Melinda Myers

Pepper

Botanical Name

Capsicum annuum

Hardiness

Annual

Height

1 to 3 feet

Width

1 to 3 feet

Flowers

Early to late summer: white

Fruit

Bell types; banana types; chili types; sweet to very hot; variety of colors, flavors and sizes

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well drained, organic

Planting & Care

• Pepper seeds best germinate in warm soil temperatures of 80°F to 95°F. Pepper seeds will not germinate in temperatures below 55°F.
• Start plants indoors 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting outside. Sow seeds ¹/₄ inch deep
• Harden off transplants before planting
• Plant only when all danger of frost has passed and the air and soil have warmed
• Space plants 12 to 24 inches apart in rows spaced 24 to 36 inches apart
• Use floating row covers to protect plants from temperature dips. Extreme heat and cold can cause pepper plants to drop their blossoms.
• Providing even moisture is critical to fruit set and development
• Mulch soil around plants to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture and temperature
• Tall varieties or those with heavy fruit may need staking

Problems

Aphids, borers, cucumber mosaic virus, blossom end rot

Varieties

• Big Early Hybrid - thick walled, 8 inches long, sweet, ripens to red
• Caribbean Red - very hot, habanero type, red flesh, use carefully
• Filus Blue - beautiful ornamental with violet tinged leaves, round purple fruit, great in container grouping
• Giant Marconi - 6-8" fruit, excellent for grilling, All-America Selections winner
• Mariachi - mild flavored chili pepper, repens from creamy white to rose, to red, AAS winner
• Cajun Belle - resemble small bell peppers, compact plant is good for containers and small gardens, high yielding, AAS winner
• Orange Blaze - sweet bell pepper, earliy to mature, good disease resistance, 3-4" lobed fruit, AAS winner
• Cayennetta - attractive, mildly spicy, 3-4" fruit, good cold and heat tolerance, dense foliage protects fruit from sun scald, high yielding, AAS winner
• Mama Mia Giallo - very early to mature, sweet Italian pepper, long tapered, bright yellow/gold, compact plants, AAS winner
• Giant Ristra - very hot, bright red 7 inch chili peppers, looks like a Marconi with the heat of a Cayenne, AAS winner
• Sweet Sunset - banna-type, high yielding, attractive yellow, orange and red fruit, great for containers, AAS winner
• Pretty N Sweet - highly ornamental, multi-colored sweet pepper, compact plants work great in containers, numerous sweet fruits can be harvested and enjoyed regularly through the growing season, AAS winner
• Hot Sunset - spicy banna-type, thick walled fruit, great flavor with the heat, AAS winner
• Flaming Flare - Fresno pepper, high yielding, AAS winner
• Flaming Jade - Serrano pepper, disease resistance, upright habit, AAS winner
• Emerald Fire - jalapeno type at 2,500 Scoville units, extra large fruits, vigorous plants produce abundant fruit, AAS winner
• Escamillo - attractive, sweet yellow pepper, compact, great for containers and small gardens, AAS winner
• Cornito Giallo - very tasty sweet, attractive, small fruits that mature to golden yellow, AAS winner
• Mad Hatter - vigorous plants produce early and high yields, attractive shape and sweet flavor, AAS winner
• Sweetie Pie - miniature bell pepper, thick walled, AAS winner
• Aji Rico - early maturing hot pepper, thin-walled conical fruit mature green to red, AAS winner
• Hungarian Mexican Sunset - hot wax pepper, multicolored, thick-walled fruit make this a very attractive plant, AAS winner
• Hungarian Mexican Sunrise - lime green to yellow, then orange and red, thick-walled, semi-hot fruit, high yielding, AAS winner
• Roulette - looks like a habanero, but lacks the spice, very high yielding, AAS winner
• Just Sweet - small 3-lobed fruit, thick-walled and sweet, vigorous plants have a strong, bushy habit, AAS winner
• Red Ember - cayenne pepper, early to mature, AAS winner
• Pot-a-Peno - jalapeno pepper with compact habit, great for containers and small gardens, AAS winner
• Sweet Heat - extremely early producer, mildly spicy sweet peppers