The Ohio State University Learning Gardens 2003 Ornamental Pepper Cultivar Trial Columbus Campus By Monica Kmetz-González and Dr. Claudio Pasian Sparked by visitor interest in the few ornamental pepper cultivars included in previous Summer Annuals Trials here at Ohio State, Columbus Campus, we decided to conduct an Ornamental Pepper Trial in Summer 2003. We screened 18 cultivars in our raised bed area for potential ornamental use in the landscape. Many of the cultivars screened would lend themselves to container/hanging basket culture as well. The trial proved to be a favorite with visitors to our gardens, and it also met with very favorable response by the 150 attendees of the OFA Short Course Growers Study Tour conducted here in July. Growers and consumers alike appear to be very interested in utilizing this crop for its ornamental value. Included in this report is a "heat"rating of the fruit. Obviously, it would not be advisable to plant those with high heat ratings, for example, in areas where small children could have unsupervised access to them. Individual cultivar PHOTOS can be accessed from Table 1 below. General Information: Seeding: March 18 Transplanting: Greenhouse: Seedlings were transplanted to D606 Compacks (36 count cell paks/tray) on April 24. Soilless media: MetroMix 360 Outdoors: Eleven plants per cultivar were transplanted into the raised beds on May 21. Spacing was 14 inches between plants within a cultivar and 18 inches between different cultivars. The area received a granular application of RootShield biological fungicide on June 10. Trial Bed Location: Raised beds are in a full sun area located between our Departmental buildings and greenhouses on the Agriculture Campus in Columbus, Ohio. **** Take a look at our Raised Bed Trial Area: PHOTO 1    PHOTO 2  PHOTO 3 Watering and Fertilization: Watered as needed via an overhead automatic watering system. Fertilization occurred within a few days of transplanting and also on June 25 with Peters 20-10-20 200 ppm N via Dosatron. NO plant growth regulators were used. Weather Conditions: Initial trial period was cool and wet, and plants "sat" for the first 2 - 3 weeks after transplant. This was followed by 2 weeks of oppressive heat and dry conditions. The remainder of the summer was cooler than normal with above average rainfall (based on Central Ohio conditions). Pest and Disease Problems: There were no noticeable pest or disease problems. This is of note, as we suffered disease problems of Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia with other Annual Trial species due to the weather conditions. The application of RootShield granular seems to have been beneficial. Evaluation Dates: Evaluations were performed in July, August, September, and October by the Trials Coordinator. Exact evaluation dates are listed on the tables. No June evaluation was performed this year due to slow initial plant growth related to the weather. Many plants were in excellent condition through October. The first hard freeze ended the growing season on November 9. Consumer Preference Evaluations took place in mid-August and mid-September. Evaluation Criteria: Ratings were based on a 1 - 5 scale: 1 = poor/not acceptable, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent. Plants were evaluated for the following characteristics: Uniformity: 1 = Quality is variable from plant to plant, 5 = Similar quality between all plants. Foliage: Vegetative plant vigor, aesthetics/color, health, and appearance Fruit: July rating: number, quality, and aesthetics. (Most fruit not at full color maturity yet). Fruit Color: August, September and October ratings Plant Habit: Is the habit appealing? Compact, spreading, upright, etc. Overall: Overall rating for all plants in the grouping, taking all the above aspects into consideration. RESULTS: Trial results are presented in the following TABLES: TABLE 1 HEAT RATING of Fruit, FRUIT COLOR, and PLANT HABIT: Heat Rating: How "HOT"or ‘pungent" is the fruit of each individual cultivar. Pertinent information if planting location is a factor. Fruit Color: See the range of colors exhibited by the various cultivars. Plant Habit: Dwarf through Tall. The dwarf through medium types also lend themselves to container and/or hanging basket culture. TABLE 2. MONTHLY EVALUATION DATA: All evaluation criteria as rated monthly in July, August, September, and October by the Annual Trials Coordinator. TABLE 3 CONSUMER PREFERENCE EVALUATIONS: Overall ratings performed by Master Gardener volunteers on August 12 and September 16. Shows which cultivars consumers preferred from an overall ornamental viewpoint. TOP PICKS of 2003: Chilly Chili. 2002 AAS (All America Selections) winner. An excellent performer. Top rankings throughout the entire season and a favorite by our consumer evaluators. Fruit borne above the foliage starts out greenish-yellow, turning to orange to dark red. Best of all, the fruit is non-pungent, so it is CHILD-SAFE. Good for container use as well. NuMex Twilight . An ornamental favorite here. Ranked the best overall in our Consumer Preference Evaluation. Fruit display features purple, yellow, orange, and red simultaneously. Fruit are held above foliage and reminiscent of small Christmas tree light bulbs. Consistent display all season. Medusa. A consistent performer and unique with the ‘snaky Medusa hairdo' peppers in colors ranging and changing from ivory to yellow to orange to bright red. Non-pungent fruit-CHILD SAFE. Suitable for landscape borders and small containers. Masquerade. The purple color of the fruit starting in July makes this entry worth growing-the fruit color was absolutely beautiful! Larger-sized fruit then colors up to red. Early season performer. In the top 3 in our overall Consumer Preference Evaluation. Tri-fetti. Also known as Variegata, the variegated green, white, and purple foliage is the ornamental draw of this one. Fruit is small and purple, turning to red as it ripens. Lends itself to bed and border use. Of Mention: Marbles. "Cute"-cream, white, yellow, light purple, orange, and red marble sized fruit. Earlier season performer, placed very high in August Evaluation, but declined somewhat by late September. Explosive Ember. Compact, unique with dark purple foliage. Displayed and finished well through October. Bolivian Rainbow. Peaked late season in September and October. Purple foliage on tall 2-3 foot plants. 1" conical fruit colors from purple to yellow to orange to red with all color stages simultaneously on plant. Best Performers by Time of Season: Early Season (End of July): Masquerade, Chilly Chili, Medusa, Pretty Purple Pepper, Tri-Fetti, NuMex Twilight, Marbles, and Explosive Ember. Mid-Season (End of August): Marbles, NuMex Twilight, Tri-Fetti, Chilly Chili, Medusa, Pretty Purple Pepper, Explosive Ember, Masquerade, and Holiday Flame. Late Season (End of September): Chilly Chili, Medusa, Masquerade, Holiday Flame, and Red Missile. Fall (Mid-October): Bolivian Rainbow, Chilly Chili, Tri-Fetti, Explosive Ember, Largo Purple, NuMex Twilight, and Medusa. Acknowledgments: We would like to acknowledge the help of our excellent Annuals Team of Master Gardeners - Joyce Gravlee, Ken Kotch, Kathy Krantz, Mary Straney, Juliet Taylor, Bev Vogeley, and Sue Nelson. Their hard work and dedication to this project is truly appreciated. A big thanks to David Snodgrass, Departmental Greenhouse Supervisor, for his assistance. And we thank the following company for their participation in this year's trial: Panamerican Seed = http://www.panamseed.com Seed of other cultivars was purchased from: Tomato Growers Supply Company, Fort Myers, Florida. Park's Seeds, Greenwood, South Carolina. We would also like to thank BioWorks, Inc., Fairport, NY http://www.bioworksbiocontrol.com/ for their donation of RootShield biological fungicide.