How to Grow Bell Peppers Successfully

Learning how to grow bell peppers starts with witnessing those wonderful changes in color on the vine. Few sights in the garden beat out watching green fruits turn to sunny yellow and then to rich red. The colors make it all worthwhile.

Bell peppers test patience more than jalapenos, which produce more quickly. Your labor of love pays off, however, with flavorful and nutritious fruit of irresistible taste. The reds are higher in vitamins. Greens have a crunchy sweetness. Both are better than store-bought.

Look for 85-90 days from transplant to harvest. Organic means growing stronger plants. I use compost tea every two weeks. Healthy soil increases yield potential and limits pest pressure. You'll get peppers from your kitchen that are exploding with great flavor.

Longer-lived than most of us suspect are the Bell peppers. Under good winter treatment, they will last for two years; therefore, protect them from frost whenever the nights grow colder than 50°F. You will be repaid by early peppers next spring, as plants that have been in the ground for a second year often bear heavier crops than during their first year.

In gentler climates with positive aspects such as mulch, plants are allowed to remain unmolested until the nights reach a temperature of 45 degrees Fahr. In colder situations, remove them to the frost-guarding shelter. Dig carefully, removing a ball of soil that measures at least 8-10 inches in depth. This ball does not destroy all the important feeding roots.

Container plants should be in pots with drainage holes. To get maximum light, place them near south-facing windows. Maintain 40-50% humidity with pebble trays. I have a small humidifier running nearby, using water sparingly, especially when the soil is dry throughout.

Prune plants back to 6-8 inches before bringing them back indoors. Be sure to remove all leaves that show signs of disease. This activity redirects energy to the main stems. New growth emerges when the days lengthen. Your peppers will return even stronger for round two.

Treat green peppers and colored peppers differently. Store green peppers in the refrigerator at 45 to 50 degrees F. until you use them; they will keep for three weeks. Use colored peppers within ten days, or they will spoil. Ventilate any storage bag to prevent it from retaining moisture and to prevent water from collecting.

Peppers continue to ripen off the vine, changing flavor as they do; reds develop a deep sweetness, while greens stay crunchy and mild. I leave half-washed ones on my kitchen counter, and in 3 to 5 days, they will all have ripened fully on the vine and intensify to an incredible sweet flavor.

Select storage methods based on your intended use for cooking. For example, freeze sliced peppers after blanching for winter stews. Dry your extra peppers out at 135°F (57°C) to make mixed spice blends. Pickle firm greens for sandwiches. Each method lends itself to a different flavor profile.

Use peppers according to stages of ripeness. Green peppers are best suited for use in stir-fries where their crunchy texture is emphasized. Ripe red peppers are best served raw in salads for sweetness. Overripe peppers can be used for sauces to make a nice, concentrated flavor.

Look for visible symptoms: curled leaves, stippling. Aphids cluster under plants and cause yellowing leaf leaves, spider mite spun webs, hornworms leave big holes behind by morning. Get them early.

Choose organic solutions if your plants produce edible flowers or veggies. Spray aphids with plain water or with a mixture of water and neem oil. Pick off hornworms at dusk or dawn. Spray whiteflies with insecticidal soap, and you'll cause little to no harm to beneficial insects, allowing you to harvest without using chemicals.

Keep the wildcard bugs away with proper companion planting. Basil, sown throughout your peppers, makes thrips turn up their noses. Nemesis nematodes, scourge of worms, make a beeline for marigolds. Garlic repels aphids, threatening their survival on your plants. I tuck borage around to entice my pest-gobbling wasps.

Be mindful of the temperature ranges that increase pest activity. For example, aphids reproduce much more quickly at temperatures above 60°F. Spider mites thrive at dry temperatures exceeding 85°F. Be sure to adjust monitoring efforts when temperatures become too high, cooler nights with temperatures below 55°F slow down most pests, including some aphids and spider mites.

Bell pepper varieties have differing "maturation times." Mature green types (e.g., California Wonder) are usually ready in about 70 days, while colored types (e.g., Purple Beauty) require at least 80 days to develop their full flavor. Therefore, depending on your own climate, you'll realize your harvest at different times.

Match the variety to the way you want to cook peppers. Golden Bells are mostly wall so that you can eat them in a salad. Big Bertha's thick flesh will stand grilling. Mini Chocolate adds glorious flavor to sauces. What are you going to do with your produce?

Take space factors into account before planting. Compact Mini Chocolate peppers grow well in 12-inch containers, while larger varieties (Big Bertha) need about 3 feet of spacing. I grow both on my patio with smaller plants placed around the edges.

Select disease-resistant varieties for problem areas. California Wonder handles the common wilts better than most. Purple Beauty resists mosaic virus, eliminating the likelihood of losses in humid gardens or areas where diseases have previously occurred.

Commence the seeds indoors as soon as the soil temperatures reach 70-80°F (21-27°C). Plant seeds in seedling trays and use grow lights for 14-16 hours a day to achieve optimal results. Maintain the soil's moisture without making it too wet or too dry. Seeds germinate in 7-14 days. Seedlings can develop their root structure much faster in warm soil.

Be careful when adjusting sun exposure throughout the growing season. Seedlings require bright, indirect light initially, followed by full sun after they have been hardened off. Mature plants should receive daily sun exposure of 6-8 hours. Use shade cloth if temperatures reach 90°F (32°C). Without shade, plants will develop sunburn, also known as sunscald.

Install stakes immediately for support. After 7 days of hardening off your plants, move them outside each day for an increased amount of time to acclimate them to the outdoors. These plants should be moved outside for 2 hours on day 1 and then increased by 1 hour daily. Plant in the soil after the soil temperature has reached 65°F (18°C), spacing plants 18-24 inches apart.

Regulate temperature fluctuations during fruiting time. Nighttime temperatures that drop below 55°F (13°C) can slow growth. Protect plants with covers when cold weather is expected. The best range for fruiting is 70-85°F (21-29°C). If temperatures are consistently warm, your peppers will develop more sweetness and wall thickness.

Bell peppers flourish in most growing environments. They do well in container pots on a patio or along a mile-long garden row. I have grown them in both 5-gallon buckets and 20-foot rows.

There are two critical components to a successful crop. First, keep the soil temperature above 65°F (18°C) to encourage roots to grow. Second, maintain at least 18-24 in. (45.7-61 cm) between your plants to provide air flow. Completing these simple steps will prevent most routine problems with growing peppers.

Patience pays off in such incredible ways. The flavor of homegrown peppers tastes nothing like what you can find in the store. That first sweet, crunchy bite makes it all worth it. I can still remember how vibrant it tasted that first harvest.

Enjoy peppers year-round with smart techniques. Overwinter plants indoors during cold months. Start new seedlings every 6 weeks for continuous harvests. Your kitchen is always stocked with fresh peppers.