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Peppers add so much flavor to everything that they should be an essential part of every vegetable garden. Even if you live in an apartment, you can still grow a pepper plant or two in pots. Here are some tips for growing peppers for the best results.
Pepper plants require a lot of sun in order to bloom and produce a lot of peppers. If grown in semi-shady conditions pepper plants will grow spindly and will have few blooms. The peppers will not ripen well either, and will not be as sweet. Be sure your pepper plants get at least six hours of sun each day.
Peppers need soil that is fertile but not too rich in nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will cause the plants to have lush growth but few blooms. The soil should also be well drained. Peppers will not grow well in heavy clay soil. Lighten up heavy soil by the addition of compost or leaf mold. The organic matter will hold moisture in the soil while keeping the clay from clumping around the roots of the plants and smothering it.
You may purchase pepper plants from your local nursery. Be sure not to purchase them too early, as they can become root bound if kept in their pots or flats too long. Peppers should not be set out until the soil is thoroughly warm. If set out too early, they may get chilled. Then their growth will be stunted and they may never recover sufficiently to give you a good crop of peppers.
You may also grow peppers from seed. If you do this, you will be able to grow heirloom or unusual varieties. You might even have leftover plants to share with friends. Do not use old seeds, as these may not germinate well. Plant the seeds in flats about two inches apart. Keep the soil moist until the seeds start to sprout. Then water enough to keep the soil from drying out. When the plants have grown enough to have their second set of true leaves, they may be set outside in the garden bed, or into peat pots if the weather is still too cool to plant the peppers outside.
Plant the peppers 18 to 24 inches apart. Do not plant hot and sweet pepper plants near each other. To plant the peppers, make a hole large enough to accommodate the rootball of the plant. Holding the pepper by its rootball, place the plant gently into the hole. Fill the hole with dirt and firm the soil around the roots of the plant. Water thoroughly. Make sure the soil around the peppers stays moist while the plants get established; this will take about a week or two. Mulch around the peppers with a couple of inches of compost. This will help fertilize the peppers and maintain moisture in the soil.
Fertilize every week with fish emulsion or a weak solution of manure or compost tea. Do not use a very high nitrogen fertilizer.
Keep the plants well watered, especially after the plants have started setting peppers. Peppers will not tolerate soggy soil; however they grow best with a consistent level of moisture in the soil.
Pepper plants grow best when temperatures are between 65 and 85 degrees. Very hot temperatures cause them to drop their blossoms and not set fruit.
Aphids may infest your pepper plants. Use a soap spray to control the pests. Tomato hornworms and caterpillars also might attack the plants. Use a spray made of ground hot pepper and soap to deter them.
A disease called mosaic sometimes infests peppers. Mosaic is caused by a virus. The symptoms of this disease are malformed, mottled leaves. The plants will become stunted and die. There is no cure for mosaic. You must destroy the affected plants. Never touch a healthy plant after touching one with mosaic unless you have washed your hands thoroughly first. Choose varieties that are mosaic resistant when planning your garden.
Once the plants start producing peppers, they will continue to produce through the summer and fall until the winter frost kills the plants. You may even dig up a pepper plant to put in a pot and bring indoors over the winter. Set it back outside when the weather warms up in the spring for an early crop of peppers.
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