Gardening & Landscape, Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land), Vegetables

Hottest Pepper List of 2023

Hey there, spice enthusiasts! The much-anticipated hottest pepper list of 2023 has finally dropped, and it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re an advanced gardener or an adventurous cook, these insanely hot peppers might be just your thing. So, what’s the secret behind their fiery nature? It’s all about the capsaicin compound, tucked away in the lining and seeds of these little firecrackers. The heat level of these peppers is measured on the Scoville Scale (SHU).

Carolina Reaper Pepper

Topping the list this year is the Carolina Reaper, boasting a scorching 2,200,000 SHU. To put it in perspective, that’s a whopping 200 times hotter than your average Jalapeno pepper! But what’s truly fascinating is that it’s not just about the heat; this pepper is also known for its fruity flavor. Fun fact: it’s a genetic cross between a Habanero and a Ghost Pepper.

Trinidad Maruga Scorpion Pepper

In the second spot, we have the Trinidad Maruga Scorpion Pepper at 2,009,000 SHU. This one’s a bit of a rare find, recently discovered in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s like the hidden gem of the pepper world.

7 Pod Douglah Chocolate Pepper

The third place goes to the 7 Pot Douglah, also known as the 7 Pod Douglah Chocolate, with a sizzling 1,854,000 SHU. What sets it apart is that it’s the hottest non-red pepper you can lay your hands on. Gardeners love it not only for the heat but also for its distinctive flavor.

7 Pot Primo Red Pepper

Next up in fourth place is the 7 Pot Primo at 1,469,000 SHU, complete with its little tail. And in fifth place, we have the Trinidad Scorpion, named after its notorious “scorpion tail,” clocking in at 1,464,000 SHU.

Picture of Pepper X the world's hottest pepper.

Now, there’s a mysterious contender called Pepper X, claiming to be twice as hot as the Carolina Reaper. While it’s yet to be officially verified, the rumor mill insists it’s a super-hot pepper. What would you even use it for? Well, that’s anyone’s guess!

For some perspective, consider that sweet bell peppers register a gentle 0 on the Scoville Scale. A Jalapeno, a popular choice for many, falls between 2,500 and 8,000 SHU. Cayenne comes in at 30,000 to 50,000 SHU, while the Habanero is known to pack a punch ranging from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU. Keep in mind that these numbers can vary depending on the specific environment and pepper varieties.

If you ever decide to dive into the world of cooking with these super-hot peppers, here’s a golden rule: safety first! Always wear gloves, and be super careful around your eyes and mouth. Want to dial down the heat a notch? Simply remove the seeds and inner lining of the pepper. If you’re new to this spicy journey, you might want to start with medium-hot peppers like Jalapenos and gradually work your way up to the hotter contenders.

So, there you have it, the sizzling lineup of 2023’s hottest peppers. Are you ready to take your taste buds on an epic adventure, or is this fiery territory a bit too hot to handle? The choice is yours!

Garden almanac, Garden Pests

Pesky Broadleaf Weeds

Hey there, fellow gardeners! It’s that time of year again – time to tackle those pesky broadleaf weeds invading your lawn and garden. I’ve been out there myself, and here’s what I’ve been up to:

Before the rain rolled in, I decided to take on the field bindweed, which was absolutely thriving this year. I gave it a good dose of Weed B Gon to keep it in check. And you know what? It did the trick!

Now, as for the garden, I cleared it out and spotted those troublesome Canada thistles. They had quite the spotted spurge, so I hit them with some herbicide as well. We don’t want those guys taking over.

The good news is, that it looks like we have a few more weeks to keep up with our weed-fighting mission. The magic number is around 28 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. When the temperature drops, the weeds are in for a world of hurt.

Fall is the perfect time for weed control because the plants are busy sending nutrients from the leaves down to their roots for the winter. In the spring, it’s the other way around, which makes herbicides less effective. So, let’s make the most of this window of opportunity!

Now, when it comes to choosing suitable herbicides, most of them contain active ingredients like 2, 4-D, MCPP, Triclopyr, Dicamba, or a combination of these. The ones that work best typically have two or more of these compounds. They’re like the heavy artillery of weed control!

Another handy tip: go for sprays rather than granules. Sprays provide better coverage and are more effective at targeting those troublesome weeds.

One last thing – hold off on mowing your lawn just before you spray, and avoid mowing when rain is in the forecast within the next 24 hours. Let’s give those herbicides the best chance to work their magic.

Happy weeding, and here’s to a weed-free lawn and garden! 🌱🌼🌿

Vines

Vines in the Landscape

A lot of people overlook planting vines in the landscape. They provide height to an otherwise flat area, create a private area, hide a cover for unsightly views like around garbage cans, and create shade by growing over an arbor. They also provide pollen for bees and fruit for birds and other wildlife.

Vines need something to grow on for support. Plants with tendrils will need something to twine on like a fence or wire. The ones with suckers will need to grow on something solid like brick or rough wood. Vines can also flow down areas.

Annual moonflower vine

Annual vines are interesting grown in pots and the vines are trained on a chicken wire or string trellis.

Perennial vines that are easy to grow in South Dakota include clematis. This plant has many, many varieties with all sorts of different colored blooms. They like their heads in the sun and feet in the shade. This means mulching the root area to keep moisture levels even.

Climbing honeysuckle has white, orange, and red blooms depending on the variety. Like clematis, they wind around a fence growing to 6 to 8 feet tall.

Trumpet Vine is good for more of a shady area. Growing at 8 feet tall with orange flowers. A good plant for hummingbirds.

Porcelain Vine has beautiful multicolored berries in blue, cream, and purple. This perennial vine grows up to 6 feet.

Bittersweet

American bittersweet vine is prized for its showy-colored fruits. The fruit is bright orange with a yellow top. Plants are either male or female, so make sure you get both plants.

Virginia Creeper is a highly vigorous vine with a fall leaf color of red and purple. Be careful with this vine for it does grow rampant, so heavy pruning is required. It makes a great creeping plant in an area where other plants do not grow. The vine has suckers making it a great plant to climb on a concrete or brick wall.

Boston ivy is a popular vine used as a ground cover. The autumn foliage color is yellow, orange to red depending on the variety.

Common hop vine is a twining vine dying back each year but coming back each year climbing to 15 feet. It produces paper-like fruits in late summer for fall interest. The hops are used for making beer.

A good native vine is a wild cucumber growing up to 20 feet tall. It is a fast-growing vine producing large white flowers followed by spiky cucumber-like fruit. Being a native, it will self-seed so cut off the seed pods.