a0c8c
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Compostong Jalapenos

I know people make pepper sprays for warding of insect pest, but would composting jalapeno's cause the same effect in my compot pile? I don't wanna lose the good bugs that break down the compost, especially as it starts getting cold.

GeorgiaGirl
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Yikes -- I don't know the answer but that's a darn good question. Just today, I tried out a hot pepper I got from my organic co-op. I only lightly touched my tongue to it, but it BURNED LIKE FIRE. I actually thought my tongue might be bleeding. :shock: It took 20 minutes of constant cool water before I was no longer in pain. I threw the rest of the pepper into my kitchen compost bucket... but wow, you're right, I don't want to torture the poor microbes!!

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rainbowgardener
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Assuming that the hot peppers will make up only a small percentage of your compost pile, I'm pretty sure no harm will be done! Now if some one were to hand you 20 lbs of hot peppers, I'd be a little careful about throwing them all in at once (but same goes for 20 lbs of almost anything, diversity being key)...

GeorgiaGirl, I'm glad to see you can keep your sense of humor, with all you are going through with the storms. Made me laugh, picturing colonies of teeny microbes with their teeny-tiny tongues hanging out :D

GeorgiaGirl
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Heh heh, glad you got a kick out of that visual too! I have to coddle and nurture my microbes! (picture me rocking them to sleep in a rocking chair, singing lullabies....)

rot
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..
Just chucked some peppers in the bin a short while back. Didn't notice anything while turning.

Your question did invoke an image in my head of all the seeds, the caliente part, and now I'm wondering how well all those seeds will do. Oh well. Little pepper plants popping up all over the place wouldn't be all bad.
..

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rainbowgardener
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Rot - I don't think pepper seeds are as tough as some. Everywhere I put my compost I have volunteer tomatoes and squash come up (an interesting variety this year a butternut squash, some delicata, and one very interesting one that I haven't ID'd yet), but only once did I ever have a volunteer pepper. And interestingly enough no weeds that I have ever noticed...

Surprising that the tomato and squash seeds are tougher than weed seeds.

rot
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..

We've got one rogue tomato soon after rogue tomatoes were mentioned here on the board.

A pepper or two wouldn't hurt.

So damn dry around here though.

I'll have to keep an eye on things.

Not a lot weeds.

..

thebahamiangardener
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peppers r great compost items actualy you can compost peppers just pepper with brown items and get realy good compost. The capsaicin wont hurt the microbes as its natural and I don't think they have taste buds nor do I think they r very picky when it comes to decomposing so they r a great item to compost.

https://www.compostthis.co.uk/item/chillis

The Helpful Gardener
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That said, the pepper is a little scary for worms; do NOT try vermicomposting a lot of peppers if you want to keep the kids in the bin...

HG

a0c8c
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I just had soem jalapeno scraps left over from dinner, and I don't' eat them much. I'll keep them away from the worms though.

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applestar
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GeorgiaGirl, FWIW, for future reference, two remedies I've heard of for burning tongue from hot pepper are milk or vinegar. Don't know if vinegar will help after eating since the way I heard it was for mixing in with overly spicy foods.

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gixxerific
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I have always composted my pepper plants and peppers. I pretty much throw everything in. :)



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