One of life’s great wonders

Recently I looked up “pollinate” for the first time. Quite interesting. Quoting Websters New World College Dictionary, “to transfer pollen from a stamen to the upper tip of the pistil of (a flower).” In my case, the flower is the white blossom of my six-foot sweet Italian pepper plants.

For the last 17 consecutive growing seasons, a great pollinator, a big black and yellow bumble bee has pollinated my pepper plant blossoms. He or she is there early in the morning and into the evening, a dawn to dusk tireless worker. This unpaid worker performs his God-given task from spring to fall until the fruit is set.

Those little green peppers then grow into big six- to eight-inch green peppers and become beautiful shiny red peppers at maturity. Each of my plants that attain the 6 foot height average about 20 nice-sized peppers per plant. Not all of my plants achieve this height. The most productive 6 footer I ever had yielded a total of 62 peppers of medium size that weighed a total of 10 pounds. I picked those while they were still green.

Many people ask me for my secret, I reply, “God only knows”.

I have only been able to accomplish this uncommon feat of luck with one variety of pepper plant, the Laparie. Hydration is important as well as soil, such as potting mix, and all-purpose (24-8-16)plant foods.

I have entered the Canfield Fair for only the last six years and Team Lacivita consisting of me and two grandsons, Jeffrey Vicarel and Patrick Krieger, have won a first place blue ribbon every time in the Vegetable Oddities Division.

Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and a member of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.