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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Do hot pepper foliage and roots contain capsaicin?

I have a square wooden patio planter that is falling apart but I want to get one more season out if it. However, some chipmunks decided it was a great rest stop along their raiding party trail and have been digging in it. In fact they used to dig through this square one, a window box bridge, and a 2nd square one. But those other two gave up the ghost and fell apart this spring as soon as the thaw released them from their frozen forms.

I have since discovered that the chipmunk had gnawed an entrance at the bottom of on of the side panels, too, so I can assume they are tunneling through.

So, I'm thinking of planting one of the more hot peppers in the planter -- available are .... one of the bhuts or that Bhut Peach not/hab? ...or Madame Jeannette or Golden Habanero, not quite Scotch Bonnet..... :twisted:

pepperhead212
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Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

No, in fact, even the flesh of hot peppers does not have capsaicin - only the veins.

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Bummer! It would serve them right if they got "peppered" from digging among those roots!

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KitchenGardener
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Location: Northern California; Hardiness Zone 10a, Climate zone: 17

horse radish?

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

You could sprinkle some cayenne pepper around the plant. It does deter some pests however critter ridder might work better.



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