On 29 Sep 2005 00:38:05 -0700, "NOLAguyXM"
wrote:

I started a Jalapeno plant very late in the season. I am just
beginning to see flower buds. However, the nighttime temps in
Baltimore are beginning to reach between 50 and 60. What are my
chances of getting peppers from this plant???


Not very good.


Right now there is no
mulch, so I was thinking about laying a black plastic sheet around the
plant, hoping to retain some of the daytime heat. Any suggestions?

You might try making a plastic cloche, too, as you're going to have to
protect it from frost if you're serious about getting peppers. I'm far
south of you, in South Carolina, and I've nursed my plants along until
mid-December before, but it was a lot of work, and the fruit
production dropped off to almost nothing. It's pretty simple to get
through the first couple of frosts, or even one hard freeze, but if
there are several nights of freezing temperature in a row, the plant
is screwed without some sort of heat source.

The temperature is certainly a major part of the equation, but
decreasing hours of sunlight and intensity also effect pepper
production. It would be much simpler to dig up the pepper, move it
inside, and put it under artificial lights.

Interestingly, at least to me, was how different varieties tolerated
the cool/cold weather. The Lemon Drops (_C baccatuum_), Chocolate
habs, Limon, Pimento De Cheiro ( _C chinense_), and Fish (_C annuum_)
held their leaves and maintained marginal pepper production up until
the final freeze. The Corno Di Toro, Almapaprika, (C annuum_),
Trinidad Seasoning, (_C chinense_), and most of the others starting
dropping their leaves as soon as the weather turned cool, and only
ripened the peppers they had already produced.


Penelope