Tony wrote: > ... I believe that the closer spacing gave bigger stronger plants... Tony, I think you may be right about the space. The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum had a hot peppers trial about 4 years ago. Their instructions did not say why but their instructed to plant 3 seeds per planting hole. I noted that the plantings had very thick, taller stalks and more fruits than those singly planted. Unfortunately, it was a cool, wet summer and fruits were very slow in maturing. October brought one windy, cold night with windchill factors below freezing -- instant frozen, partially ripened peppers. By mid afternoon of the next day, all the fruits had collapsed in the warmth of the sun. I also discovered that the seeds inside a large number of the fruits were black and molding. Long-season crops are a Northern gardener's nightmare. Renee