Choosing a Variety
When deciding what type of Peppers you want to grow, you will need to consider size, flavor, and color. In the category of sweet or salad Peppers, your choices include bell and pimento as well as some banana and cherry varieties. If heat is what you want, you can grow Habñero, Jalapeño, Anaheim, or Hungarian Peppers. Sweet and hot Peppers come in a rainbow of beautiful colors - green, yellow, red, orange, and even purple. So not only are they delicious, they make great eye-candy!
    
(L to R: yellow hungarian; cascabel; peter;(immature) alma paprika; jalapeno)
When to Start
It's best to start your Peppers inside about 8 weeks before the last frost and at a temperature of 75-80 degrees F. They can be sown outdoors in early summer when the soil remains above 65 degrees F, but indoor germination is recommended.
How to Start
If you're using a potting mix, plant at a depth of 4 times the size of the seed (below a 1/4 inch of soil). If the room where you have your seeds isn't at least 70 degrees F, you can use a seedling heat mat to raise the temperature. As the first leaves appear, however, lower the temperature a bit, to 70-75 degrees F.
Fluorescent light for around 14 to 16 hours a day is also ideal for the fastest growth. You will want to keep the seedlings just a few inches below the light so they don't "stretch" and get "leggy". If you don't have strong artificial light, a sunny window will work, too.
Germination should occur in 10-20 days and fruit should appear in 50-80 days after transplanting, 100-120 days from sowing seed, depending on the variety.
Planting Out
About 2 weeks before your transplant date work the garden soil thoroughly, adding compost and fertilizer then cover the soil with a tarp or plastic mulch to keep the weeds from sprouting until you're ready to plant. The use of mulch or a pop-up cold frame will also warm the soil, an important step before planting your young Peppers.
Ten days before transplanting start "hardening off" your young plants by setting them outdoors in a lightly shaded area for an hour or two. The next day, give them a longer visit outside until they remain outdoors overnight, still in their pots. If a cold spell hits, bring them indoors again to wait for the temperature to rise.
Your plants are ready to be transplanted when they've developed their third set of true leaves. Plant them out 2-3 weeks after the last frost, placing them 1 foot apart in rows that are 30-36 inches apart - or 1 foot apart all directions in garden beds. Pepper plants do well close together. Site them in full sun in a rich, well-drained soil. Water well and mulch to conserve moisture.
 Special Considerations
Seeds germinate faster at temperatures above 80 degrees F, although fruit set benefits from the cooler nights of late summer.
Peppers are very sensitive to extreme cold, so after you've planted your seedlings, if there's a chance of a really cold or frosty night, securely cover them with a plastic bucket or plastic bag. This is a perfect way to re-use gallon milk jugs! Just cut off the bottom and place one jug over each plant.
Unless you have no other choice, don't plant your Peppers in the same place you planted Tomatoes, Eggplant, or Peppers the year before. These veggies all belong to the same plant family and therefore have similar nutritional needs and are susceptible to similar diseases. Their presence can deplete the soil of important nutrients and possibly leave remnants of diseases in leaf litter the following year.
 Growing Tips
Prepare your soil in the fall. Lay in a foot or more of bio-degradable mulch - chopped-up leaves, grass clippings, pine bark, decayed vegetable compost, humus, and even newspaper all break down into the soil over time. This feeds the soil just what it likes so that when you approach it with a tiller or shovel in spring, it just needs to be turned over and mixed up a bit. Then top off the whole rich pile with a piece of plastic to keep the mulch "cooking" as long as possible into winter and to prevent all the good nutrients from running off in hard rains.
If frost still threatens after you plant your Peppers, or if you live in a short-season climate where late frosts are just part of spring, there are ways to keep your Peppers going. One way is to place a tarp over the plants, weighting it down at the edges to keep it from blowing away. Be careful, however, not to lay the tarp or plastic directly on the plants. You will need to use blocks, sticks, or whatever you have available to form a tent over your tender young Peppers. You can uncover it during the day and re-cover it at night, or leave it in place for several days and nights without damage to the plants.
 Once your seedlings are in the ground, be sure they get sufficient water - Pepper plants are quite thirsty in early growth. Also, make sure the soil is well drained to help prevent root rot. Peppers do not like "soggy feet". The soil's pH level should ideally be around 6.5 to begin with, then increased or decreased afterwards to determine the chosen flavor (more acidic soil will produce a sharper, hotter taste).
Onions and peas are good companion plants for your Peppers. Onions repel pests like aphids, while peas fix nitrogen, and similar to Peppers, like slightly cool conditions and close quarters. Although appreciative of warm temperatures during the day, both peas and Peppers set fruit better if they can get some relief from the heat during the evenings.
If necessary, stake plants when they are loaded with fruit.
Pick your Peppers as soon as they're big enough to eat, or you can leave them on the plants to change color and flavor gradually. Otherwise, no pruning is necessary.
Be careful not to over-fertilize - too much nitrogen will result in a great-looking bushy, green plant, but very little fruit.
Pests & Problems
The most common pests you'll find on your Peppers are spider mites and aphids, with an occasional borer. You can get rid of them with the use of an organic insecticide or dust. Onions will also help repel aphids.
As far as diseases go, Peppers tend to be susceptible to the same problems as Tomatoes. They can also get fungal infections, which can be treated with a fungicide. Treat your plants as soon as you see a problem.
High temperatures and low humidity can cause Pepper plants to lose their blossoms. In turn, cool weather can keep them from flowering. Deep cultivation can also cause blossoms to drop, as it can induce water stress if feeder roots are cut.
    
