Leaf Beetles Are of the Devil, But Chili Peppers Are Devine

Each year for the last four or five years, I have canned (jarred) chili peppers. I grew up on pepper, so I have a very sincere relationship with the green and red meanies. I've eaten plenty of them from all varieties. There are probably only a couple that I won't every eat again. Usually anything from the far east will cause me to avert my attention. I ate one of those Thai peppers that about caught my hair on fire.

I ate a fresh picked scotch bonnet (habanero) once on a drunken bet and I am very cautious of those, too. However, they have such wonderful flavor and are superb in cooking - especially in queso (cheese dip) or Caribbean jerk sauces.

This isn't the exact bug, but its close. One got into my Fresno Chili plant yesterday. Fortunately, I have them in pots and can move them into the garage for a day until I can develop some sort of repellent.

Since I intend on actually using the chilies once they mature, I'll be using some sort of non-chemical solution. I found this over at Garden Guides, so I'll give it a try.

Step 1

Place 1 quart warm water, 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper and 1 Tbsp. mild liquid detergent in a bowl. Chop the six cloves of garlic and the small onion into small pieces and add to the water in the bowl.

Step 2

Use a plastic spoon to stir your solution together well without bubbling up the dish liquid. Stir the mixture occasionally, every four to five hours, over the course of a day and let it sit overnight.

Step 3

Strain the mix through a mesh strainer into another bowl. Set a funnel over the opening of the spray bottle and pour the liquid portion of the mix into the spray bottle.

Step 4

Spray the undersides and tops of leaves, as well as the stems and anywhere you have seen pests gathering on the tomato and pepper plants. Avoid spraying the actual tomato and pepper fruits themselves. For the most impact, spray the solution in the morning when no rain is expected so the solution is on the plant for as long as possible.

Step 5

Repeat applications with this solution as often as needed to control infestation and keep your plants healthy.

I also saw a male and female version of Carolina Wrens hopping around in search of some sort of bug-eyed creatures. Too bad they didn't eat the a-hole beetle.

I chose the Fresno for a couple of reasons. First being that I don't think I've ever had one. I really wanted to grow something that is a little exotic from what I typically use in cooking. I'm well acquainted with the jalapeno, poblano, bell, anaheim, yellow banana, cherry, serrano, and others.

I was hoping to find a piquin (or one of its Texas native cousins that look like peas or some such). My grandmother use to grow them. Eh, I settled on these.











The Fresno Pepper - Also known as Caribe Guero and Kenyan. This chile is about the same size as a Jalapeño, only with broader shoulders. A bit hotter than the Jalapeño. 75 days to ripen. Plants grow to 30 inches. (Capsicum annuum).

But for now, I have pests to conquer.