[ garden ] :: 2014 pepper varieties

The other day, I posted about the tomato varieties I am growing this year. I am pleased to announced that they began sprouting! My pepper plants started germinating last week after planting them in mid-January.

In this growing zone (zone 8), January and February are the months to start your peppers indoors. I chose to buy my seeds from Burpee this year for three reasons: 1)  I have had success with Burpee seeds and plants in the past, 2) you get  $10 off of a $50 purchase with the code BTEN at checkout*, and 3) when using the "Shop & Earn" feature from Swagbucks, you get 9 Swagbucks per dollar spent (or 9% cash back). Check out Swagbucks here if you haven't already!

*When you sign up for Burpee's email newsletter, you can get $10 off of a $40 purchase!

Throughout the spring and summer, I will be updating the progress of these different pepper varieties. The Hubs loves eating peppers, so I chose a variety of sweet and hot peppers for grilling, pickling, and stuffing.

Tangerine Dream

This should be a good pepper for growing in containers. I am looking forward to keeping them on our deck so we can pluck a few off and toss them straight on the grill! Based on the reviews, this pepper is very prolific and quite easy to grow. $4.95 for 30 seeds.

The Godfather Hybrid

I got this sweet pepper for The Hubs based on the name alone, but it reminds me of the large, sweet Italian peppers I like to get from the Farmer's Market. $5.95 for 30 seeds.

Sweet Bananarama

Banana peppers are a staple in my summer garden. They are delicious on the grill with kebabs, or as pickled peppers. $5.95 for 30 seeds.

Big Guy Hybrid

Giant jalepenos for stuffing? 'Nuff said. $5.95 for 30 seeds.

Sweet Thing Pepper

I thought these looked pretty. That is the sole reason why I chose this pepper. $5.95 for 30 seeds.

Hot Salsa Mix

This pepper mix includes five varieties of plants: Hungarian Wax, Anaheim Chili, Long Slim Red Cayenne, Ancho (Poblano) and Jalapeno M. I planted enough seeds to yield 12 plants, but unfortunately I won't know what the plants are until they begin to bear fruit. It's a surprise! $4.95 for 100 seeds.

Hopefully this list has taken some of the guesswork out of choosing pepper varieties for your garden. Remember that starting seeds is easy - you just need a warm, sunny place indoors, soil, and water. Read here for more information on how to get started. Happy gardening!

- Maggie White

Update: the "Sweet Thing" and "Banarama" peppers germinated very easily, in about a week. The seedlings are looking quite strong!