california wonders more california flop! grow again???

**MartinRSharpe** · 02-09-2012, 11:11 AM

Hi Darcyvuqua

I suspect your not alone in your disappointment with peppers this year. It's not been great for peppers (or Tomatoes....or many things other than lettuce for me!)

At least you have had some go red, I have about 10-12 peppers across 4-5 plants (cal wonder or about 3rd gen decendents!) but the first are only just starting to turn.

I don't bother over wintering my peppers, they are fairly easy to grow, you can collect seeds easily from the fruit so I just shred and compost them at the end of the year when the last pepper is picked (picked as needed for cooking)

So I would say give them a go next year, hopefully we will have some sun!

**darcyvuqua** · 02-09-2012, 11:15 AM

its just crazy when you see pictures of them with flowers everywhere and loads of fruit you grow them with love (lol) and you get 2 fruit per plant

are they any good from saved seed?

**Dusty Rhodes** · 02-09-2012, 11:21 AM

When grown under the right conditions, California Wonder peppers are very productive. I would start fresh for next season, since the plants you have may be stunted.

**darcyvuqua** · 02-09-2012, 11:24 AM

thanks dusty i will start a fresh next year i just wonder if any other variety would be better for next year

**MartinRSharpe** · 02-09-2012, 11:25 AM

I seem to get a good germination rate, similar to the "new" seed. The fruit changes shape a bit each year which can be interesting. Last year I had one that i think must have cross pollinated with a Chili to give that seed, so the fruit that it produced were a bit odd, closer to a sweet pepper with a rounded end.

I suppose with over wintering, if you have somewhere you can put them where its above 3-4C then great, you will get an early start. I just sow a couple of seedlings in about Feb and then a few more a few weeks later and some more in April and most years have had plenty of peppers.

I move house (hopefully) in a couple of months, so should have a lot more space. So thinking about it I might try over wintering this years and see how they do next year.

**MartinRSharpe** · 02-09-2012, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by darcyvuqua View Post

i just wonder if any other variety would be better for next year

Depends what you are after, lots of fruit, very big fruit, shape, taste etc.

Have a look though some of the seed websites and as you have a few months, wait for the special offers :-)

**darcyvuqua** · 02-09-2012, 11:41 AM

lots of tasty fruit really not bothered about the shape or size think i might try and overwinter 2 just as an experiment

**Dusty Rhodes** · 02-09-2012, 11:51 AM

Originally posted by darcyvuqua View Post

thanks dusty i will start a fresh next year i just wonder if any other variety would be better for next year

It's always fun to try new varieties. If searching for something new, there are lots of tasty Hungarian and Italian varieties out there.

**Alison** · 02-09-2012, 07:02 PM

I think that Californian Wonder are a pretty rubbish type of sweet pepper and never did very well with them when I tried. My favourite ones have all been bought from Real Seeds where they have a very good range of early types which are well suited to the UK climate. I find that my Orange Bell are particularly good, I regularly save seeds but always make sure that I isolate the plant I'm saving from so that the seeds are true as the last thing I want is them to cross with my hot chillies or any of the other varieties if there is a type I really like.

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