Peppers come in a rainbow of colors and range from sweet to hot, explains Charlie Nardozzi of the National Gardening Association. All peppers require full sun, a steady supply of water and a long, warm growing season. In most areas of the country, they must be started indoors from seed and then planted outdoors to provide a sufficiently long season. Peppers should be planted out only after the soil has warmed. Substantial heat over a long period of time is required to make hot peppers spicy. The common green bell pepper eventually turns into a red pepper if left to ripen on the plant long enough. As the pepper ripens in the sun, it develops a sweet flavor as a result of increased sugar content. Peppers come in purple, chocolate brown and yellow. The flavor of each is slightly different -- so why not grow them all? One of the mildest hot peppers is the jalapeC1o (figure A). Like bell peppers, jalapeC1os start out green and eventually turn red. The spicy heat that many people enjoy comes from the lining of the seed cavity (figure B) and a chemical called capsicum. Whenever you handle a hot pepper, you release capsicum -- which is why you should avoid touching your eyes when handling peppers. Ornamental peppers produce fruits that stand upright rather than hang down. These attractive plants are gaining popularity, especially during the holiday season. The peppers are edible but very hot. Habanero peppers are quite hot (figure C). As they ripen, the fruits change from green to yellow or red. Handle them carefully. Peppers benefit from being fertilized with Epsom salts (figure D): apply 1 tablespoon dissolved in a gallon of water to produce greener foliage and larger peppers. You can wet the foliage with the solution. High-nitrogen fertilizer will cause peppers' flowers to drop off. In cold weather cover plants with floating row covers to insulate them. Remove the covers in the morning so the plants can benefit from the heat of the day.
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