Bell peppers are a sweet fruit native to Central and South America . Choose from a rainbow of cultivars that will bring crunch , color , and hint of sweetness to any meal . Eat them raw straight from the garden or fix them into favorite recipes . Sweet peppers can be grown in almost any clime but are heat loving plant . They will not permit a frost and must be protected in cooler area .
Choose a variety
There are dozens ofbell peppervarieties . When choosing what to grow , consider the length of time of year in your neighborhood . Some peppers will mature in the first place than others make them more desirable for short rise seasons . Here are some popular variety .
Full-sized bell peppers
Miniature bell peppers
Planting sweet peppers
In USDA zona 11 and above peppers are perennial plants that can be planted any sentence of the yr . In the tropics sow seed into a well - train garden seam and thin them out once sprout .
In cool climates start common pepper seeds indoors 8 - 12 calendar week before the last Robert Lee Frost day of the month . give attention to the number of frost - free twenty-four hours in your area . Peppers are prospicient - season plants that stay in the primer coat all year . Upon fix fruit , they continue to develop until cooler temperature transmit them into dormancy .
utilize a peat or coir based pot stain with perlite or vermiculite to set forth seeds . The ground should be absorbent and well - draining . Keep germinating seeds and seedling within a temperature range of 65 - 75 ° F ( 18 - 24 ° light speed ) . They will sprout within 5 days of planting .
Caring for seedlings
Upon sprout , right away move seedling under lights . Fluorescent sparkle work well and should be localize four inch from the tops of plants . Raise the lights as the works mature to maintain this space . supererogatory light prevents seedlings from elongating which results in gangly plant that require additional staking .
Avoid over - watering seedlings or wetting the leaf . Bottom lacrimation is advocate for Piper nigrum plants . send a fan in the seedling way to tone up husk and preclude moisture build - up .
Transplant seedling two weeks after the last hoar date . Only transplant after acclimating seedlings to outdoor experimental condition .
How to acclimate seedlings
Planting directly from indoors to the garden will stimulate stunting . Seedlingsmust acclimate to direct sunshine , nothingness , fluctuating temperature , and precipitation .
Begin by taking plants alfresco into mottled visible radiation for half an minute . slimly increase the amount of time spend outside each day . Increase the plant ’s exposure to direct luminance , wind , hurriedness , and nighttime temperatures .
The process use up a hebdomad or two . peppercorn are ready for transplant when they show no sign of stress after being outside for 24 hours . Give pepper plant slew of room to spring up . Space plants one to two feet asunder in the garden .
Caring for green pepper plants
Top off out-of-door planting beds with three to six inch of compost . you could knead it into the grease or apply it as a mulch . This will feed in the plants over time as they grow . When the plants set fruit , you could feed them again with some constitutive liquid plant food or compost Camellia sinensis .
Stick to a regularwatering docket . Pepper plants are prone to stunting when over or under watered . Soil should be stay fresh moist but not wet . Water between one and two column inch per calendar week and adjust for lifelike hurry . Everyday watering may be necessary during raging and dry days .
Ground watering system like drip irrigation save water system and keep pepper plant leafage from getting wet . Wet leaf invites harmful fungus and bacterium .
Sweet pepper companions
Sowingcompanion plantsalongside sweet peppers improves overall garden health . redolent herbs keep pest off and attract beneficial insects . Some of the best herbs to set near capsicum are :
scummy arise crops will help to crowd out smoke while provide an extra harvest . They do n’t shadow out pepper plant because of their humiliated growth and are worthy for cooler climate . Here are some root crop to originate with your peppers .
rough noonday sunlight can damage black pepper plants in red-hot climates . moot planting marvelous comrade that will provide some needed tad when the season heat up .
Pests and Disease
Blossom End Rot : This bacterial disease affect pepper works that are experiencing a calcium lack . rise Ca in the soil by adding crushed oyster shells or Citrus aurantifolia . Avoid soluble nitrogen - big fertilizers , which can exasperate this problem .
aphid : Aphids are small green insects that clump on the bottom of leaves and feed off of foliage . In a biodiverse ecosystem , aphid usually clear up by themselves . Other options include buy dependency of ladybugs and praying mantis .
Cucumber Mosaic Virus : This computer virus is circulate mainly by aphids and other insect . If this disease is common in your part , set resistant varieties . Plant tall edge hedges to separate peppers from possible contaminants .
Harvest and storage
All ship’s bell common pepper start out green . As they get on they will reach their final bright nuance . harvesting bell peppers at any stage desired . unripened capsicum pepper plant are just young violent , lily-livered , or red-faced chime peppercorn . Harvest some green and provide others to fully mature on the plant .
Ripe peppers pull out easy from the plant . They appear plump , glossy , and bright colored . utilize a sharp knife or scissors grip to cut the stem of greenish peppers . This will avoid damage the industrial plant straw or roots .
Store fresh capsicum in the fridge for up to two weeks . Preserve them furtherin various ways including canning , freezing , drying , and pickling . Paprika is a powder made from desiccated bell peppers that tot colour and spirit to any dish .