(L to R: mushrooms w/paprika pepper spread; stuffed piquillo peppers; pepper vinegar; stuffed banana peppers; dim sum w/red peppers)
Harvesting & Storage
Harvest sweet peppers when they reach full size. the fruit walls are firm, and the peppers are still in the green or yellow state. Pepper plants are fragile and their stems are brittle; pulling the fruit off may damage the stems. Don't pull them off, but rather cut them off cleanly - If a stem does get broken, use a knife or cutter to remove it cleanly.
Varieties turn from green to red, yellow or chocolate when allowed to mature on the plant.
Bell peppers can be left on the plant to turn colour, however they should be picked as soon as their colour changes.
Hot peppers, except for Jalapeños, are allowed to ripen & change colour on the plant. Jalapeño peppers should be harvested when the fruit turns black-green. Entire plants may be pulled & hung just before full frosts. Yields are smaller for hot peppers.
Store peppers in the refrigerator. The optimal conditions for storage are temperatures of 45-50oF and 80-90% relative humidity. Peppers will keep in this manner for two to three weeks.
To freeze bell peppers or banana peppers, immediately after harvesting cut off the stem end & remove seeds. wash peppers & drain. Cut banana peppers in half lengthwise; cut bell peppers along lobe lines, then dry peppers thoroughly with paper towels. pack into zippered freezer bags. I pack several small bags (quart) into a gallon size bag, taking out a small bag for use. This seems to help deter freezer burn. Peppers will keep in this manner for six to eight months. Frozen peppers are best used in cooked dishes
To dry peppers thread a sturdy needle with buttonhole twist or fishing line. Push needle through stem of pepper and tie the end of thread around the first stem. Add more peppers in the same manner alternating direction of stems as you go. Hang your strings of peppers to dry out of the sun where air circulates. When dry hang in a cool, dark place or remove from string & store in plastic bags, tupperware or tin cannister.
Another method of drying is to lay peppers out of the sun on a tarp or several layers of newspapers and leave them there, checking daily, until dried.
 
Fun Facts
Paprika is a Pepper.
Sweet green Peppers are Peppers that haven't ripened yet! Let them grow, and they'll turn red, displaying a different texture and flavor.
Bell Peppers and many hot Peppers are native to Central and North America. Asia, notably Thailand and China, are also home to a wide range of hot Peppers.
Stress increases the heat of a Pepper. So if you want hotter Peppers, make them thirsty! If you normally water every three to four days, cut back to one good soak per week they'll reward you with mouth-sizzling fire!
A chile Peppers' heat is its defense against hungry mammals. A mammal's digestive system crushes the seed, hindering its ability to reproduce. However, birds in South America are primarily responsible for spreading chile Peppers - their digestive systems don't harm the seeds, and since the birds lack the oral receptors that would allow them to detect heat, they happily munch even the hottest Peppers!
 
be sure to see all the posts in this series for more info! |
