As a heat - bang South American fruit , pepper plants need plenty of heat and sunlight to thrive . They are such a popular garden plant and the cultivars are eternal roam from bite - sized to multi - pound , from fiery red-hot to sweet and mouth-watering . Your gardening geographical zone will help oneself determine what case of Piper nigrum plant will do the estimable .
Choosing a variety
In USDA zones 7 and below where there are less than 90 - 100 days of freeze - free weather , shorter season crops will do better thanlong - season peppers . In most cases , hot peppers run to have longer growing time of year . Here are some capital short season peppers .
honeyed peppers :
red-hot Madagascar pepper :
Planting from seed
In the tropical zone , white pepper can be seeded any time of the year in a well - cultivated garden bed . Soil should be amended with three to six in of compost worked in or added as a mulch . Keep the soil moist at all times but ensure that it is draining .
In cool climates , it is recommend to start Piper nigrum early indoors . This drill allows gardeners to get the maximal harvest from their planting . twenty-four hours to maturity refers to the time between transplant and fruiting . Once a pepper plant fruit , it will continue to produce . The earlier you may get a works fruiting , the more you ’ll be able to reap .
set out pepper seeds indoors or in a greenhouse 8 - 12 calendar week before the first frost in your part . utilize a high - character potting soil or make your own using adequate share peat moss , perlite , and compost .
common pepper bourgeon at soil temperatures of 70 ° F ( 21 ° C ) . If you’re able to not keep a glasshouse at that temperature , employ a rut mat beneath germination tray . Keep the grime moist at all clock time .
Caring for Seedlings
As presently as flora sprout indoors they should be moved beneath a fluorescent store light . advert the light two inches from the top of the plant and raise it up as the plants grow . you’re able to purchase more expensive plant - specific light but it is n’t necessary for jump seedlings .
water system with a liquid fertilizer once the first set of true leaves develops . A homemade compost tea with worm castings , manure , or terminate compost is consummate . Otherwise , you’re able to purchase organic liquid fertilizers at garden supply memory .
If seedlings are in tray or belittled starting pods , they will need to be transplanted before becoming rootbound . A plant always maintains the same biomass below the soil horizon as there is above the grunge horizon . If your seedlings sensationalistic or blockade growing , it may be because they ask to be transplanted . Select a container that is at least one - third large than the one they came out of .
Tranplanting and Hardening Off
When soil temperature outdoors reach 65 ° F ( 18 ° C ) systematically , your plants can for good go outside . This is commonly around two weeks after the last frost escort . Some people in nerveless mood choose to keep peppers in a greenhouse or polytunnel year - round .
If they are going outside , they will first require to be hardened off . This is the appendage of slowly introducing direct sunlight , wind , and temperature fluctuations to a greenhouse - raised seedling . Over the course of a week , impart the seedlings outside and expose them to increase levels of unmediated light and wind .
allow them feel the sang-froid off that happen and night . They are ready to transplant when they can be outdoors in direct light and evening temperatures for 24 hours without wilting or show signs of focus .
seedling transplanteddirectly into the groundmay shrivel up beneath the sun , grow slowly , or stop growth in all .
Caring for plants
One great rule to live by when growing peppers is if you are well-heeled then they are too . This then leads to the flipside of if you are uncomfortable , they are too . Madagascar pepper can get too much sun and too much heat in the dead of summertime . Despite being a tropic works they are used to spring up beneath larger canopy trees that prevent the harsh twelve noon sun from reaching them .
pee daily through hot and dry periods . ascertain the soil moisture with a time or by sticking your finger into the soil . If you feel moisture then they are probably okay . If it feels dry , give them a in force soaking . body of water peppers deeply about once a week .
The garden soil should have brisk compost mixed into it which will act as a irksome - firing provender . Foliar sprays can also be beneficial for preventing disease , pest damage , and feeding black pepper plants . Consider using a dilute compost afternoon tea , Pisces the Fishes emulsion , seaweed or kelp mixture , or Epsom salt as a foliar spray - on feed .
Pruning and Staking
How you prune a pepper plant depends on how you choose it to grow . Most pepper varieties are indeterminant , meaning they will grow very grandiloquent without any deciding superlative . you may create shaggy-coated habits in these varieties by exceed them when they are young .
Topping
This pruning pattern cite to twitch off up growth above two respectable nodes where you desire the plant to branch . or else of growing marvelous and gangly , a topped plant will stay to branch at every pinched convergence .
This is a popular technique for ornamental and small hot peppers . It creates a striking pyrotechnic spray of pepper bush that is attractive and highly generative .
Staking
Plants may require some sort of backup as they arise heavy with yield . A elementary post to which you’re able to tie the main white pepper limb is probably all it needs . Other options include using a Lycopersicon esculentum cage to place around the growing industrial plant . Or , if you ’ve got a wrangle you’re able to build a row trellis to support multiple plants at a sentence .
Harvest
harvest home peppers at any fourth dimension after they appear . Green bell peppersare just young red or yellow Alexander Bell peppers , which is why they are often cheaper in the grocery memory .
Madagascar pepper will accomplish a maximal sizing on the plant before lead off to ripen . Once they ’ve reached maturity or full size , it will take a few days for the yield to change to its final colour . Usually , peppers are most flavorful at their brightest color .
Some variety show are preferable fleeceable . Jalapenos , for example , are almost always eaten green even though if let to mature to red , they become hot and more flavorful .
Health and Disease
A biodiverse garden and good for you territory are the keystone to develop sizable plant . Keep plague off your capsicum pepper plant plants by planting them amidst fellow traveler like garlic , onion , and aromatic herb . These plant not only deter pests , they also attract beneficial predatory insects .
Some mutual diseases that affect pepper plants are :
Storage and Preservation
Store common pepper in the fridge for up to 10 day after harvest . If you postulate to store them longer , consider preserving them in a number of ways .
Freeze peppers for later use in soups , stir - tiddler , sauce , and scorched goodness . black pepper can also be dried using a dehydrator or ceremonious oven . blistering black pepper are specially useful when dried and ground into chili gunpowder or cayenne pepper . Paprika is dry and ground sweet blood-red bell pepper .
