But nothing beats the crunch of a freshly picked fruit. It may seem intimidating for the beginner gardener but, as long as you know a few key pieces of information before getting started, bell peppers are fairly easy to grow — as long as the weather plays along, that is.
This article will walk you through it all, from starting seeds to transplanting seedlings to plant care and maintenance, so that you can grow and enjoy these beauties in your own garden.
Bell peppers are a perennial in tropical areas. But in colder climates, they are grown as annuals and they really have no tolerance for cold weather. They require a fairly long growing season, often up to 90 or even days, so the shorter your summer, the sooner you need to start seeds indoors. It is possible to save seeds from organic store bought bell peppers. Collect seeds from red peppers, since they are more mature then green ones, and set them out to dry for a few days.
Then sow them or store them in a paper envelope and place them in a dry location for safekeeping. Definitely consider buying seeds as well, since one of the benefits to growing your own bell peppers is choosing from a number of otherwise unavailable varieties.
The rule of thumb is to start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in spring. However, if you keep plants healthy and thriving, you can sow them even earlier. Start seeds using a seed starting mix and place them in a warm, sunny spot. Covering flats or cell packs with plastic can help speed germination rates. If soil is warm enough, germination should occur within ten days.
Add organic fertilizer according to label recommendations as well, to encourage strong growth. There are many different types of sweet bell peppers available on the market today, and they can be grown from seeds or started as seedlings. Slow and steady wins the race, when it comes to the yellow Canary bell. Big Red takes about 75 days to harvest, turning from green to red as it ripens. This sweet pepper has very thick flesh with a mixture of 3- and 4-lobed blocky fruits.
A veggie patch favorite, seeds are available in a variety of package sizes from True Leaf Market. Expect days to harvest. California Wonder TMR is delicious when picked green, or can be left on the plant to ripen to a sweeter red pepper. Purple Beauty is a striking heirloom pepper with a deep purple color, thick-walled flesh, and 4-byinch fruit. These will take about 70 days to reach maturity. Packages of seeds are available from True Leaf Market.
Live plants are also available via Amazon. For something a little different, the Chocolate Beauty offers a luscious, deep brown color with super sweet flesh. It grows quickly, with about days to maturity, and is Tobacco Mosaic Virus resistant.
Seeds are available from True Leaf. And live plants are available via Amazon. Although you may be tempted to do it sooner, wait to transplant peppers to the garden until a couple of weeks past the last frost date. Make sure to harden them off first though, or your plants may not make it at all. Hardening off simply refers to the process of getting plants acclimated to a new environment. Plants that have been grown indoors for months will likely become severely stressed or even die if placed directly in the garden, and we want to avoid this.
Instead, slowly introduce plants to outdoor weather. Over the course of several days, set them outside for longer periods of time. Start in the morning and bring them in later and later each day until you are confident they have adapted. Water newly planted bell peppers really well and add an inch or two of organic mulch. Their roots are shallow and mulch will help to maintain moisture and protect roots from moisture related stress. To encourage faster growth in cooler areas, consider laying black plastic over the soil.
Just be careful not to let the soil get so hot that beneficial soil bacteria are killed. Full sun and loamy, rich, well draining soil with a pH near neutral is ideal for planting. For improved fruit production, keep plants evenly moist throughout the season. And if temperatures are too hot, they will likely start to drop their blossoms before ever having a chance to set fruit.
Shallow roots and heavy fruits make bell peppers more likely to topple over, so consider staking them once flowers begin to form. While fertilizing is helpful, be cautious not to over fertilize, especially with nitrogen. This is known to cause leafy green growth, but it will actually stunt flower and fruit production. Bell peppers are in the Solanaceae family , along with tomatoes , eggplant , and potatoes.
This means they share many of the same disease and pest issues, as well as nutritional needs. Bell pepper plants are susceptible to overwatering or poor draining soils. So be aware of root rot and phytophthora blight, a fungal disease that causes permanent wilt. Another issue linked to moisture stress is blossom end rot, which shows up as a dark, sunken area on the fruit. Rather, the issue could just be that calcium present in the soil is tied up for one reason or another.
For instance, if soil pH is too low, calcium uptake can be affected. Also, inconsistent moisture levels can negatively impact calcium availability. Also keep an eye out for aphids , spider mites , stink bugs , flea beetles , and cutworms. Spray these critters with a strong stream of water, horticultural oils, or simply hand pick and squash all who are unwelcome. The best way to mitigate all pest and disease issues is to maintain healthy plants within an optimal environment. Check your garden regularly and be quick to address any concerns.
And do your best to invite natural predators into your gardens, such as birds, praying mantises, and ladybugs. The peppers will sweeten the longer you leave them on the plant, with increased vitamin C content as well. Make a clean cut with a knife or sharp scissors when harvesting, being careful not to topple or otherwise disturb the plant.
