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
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