Peppers are fairly easy to grow, but there are some tricks to growing peppers that will give you a better yield.
With these tips, you’ll enjoy a bountiful harvest of sweet, crunchy peppers to feed your family this summer.
1) The different colors of peppers
When you go to your grocery store, you will see several different colors of peppers, but red peppers and green peppers are the most commonly available.
Red peppers and green peppers are actually the same plant, the color actually depends on the ripening of the fruit. First they will be green, then if left on the plant they will turn red. Since red peppers stay on the plant longer, they have more vitamin C and tend to be sweeter than green peppers.
There are varieties of purple, yellow, orange, brown or white peppers. They are different plants and you can plant more than one variety to give a lot of color to your recipes.
2) Choose the right place to plant peppers
Peppers love the sun, so choose a spot in your garden where they can enjoy the sun all day. Make sure they are not shaded by trees or other tall plants such as sunflowers or tomatoes.
Peppers like soil that is well-drained. They don’t like getting into water, so make sure the area is well drained. They prefer intermediate soils with sand and clay.
They like a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. If you don’t know your soil’s pH, get a test kit and make adjustments as necessary.
Before planting your peppers, add compost or fertilizer to the soil and break it up. This will help improve drainage and provide nutrients to the peppers.
Don’t plant peppers where you recently planted tomatoes, eggplants, or potatoes. These plants attract the same diseases that can be harmful to peppers. Viruses and fungi can live in the soil for a few years, so wait at least three years before planting in the same area.
3) When to plant peppers
Peppers love heat, so you don’t want to plant them from seed in the garden. Plant them to start about 8 to 10 weeks before the expected last frost date or purchase seedlings from a greenhouse.
Peppers also take two to three months to mature, so planting them from seedlings gives them a head start over planting from seeds.
Young peppers do not like cold temperatures. Get them used to being outdoors by putting them outside during the day and inside at night so they are not out in the cold at night. After a few weeks, they should be ready to be planted.
4) Plant pepper plants
Once it is at least 15°C at night, you can plant your peppers in the garden. You can warm the soil by covering it with black plastic for a week before planting your pepper plants.
When planting, plant them no deeper than they were in the pots. Peppers do not like to be planted deep. Space them about 45 to 60 cm apart.
5) Choosing the right pepper garden companions
Plant your peppers near your tomatoes. Tomatoes help keep beetles and soil microbes away to protect the peppers.
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