Plant Series: Peppers

4/13/2015

I have been a busy bee in my garden and spending time with family that I haven't had a chance to post the last couple of weeks, but wanted to start back up with the plant series before the official planting season begins. Spring crops have already been planted - and still can if you haven't started yet. You can check out my spring plant series here. Today we will be talking peppers!

Capsicum

Sweet peppers and chili peppers are all part of the capsicum family which were discovered by Columbus in the West Indies and brought back to Spain where they grew and spread throughout the world. There are so many varieties, colors, shapes, sizes and flavors to choose from, half the fun is deciding what to plant. Baker Creek Seeds have some great heirloom varieties to choose from.

Seed Starting and Planting

Start seeds indoors about 8 weeks before the last frost. I start mine in February since they take a little longer to germinate.
Keeping them at a consistent temperature of 70 degrees will help them germinate faster.
Once sprouted move to light as soon as the first shoot appears.
After the last frost date when the soil has warmed (so if it hasn't warmed after the last frost date - wait until it has) you are now ready to transplant your seedlings outdoors. Every year I actually wait until two weeks after the last frost date just to be sure because peppers despise the cold and I don't want to take any chances with them.
Be careful when transplanting because pepper roots are very sensitive. Plant in full sun about 12-16 inches apart or one plant per square if doing a square foot garden.

how to start seeds

Care

Consistent moisture is necessary for sweet peppers, so make sure they are always moist.
Hot peppers like it more dry than wet, giving about an inch of water each week is sufficient. Try not to get the leaves wet when watering, it can cause fungal and wilt infections.
Mulch around each plant after transplanting. This is important for peppers since they like it warm and the mulch keeps the ground warm, while also holding in moisture and preventing weeds from sprouting.

Companion Planting

Don't plant with other varieties of peppers since they can cross pollinate, making sweet peppers hot and hot peppers more mild.
Don't plant near beans.
Plant with okra, basil and tomatoes.

Harvesting and Preserving

Harvest anytime depending on how big you want your pepper and what color.
Cut from the bush, leaving a once inch stem so they will store longer. Don't yank off the plant or you could take the whole plant out.
Peppers can be dehydrated whole or chopped and then dehydrated.
Powders - you know how I love to make veggie powders. Did you know you can make your own chili powder, paprika, cayenne powder or any other chili spice just by drying and powdering your peppers? (I will be posting on this come fall).
They also freeze well. I like to chop them up and spread them over a cookie sheet to freeze. Once frozen break apart and store in a freezer bag. They can be easily thrown into soups, stir fries or other dishes.
I haven't tried bottling peppers yet but plan to this year, using this recipe from Old World Garden Farms.

Seed Saving

One of the easiest plants to save seeds from, simply cut open a pepper, scrape out the seeds and allow them to dry for a week or two. Make sure you wear gloves when handling the hot peppers so you don't burn your fingers. And if you happen to burn them because you didn't listen to me, you can pull out the burn spray! Store in an airtight container or seed envelope.