peppercorns

[crichmond]

Hi All

Has anyone tried growing peppercorns, I just got some peppercorn seeds from remier seeds in the usa, also got some coffee bean seeds and a few other bits n pieces.

[Snadger]

Asked about growing peppercorms once but was advised it is a perennial bush mainly grown in India (and used for paying bills instead of money i.e peppercorm rent?) and that even a greenhouse wouldn't be warm enough to grow them in this country!

[djhs196]

Not tried myself, but did see a gardener's world (?) a while back, doing a feature on the impact of climate change on what people can grow. They pottered off to France to see what plants had started to grow there, on the basis that the conditions there may be what we'll have in a further decade.

One of the bits I do remember was one guy's Peppercorn bush / tree outside in the garden, complete with peppercorn fruit hanging from it. They were green at the time and I don't remember if he said that they ripened fully.

Things I took from that was that it was France (not that far away), it had successfully set fruit, it was outside without protection (at the time anyway) and looked a few years old.

I understand Snadger's reservations, but given the above it might not be a million miles away with some mollycodling. India's is also home to tea plants, but they can be grown in this country too - Tregothnan - is a commerical uk tea plantation in cornwall.

Best of luck with it if you try - and let us know how you get on!

[PAULW]

Gardeners world have been preaching for years that every one will have to grow drought resistant plants in a mediteranian type garden, mine drowned last summer should really have planted rice, TEA plant are of the camelia family that grow quite happily in this country.

[FionaH]

Global warming? Have you seen the temp outside at the moment?!!!

[Snadger]

Not tried myself, but did see a gardener's world (?) a while back, doing a feature on the impact of climate change on what people can grow. They pottered off to France to see what plants had started to grow there, on the basis that the conditions there may be what we'll have in a further decade.

One of the bits I do remember was one guy's Peppercorn bush / tree outside in the garden, complete with peppercorn fruit hanging from it. They were green at the time and I don't remember if he said that they ripened fully.

Things I took from that was that it was France (not that far away), it had successfully set fruit, it was outside without protection (at the time anyway) and looked a few years old.

I understand Snadger's reservations, but given the above it might not be a million miles away with some mollycodling. India's is also home to tea plants, but they can be grown in this country too - Tregothnan - is a commerical uk tea plantation in cornwall.

Best of luck with it if you try - and let us know how you get on!

From what I've heard and seen......the South of France CAN get rather warm!
Noooooooo far be it from me to put the mockers on experimentation as you already have the seeds you've got nowt to lose crichmond!
As djhs says ....let us know how you get on as I for one would love to give it a go!

[BrideXIII]

Global warming? Have you seen the temp outside at the moment?!!!

ah!! but.............. if it weren't for global warming it could be -30

[zazen999]

ah!! but.............. if it weren't for global warming it could be -30

Mighty fine point. I'll hang on for a few years tho' - just in case.

I'd love to grow peppercorns here, but I think it's just too short a summer.