The Way Too Premature 2023 Pepper Season Plan
Wow. Time has absolutely been flying since I shut down the garden for the year. I almost forgot all about the annual “Too Early” plan for next year! Every year around the late November timeframe I start to go through my ever-growing inventory or seeds (174 different pepper varieties at the time of this writing) and select a good handful that I would like to grow for the following season. Each year the list is usually more than I end up with and the varieties typically change by the time everything goes outside, but it’s always fun to start planning.
![pepper seed packets](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/seed-packets-2023.jpg)
Just like in season’s past, there are always staple varieties that I grow each year – usually low-to-mild heat peppers that my wife uses for cooking. For 2023, I am introducing a larger number of sweet pepper varieties into the mix (three as you’ll notice in the list below). I am also planning a few plants from two new-to-me vendors that I have not worked with in the past.
As usual, I will also have a small number of “last chance” varieties in the list. Those are the seeds that haven’t germinated in previous seasons. I typically apply the three strikes rule to pepper seeds though sometimes they may get a fourth opportunity if I really, really want the variety in my garden.
So, enough of my idle chit chat, here is the list of peppers that I plan to start for the 2023 season:
- Agata’s Tongue (Big Chupe)
- Aji Cristal
- Aji Mango
- Alba Regia Pepper
- Big Jim (x4)
- Biquinho Yellow
- Blot
- BRMX Yellow
- Carolina Reaper
- CGN 20497 Cardenasii (last chance)
- Cumra Cherry
- Flexuosum (last chance)
- Hangjiao 3 – Solar Flare
- Harold St. Barts
- Hellapeno
- Jalapeno (x4)
- Jay’s Red Ghost Scorpion
- Joy’s Ghost Cayenne
- Macapa Red
- Melon Rocoto (last chance)
- Mini Bell Mix
- Orion
- Primotalii
- Purple UFO
- Red Bell
- Redgum TigerMamp x Chocolate Nagabrains
- Scorpion – White Moruga
- Scotch Brain XCP Yellow
- St. Lucia Scotch Bonnet
- Sugar Rush Red
- Super Bhut JW
- Sweet Purple (Peach)
- Swiss Chocolate Cross
- White Thai
- Purple Gator Jigsaw
Again, the above list is very likely going to change at some point prior to the start of the season. I may go through my inventory one evening and spy something I missed or haven’t grown in a while. I am also quite susceptible to late night seed shopping online. So, you really never know what’s going to happen between now and seed sowing time.