Q: Peppers are in just about every recipe I find these days! And there are so many different kinds! I’d like to experiment with growing some of my own this summer but I don’t know where to start. Can you help?A: (Joe Lamp'l) Whether you like them sweet or with a kick, peppers are an easy and rewarding vegetable to grow in just about any part of the country. All it takes is a few solid months of warm weather and a nice sunny spot in a container or your yard.
Here's some advice on where and how to plant peppers and how to care for them as they grow. We’ll look at some sweet bell varieties and a couple of hot ones too, and we’ll also discuss some of the more common problems and pests that affect peppers and how you can protect against them.Pepper Varieties Sweet - Banana (long and yellow, hence the name; can be sweet or mildly hot)
- Bell (green, red, yellow, purple, yellow, orange; sweet).
Hot - Cayenne
- Jalapeño
- Anaheim
- Habanero.
Pepper Facts - All peppers start green; they change color as they ripen.
- The longer you ripen the original peppers, the fewer new peppers the plant will produce.
- You can pick and eat a pepper at any stage of growth.
- With the hot varieties of pepper, the smaller the pepper, the hotter.
- The heat in a hot pepper comes from white flesh inside.
Planting Peppers Materials
Pepper seedlings
Cages or stakes
Compost
Additional source of calcium for soil (e.g., Epsom salts)
Mulch 1. Keep in mind that you'll need to plant when the soil temperature is warm. The first step is to prepare the soil by spading or rototilling, then mix in compost and fertilizer. It's also a good idea to check the soil pH: for peppers it should be about 6.5. 2. The seedlings you choose should each have three to four healthy sets of green leaves (plants with purple or yellow leaves are weaker and won’t grow as fast). 3. Dig hole the same depth as the seedlings' containers, spacing the holes 10"-15" apart. (Each plant will grow 20"-22" tall.) Throw in slight handful of Epsom salts to add calcium, which the plants need in order to prevent blossom end rot. 4. Remove each plant from its container and place it in one of the holes. Fill in gently with topsoil, then water and fertilize the plant. 5. To support the growing plant, place a cage over each or insert a stake and attach the plant to it. Pepper plants begin flowering in June, then fruiting in late summer through early fall. Be sure to harvest all peppers before the first frost. Growing peppers is a great gardening project for beginners. And who needs flowers in the veggie garden? With all the new pepper colors out there, you can really perk up your plot! Best of all, peppers are not only delicious, they’re nutritious as well. One green bell pepper has nearly six times as much vitamin C as an orange! So what are you waiting for? Get out there and grow! Basic Needs - Moderate moisture and regular watering.
- Night temperatures above 55 before planting.
- A warm, sunny and protected location.
- Good soil drainage.
Common Problems - Sunscald (plant burns)
Solution: plant where they'll get relief from late-afternoon sun. - Blossom end rot (flowers fall off; no fruit)
Solution: Add calcium (such as Epsom salts) to soil when planting. - Tobacco mosaic virus (brown spots)
Solution Do not smoke near plants; wash hands after smoking and before gardening.
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