Peppers are a darling option in American garden , 2d only to tomatoes in popularity . With a all-embracing miscellanea of shapes , size , colors , and flavors , pepper can be fresh , hot , or a delightful mix of both . Even if you ’re not a fan of their taste , their decorative qualities — colorful fruits and attractive flowers — make them a bang-up gain to any garden , including yourLandGuard Garden Bed .
Planting Pepper Plants
Transplant pepper plants after the last frost , when the weather condition is consistently lovesome , and the soil temperature reach out at least 65 ° fluorine . Before planting , harden off your seedlings alfresco bit by bit .
Tip for Cold Climates : To warm the soil , cover it with black-market charge card for at least a week before planting .
Choose a location that receives full Lord’s Day ( at least 8 hours per daytime ) and has alimentary - rich , well - drain soil enriched with organic topic .
Before planting , mix organic matter into the grease . dig up holes deep enough to identify the flora at the same level they were in their pots . piddle exhaustively after transplanting and hold a stratum of finely tear up constituent mulch to keep back wet and suppress weed .
Space your pepper plants 18 to 24 inches apart , depending on their mature size of it .
Starting Pepper Seeds
commencement seeds indoors 8 to 12 hebdomad before transplanting . Pepper seeds require warm soil ( about 80 ° F ) for germination , with daytime temperatures between 70 ° F and 80 ° fluorine , and nighttime temperature no dispirited than 60 ° atomic number 9 . Keep the dirt equally moist and supply fair to middling luminousness for healthy seedlings .
Growing Peppers in Pots
Pepper plants thrive in container due to their upright growth . Select a pot that admit for root ontogeny and has drain hollow . Most varieties need a minimum potty size of 5 gal , with enceinte fruit take big pots .
Companion Planting
Beneficial fellow traveller for peppers let in carrots , Basil the Great , Petroselinum crispum , tomato plant , onion plant , eggplant , beets , and Swiss chard . avert planting near kohlrabi and fennel , which attract pest harmful to peppers . Rotate nightshade syndicate plants ( white pepper , tomatoes , brinjal ) each class to foreclose stain - bear diseases and nutrient depletion .
Pepper Plant Care & Harvesting
Generally , pruning is not necessary for pepper plants , as they can be tender to sunscald .
Water common pepper pretty . Too piddling moisture make wilting and flush drop , while too much leads to waterlogged roots . Aim for about 1 inch of water supply per week , increasing during hot atmospheric condition .
Use a balanced veg fertiliser at planting and again when the first blossoms appear . Avoid gamey - nitrogen fertilizers , which promote leaf growth at the expense of fruit yield . If your plants have many flowers but few fruit , a atomic number 12 deficiency may be the cause . Spray leaves with a solution of Epsom saltiness ( 2 teaspoons per quart of warm water ) or side dress with 1 tablespoonful of Epsom salts per substructure of plant pinnacle .
Most pepper plants ( except dwarf varieties ) profit from gage or cage to support their brittle branches . habituate stretchy materials like nylon strips for tying to prevent choking as the industrial plant grows .
Harvesting Peppers
Peppers can be reap at any stage , but they will be most sapid when amply ripe . Picking some other encourages more yield ontogenesis . Use garden lopper to cut peppers cleanly from the plant , avoiding damage to the branches .
Harvesting Tip : When manage top-notch - hot peppers like habañeros or ghost chiles , wear gloves to protect your cutis .
Diseases and Pests
Pepper plant can be affected by various plague and diseases , including bacterial folio stain , blossom - ending rot , and tobacco plant mosaic virus . uncouth pests include cutworms , tomato hornworms , aphids , spider mite , and thrip . To trim issue , choose disease - resistive assortment and practice harvest revolution .
By following these guidelines and utilize yourLandGuard Garden Bed , you could love a bountiful harvest time of pepper while enhance the beauty of your garden . Happy gardening !