Wipe any excess dirt away with a clean, dry cloth and store in the produce crisper bin of the refrigerator for up to one week. In addition to being delicious in a salad, or sliced into strips and served with a big bowl of homemade hummus, homegrown bells add texture and flavor to a variety of tasty dishes. But, for maximum production, a little pampering helps.
Plant peppers in a bed that receives full sun. Provide a sandy loam soil that drains well and contains plenty of organic matter. Depending on the size of the pepper varieties planted, spacing should be inches apart. Peppers can double as ornamentals, so tuck some into flowerbeds and borders.
Most sweet peppers mature in days; hot peppers can take up to days. Keep in mind, however, that the number of days to maturity stated on the seed packet refers to the days after transplanting until the plant produces a full-sized fruit. You must add weeks for the time between sowing and transplanting which means most of us will be starting pepper plants indoors in January or February!
If you're new to growing peppers, you may want to start with one of the early varieties, like the bell pepper 'Early Crisp' or the 'False Alarm' Jalape—o variety. But, really, try any variety and you're likely to be pleased. But it was Columbus and other early explorers who introduced peppers to a welcoming European market. In fact, the pepper is a major New World contribution to the cuisine of the Old World.
The Europeans became so fond of peppers, they carried them throughout the known world. Oddly enough, even though peppers are indigenous to the Americas, they were not introduced to North America until they arrived with the early colonists something of a circuitous route!
Only gardeners who enjoy long growing seasons in the Deep South should attempt to sow pepper seed directly in the garden. Most of us must start our own plants indoors about weeks before transplanting, which should be done weeks after the expected last frost. Most pepper seeds sprout in about a week at a temperature of degrees F. Hot peppers can be very finicky.
To speed the process, place the seeds between damp sheets of paper towel, put them in zippered plastic bag, and put the bag in a warm place the top of the refrigerator works fine. As soon as the pepper seeds sprout, carefully plant them in individual containers such as pea pots. When the first true leaves develop, move the plants to a sunny southern window until you can transplant them into the garden.
Don't set out your pepper transplants until night temperatures average around degrees F. If you'd rather not start seedlings, you can order plants from Burpee which will arrive shortly before transplanting time or purchase peppers at a local garden center. However, choice of varieties is generally very limited.
Water in moderation. Peppers are thirsty plants! They need a moderate supply of water from the moment they sprout until the end of the season.
However, peppers won't tolerate a saturated soil that waterlogs their roots. The soil must drain well, yet hold enough moisture to keep the plants in production. To maintain a proper balance, before transplanting, work some organic matter into the soil to enhance moisture retention. Use mulch to prevent excessive evaporation from the soil during the dry summer months. Don't overfertilize. It was believed that by sailing west he would reach the east.
The allure with the east was that it was the mysterious source of the coveted spices, largely pepper. At that time, all the spices that made it to Europe were controlled by the cities of Venice and Genoa. Since the early 8th century, the Arabs and the Venetians had an arrangement in which all spices that crossed the Mediterranean Sea would go through the hands of the Venetians.
The love affair with pepper is a spicy one and runs long and deep into our past. While we love pepper for its pungent flavor and ability to disguise bland foods, it also offers medicinal and preservative abilities. It has proven anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and antioxidant properties. The main active alkaloid present in pepper is piperine. Today, pepper may not be seen as a status symbol as it once was in Europe, but is has earned itself a permanent spot on our dinner tables next to the salt.
Now to just keep my Piper nigrum alive and thriving long enough to see and taste its pungent peppercorns. She actively writes, speaks, and shares ways to infuse herbs and spices into everyday life.
Herbs and Spices really are little bundles of aromatic seeds, barks, berries and leaves. They can enliven the family meal turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and into a fragrant delight of the senses.
They can open up a world of exotic cuisines connecting us with faraway cultures and they provide us with amazing health benefits. Follow along for endless ways to spice up life for the taste of it, the joy of it, and the health of it. So thoroughly enjoyed this article about my favorite spice. Most of us, for health reasons, have long since given up on salt And good luck growing your little Pepper Plant. I'm sure it will thrive for you.
You mentioned you were given a plant. Where are you going to plant it? Any time Farmer's Almanac has an article on any plant it should mention the where, when and how to grow it. What Zone, Sun, Shade, etc. I've not used a pepper shaker for decades, unless that's the only choice at a restaurant. We even grind our own for recipes. A battery operated grinder is a boon for recipes that call for large quantities of pepper. The flavor is so much better when it's freshly ground.
The latest advice was not to plant seeds you receive in the mail. Many have come from China. We are to report the seeds to the Department of Agriculture. Please don't consume whatever grows from the seeds you received. My advice is to get your seeds from a reputable garden store in the USA.
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