Tips and tricks for your garden to grow sweet and spicy peppers
What is your type of taste? Is it sweet or spicy? Pepper has both the taste. Pepper is a fruit rich in vitamin A, C & potassium. It is low in calories. It also does have a dose of iron, fiber & folate. Growing peppers at home could be a fantastic idea for everyday snacks. so, let us go through a descriptive discussion on how to grow peppers at home.
Types depending on taste
Now, I have to say that there are numerous types of peppers from the scientific view. Like chilies and pepper are different depending on the genus – Piper and Capsicum. Depending on the taste, there are two types– Bell peppers and Hot peppers.
Some common peppers
Jalapeno peppers: It is the most common pepper having both red and green colors. Size ranges from 2-4 inches.
Serrano peppers: It is a cousin of Jalapeno but spicier than Jalapeno. Size stands between 1-3 inches long.
Bird’s Eye: Also known as Thai-chiles. Appearance is small but spicy to taste.
Habanero peppers: Don’t go at it looks. It is cute in appearance, having a lot of heat packed.
Transplant precaution
If you buy seedlings, choose the dark-colored one. If it already has pepper growing, then don’t buy.
Methods
- Choose the variety you want to grow. I want to recommend you some of the peppers easy to build: Red Cayenne, Madame Jeanette, Ohnivec, Bulgarian Carrot, Fatalii, Demon red, etc
- Choose an area of full sun or partial shade for sowing seeds. Avoid the whole shady place
- Maintain a proper draining system
- If the soil is flooded-type or rocky, then use pots or prepare raised beds
- Maintain proper pH of soil
- Use fertilizer 2 weeks before planting
- Mix compost with soil and prepare it 2 weeks before planting
- You have to choose the right time to grow the plant
- For breaking the seed coverage & speeding up the growing process, soak the seeds in water
- For indoors, set them in seed trays having holes at the bottom
- Sow the seeds with a spacing of (1/2 inches) apart
- Use light above the tray
- If you can see four pure leaves, transplant them in a pot & they receive sunlight until they are 4-6 inches tall
- Harden the seeds with sunlight when they are 4-6 inches tall
- After that, they are ready to transplant in the outer environment at a spacing of 18-24 inches apart
- Give them the support of stalks or cages of tomatoes
- Add water and mulch
- Pull the weeds
- Harvest them when they are mature enough. Usually, it takes two months to mature
Time to grow Bell pepper
It grows well in warm weather like 55⁰F. You have to start indoors 4-8 weeks before the last frost.
Time takes to reach maturity
It starts to ripe after two months & a rich coloration will appear.
For hot pepper: About twelve weeks.
For bell peppers: About eight weeks.
Time of soaking seeds in water
Wait for 2-8 hours or wait until the seeds absorb all the liquids of the cup having chamomile tea in it. An alternative to chamomile tea is lukewarm water having two spoons of hydrogen peroxide.
Germination rate
They are slow at the germination rate. For speeding it up, use seed trays to heat it to 80⁰F until they are 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Use sunlight for hardening the stems.
Soil condition
pH: (6-6.8), ensure proper drainage & fertility of the soil.
Use of raised bed or black plastic mulch
Raised beds elevate the soil temperature slightly. On the other hand, black mulch heats the soil by absorbing solar energy.
Spacing
For seeds: 0.2 inches (0.5cm) depth & 6 inches (15cm) apart.
For transplant: 12 inches (30.5cm) apart.
Thinning
Thin the seeds once when they germinate.
A routine of watering
Water the seeds regularly for one week. After establishing them, water up to 1 inch (2.5cm) for one week.
Fertilizer
My grandma used to observe the growing for two weeks & then applied a liquid type fertilizer every two weeks. Grandma also used to put tomato cages when they are almost 1 foot (30.5cm). Though enclosures aren’t necessary for small stem plants.
Harvest
Harvest the peppers before the frost once it seems perfect, or they will start to rot.
Use scissors
Don’t tear the pepper plants from the stem. Use scissors for cutting the fruits. You can preserve them in a cold place for a few days.
Excessive heat
In scorching weather, plant peppers in such a place where other plants will work as shade. Temperature above 90⁰F (32⁰C) will hurt the plants.
Pest & Diseases
Aphids stink bugs, whiteflies & psyllids are common pests. Flea beetles & verticillium wilt are some others. If you don’t plant pepper in a place where you have planted tomatoes or nightshades, then you can avoid verticillium.
Concluding the bottom
After getting a guide on how to grow pepper at home, give it a try. And please, do let us know about your experience.