Nice, not my main thing but I grow some ghost peppers and datils peppers. Been long wanting to make a Datil pepper bonsai but haven't gotten around to it. Not a hot sauce guy but growing them fascinates me.
Yeah squats being bad for your knees is a meme. Use good form and you will be fine. I have a pcl reconstruction and was still able to hit 305lb below parallel.
5x5 is good for developing a fitness base. You could try 4x6x8 routine for something more bodybuilding vs powerlifting oriented. Just depends on which direction you want to take your development.
Solid compound lift. I do hex bar deadlifts to get the benefits of deadlift and squats. My bad knee seems to tolerate it better then squats. Most of my lifting is focused on keeping in me in good shape for archery but I try to do a well rounded routine