects flavor as well as habit Kids Like Vegetables If They Can Grow Them Garden Ideas math ASSOCIATED PRESS FEATURES Anyone who has tried to coax even the smallest sampling of spinach onto a child's plate knows that most kids and vegetables are like oil and water — they simply don’t mix Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living magazine explains that the children at Edna McGuire School in Mill Valley Calif are different Because they are involved in producing these vegetables the kids are thrilled to sink their teeth into the lettuce onions broccoli and other vegetables that flourish in the gardens behind their class- rooms The school inherited the garden once used by re developmentally handicapped people — in 1990 Since then teachers parents and community volunteers have been introducing students to the pleasures of gardening The completely organic beds of vegetables herbs bulbs and ornamental flowers have become an outdoor learning lab that gardening experipairs hands-oence with classroom lessons in science art writing nutrition and n The gardens have not only made learning more fun but also have refined the children’s pal- ates “We see a lot of changes in the kids’ diets for snacks" says Susan teacher Reynolds the third-grade who coordinates the project "They will come out in the garden and eat spinach when they wouldn’t touch it at home They love to pick a salad" Each class kindergarten through sixth grade is assigned one of the 17 beds Last year students planted spinach beets lettuce cabbage kale broccoli bok choi leeks onions radishes chard snow peas brussels sprouts potatoes herbs and cover crops to enrich the soil between plantings Each class takes responsibility for tilling planting weeding pruning waand harvesttering ing their plot dead-headin- g Better Vegetable Variety Selection Improves Garden Edge Of Distinction Scott Mason Owner of Intermountain I aim! scaping demonstrates a new concept in concrete edging With his new machine he can beautify your yard with a high quality attractive new Uok fast and clean at a reasonable price Bringing New Landscaping Service To The Richfield Area Inicrinountain Landscaping has gained the reputation of quality work in the Richfield area otfering services of landscape design anil installation sprinkler system installation yard preparation garden tilling sod and seeding and trenching just to name a few In a team effort with Anderson Floral they have joined together to provide low and competitive prices for all of central Utah Intermountain Landscaping’s newest service is installation of a continuous concrete landscape border which can beautify your yard By Offer Applies To 100 ft or Mors Can 896-454- 9 Expires garden Varieties listed in the above chart are some of the best from test and demonstration gardens in Utah However these are not the only varieties that grow well and provide good eating Most of these varieties can be found in nurseries and seed outlets with an attractive new’ look The new machine is very versatile and with it’s flexibility of design allows curves turns and contours Installation is fast clean and is less expensive than many other comparable curb installations Anderson Floral has supplies for all your yard and garden needs including fertilizers mulches shrubs trees and has a w ide variety of bedding plants and garden vegetables For free estimates call Scott Mason at Intermountain Landscaping or Craig Anderson at Anderson Floral any time 896-641- 6 Markers Rugged Built To Last Built In Richfield To Meet The Needs Of Local Growers Variety selection can make a big difference in the success of a BEAUTIFUL! Permanent Concrete Mower Strips (Edging) Fast and place them over the young plants at night Peppers more than almost any other garden plants are governed by the weather Cud nights early in their growth promote branching branching in turn generates fruit production However cool 3 4 5 6 ROW ROW ROW ROW MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER Hendrickson Welding & Machine 175 North 5th East 896-524- 1 |