[CH] Re: Chile-head wannabe
Alex Silbajoris (asilbajo@hotmail.com)
Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:51:20
>From: "Lora Bannan" <stitch@lakemac.net>
>I guess I'm a beginner Chile-head.
*Sigh* they're cute when they're so fresh and innocent...
>So...what are the basics I need in my garden to
>become more of a Chile-head?
It sounds like you have a good start, just keep in mind that it will
probably take trial and error and observation to get the gardens in good
shape. Some basic suggestions:
- some large and mild varieties for use in stuffing, fajitas, stir-frys,
etc., where you want a lot of pepper bulk and maybe some heat
- some medium-heat varieties suitable for salsas, salads, canning, and
general cooking, sometimes for drying if thin-walled
- some hot nasties for when your better sense abandons you in the kitchen
and you want a nice kick - small peppers to add to salsas and dishes, or for
pickling, or drying for powders, maybe smoking
- consider "the usual suspects" used along with chiles, like tomatoes,
tomatillos, herbs, onions, garlic, etc., which could go along with the
peppers into a fresh salsa or chili
You're right about the manure, get more! You're lucky to have a lot of sand
already; around here in central Ohio the soil is normally heavy clay and I
usually have to add sand to help loosen it. Another trick of mine is to
scavenge old mulch from around landscape trees; sometimes it piles up for
years and gradually becomes a decent soil amendment.
Make notes of what people here say about garden location, such as sunlight
times, etc., that work best for peppers. Let the experiences of others help
you. Soon all the Northern Hemisphere folks will be talking about
harvesting and processing, while the Southern Hemisphere folks will start
talking about seedlings and greenhouses.
Oh, and tell us where you are - Nebraska sandhills? Carolina sandhills?
Michigan sandhills?
- A
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