How to grow your own peppers (Sweet & Chilli)
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Growing Peppers - The how to guide
A few years back, I decided to give gardening a go, and started modestly by planting a few pepper seeds and some carrotts to see how it went. When I discovered how easy it was, I was hooked, and since the growing season will shortly be upon us, I thought I would share this knowledge with anyone else out there who is interested!
Pepper plants - an introduction
Lets start at the beginning
It used to be that any grower who liked peppers, would plant several sweet green bell pepper plants in their garden. Several weeks later, they would harvest some great tasting fruit. No difficult decisions on the variety. And, home grown peppers are not difficult to grow.
Today's gardeners enjoy the opportunity to select between a tremendous array of choices. You can pick sweet or hot. When it comes to hot, there are varying degrees of hot. The debates rage as to who has the hottest pepper. Varieties from Mexico, China and Thailand usually are the hottest, though last year's crop of mine would have given any of them a run for their money!
You also get to select color. There are a wide variety of colors to choose from, versus the "plain old green" ones which were the only choices your parents and grandparents had to choose from. There are a number of yellow, red, and orange colors. There is even a variety with a striking purple color.
After you are done selecting hot/sweet and color, don't forget shape. There are traditional "bell pepper" shapes, long and slender, and of course round or "cherry peppers".
Whatever your preference, seed catalogs and garden stores cater to the high demand and wide variety of peppers.
Already harvested your peppers?
Its time to get cooking!
Did you know?
A sweet green pepper is a pepper that is not yet ripe. Let it grow, and it will turn red. The texture will change markedly, and the flavor will change as well.
Everything you need to know about peppers, a must for any budding gardener!
Sowing Pepper seeds
Now comes the hard work
Peppers are best started indoors, eight to ten weeks or more before the last frost date for your area. Pepper seeds can be a difficult seed germinate, and seedlings grow slowly. Many growers simply visit their local garden store for seedling to transplant. Avid garden hobbiests find pleasure in a new challenge, and start their own pepper plants indoors.Tip: Provide bottom heat or heat lamps to raise the soil temperature to 80 degrees (around 26 celsius) This will promote better and quicker germination.
Days to Maturity:
70 to 90 days or more, depending upon the variety. Read the package for the specific time for the variety you acquire.
No plant pots?
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How to grow peppers
Caring for your crop
No matter what type of pepper you grow, they like the weather hot. Transplant young seedlings outdoors after the last chance of frost. If the weather is still cool, delay transplanting a few days, and keep them in a coldframe, indoors or next to the house.
Space 18-24 inches apart, in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. This spacing may vary somewhat by variety.
Pepper plants prefer moist soil. Avoid wet soil. Water regularly in the hot, dry summer months.
Keep out weeds retain moisture. As the peppers develop, switch over to a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous and Potassium. Gardeners often make the mistake of providing too much nitrogen. The result is a great looking bushy, green plant, but few fruit.
Tip: Peppers are self pollinators. Occasionally, they will cross pollinate from pollen carried by bees or other insects. To minimize this possibility, don't plant hot and sweet peppers too close. Don't worry though, as it will not affect the fruit of this year's crop. The cross will show up in the genetics of the seeds, if you save them.
I tend to water my peppers every 2-3 days unless it is exceptionally hot (not likely in Northern England where I live!), when daily watering could be required. As with any plant, it is fairly easy to spot if you plant is thirsty (wilting leaves etc.).
Growing carrots too?
Here is a little help along the way!
Hardiness & Harvesting
A little extra care can yield great results!
Hardiness:No doubt about it, peppers do not like frost. In the spring, frost will stunt or kill the plants. Cold weather can cause the plant to slow down or stunt it. In the Fall, cover the plants, if frost is expected. Use a hot cap in on cold and frosty spring nights. If they are vented, they can they left on all day.
Tip: For a quick cover-up on cold fall nights, use five gallon buckets. They are the perfect size, and can be quickly placed over the plant.
Harvesting:
Peppers can be picked as soon as they reach a size which is edible, but if you like your sweet peppers enormous (like I do), then best give them a couple of extra weeks!!
Note: The smaller chilli peppers tend to be the hottest, time to get the milk ready....
My Sweet & Chilli Pepper blog - Summer 2010
8th March 2010 (Monday)
Sweet Peppers are planted (and marked this year!!) in small 3 inch (7-10cm) pots with two seeds per pot. I have watered these with plant feeder, and placed in the greenhouse until the weather warms up enough to leave them outside overnight (still currently below freezing at nights here). Will water these once every other day to ensure they stay damp, these will take around 2-3 weeks to germinate, fingers crossed - photos to follow!
Sweet Peppers are planted (and marked this year!!) in small 3 inch (7-10cm) pots with two seeds per pot. I have watered these with plant feeder, and placed in the greenhouse until the weather warms up enough to leave them outside overnight (still currently below freezing at nights here). Will water these once every other day to ensure they stay damp, these will take around 2-3 weeks to germinate, fingers crossed - photos to follow!
Get your own garden started with Ebay
Other things of interest
Protect your peppers!
Insects and Pests:Several insects enjoy your pepper plants. Spider mites and aphids are the most common, with an occasional borer. In many areas, it is infrequent. For the infrequent problem, try an organic insecticide or dust.
Disease:
While many viruses and diseases can affect Peppers, it is somewhat infrequent. Fungal infections can be treated with fungicides. Apply treatment as soon as you see it.
Varieties:
By far the most popular pepper remains the sweet green bell pepper.
Banana Peppers with many hot varieties.
Cherry peppers
Did you know? Paprika is a pepper!
How did your peppers turn out?
Do you have any tips of your own to add?
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science_fiction_novels_cyberpunk Mar 4, 2010 @ 3:27 pm | delete
- I like your lens, so full of colors and info! 5*
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d-artist Mar 1, 2010 @ 5:03 pm | delete
- I like this lens, nicely done...5*....and I like peppers(although they don't like me)
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by kc84
Just another gardener....
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