Sunday, February 14, 2016

Let the 2016 pepper season BEGIN!

It's Valentine's Day, so we're putting out our first post of the year, chock full of BobbyGitr Pepper Love!  

Illinois winters are cold, but we're burning with excitement about 2016!  Super-hot growers know there isn't a break in the pepper season--it's a year-round process.  That said, we have been planning and prepping for the next year since last year, and already have a little bit of joy to share!  Hope this  behind-the-scenes peek into what we've been doing in the 'off season' gets you pumped:

First...

We've grown super hots and made our own sauce since 2011.  Not long after, we started seeking out less common pepper varieties at the local farmer's market.  I found a gentleman--he, a horticulturalist, his wife, a botanist--who raised several different types of plants that weren't sold elsewhere.  We started chatting about gardening, and I shared how much I hated tearing out the plants in the fall after harvest because it meant starting all over again in the spring.  He said that, according to his wife, peppers are considered tropical plants, and that we ought to try bringing in our favorites over the winter.  "You can treat them like houseplants, " he said.  "Just put them in pots, cut them back, and replant them after the last frost in the spring."  

The Chosen Ones
We have done this successfully for three straight years, and I'm happy to say that (despite a poor decision on my part to put them outside on an odd warm and rainy day in December that killed two) we have kept the tradition alive, and look forward to returning our healthiest Reaper,  UBSC, and a possible Chocolate Fatali/Trinidad Scorpion crossbreed to the garden in 2016.   

SPEAKING OF THIS YEAR... 

As the title of this post implies, THE 2016 SEASON HAS BEGUN!  

On Sunday, February 7th, We planted over 400 peppers in 18 different varieties (including the world-famous Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion Red, and Peach Bhut Jolokia, just to name a few), instituting a new 'nail polish' labeling system (we'll see how it goes) to track their growth.



A mere week later, we already have sprouts!
 
Sign of a good day - early sprouts!
We're full of excitement for what's sure to be an interesting year... 

AND NOW... Biz about the "Biz"...

#1 - BobbyGitr is now on Facebook!  Hit the ol' "LIKE" button and keep up with BobbyGitr sauces, seeds, and sales throughout the year.  You can also follow our blog, send us your questions, and much more.

#2 - We have a variety of 2015 home-made hot sauces available for all you 'Super Hot' Heads out there!  Head over to the BobbyGitr Facebook page for a full run-down of sauces.  As always, it's $8 for 5oz (2/$15), and $3 for a 1oz dropper bottle. 

#3 - NEW PEPPER PHOTOS!  We've added a STUNNING array of images from our 2015 season, including pics of the plants, peppers, and the sauce-making process.  Check out the collection!

#4 - NEW THIS YEAR - SEEDS AVAILABLE!  For the first time, BobbyGitr is offering super-hot seeds for sale.  The seeds are harvested directly from the same peppers we use to make our sauces--grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or fuss. Seeds are available with $2/10 pack (ten seeds) or $3/20.  Seed varieties will be posted on the Facebook page, and can be purchased by messaging the page.  We'll keep the list updated there as they become available.

That's all for this week--keep your feet warm and your peppers HOT!


-The Hot Pepper Mama

P.S. WE LOVE TO TALK PEPPERS!  Feel free to send your questions or comments on Facebook, Twitter @bobbygitr, or via ol' fashioned email to info@bobbygitr.com.