Bell peppersare a joy to have in the garden . There are rainbows of coloring to choose from , and all of them will pop out green giving you multiple harvest home option . you may get a tri - colour soup or salad from one variety of bell pepper just by leaving fruit on the vine to ripen . Harvest unfermented black pepper from your garden this yr , it ’s leisurely .
Choose your variety
First , choose abell capsicum pepper plant varietythat will work for your garden . In USDA hardiness zona 9 and above most peppers will grow from seed outside easily . Seeds can be started indoors in cooler climates , but early ripening varieties will give you more product . Secondly , choose one for its colour . cultivar will mature to crimson , yellow , orange , purple , or chocolate .
Early Bell Peppers :
Planting Seed
Wait until soil temperatures have warmed to 65 ° F ( 18 ° C ) to plant seed outside . In cooler climates or to get a headstart on the season plant seeds indoors 8 - 12 weeks before the last Robert Frost .
Soak seeds overnight before planting to speed germination . germinate them using the newspaper towel method is also commodious . Ideal sprouting temperature is around 70 ° F ( 21 ° C ) so if seed are indoors , keep them somewhere quick .
plant life seed 1/2 inch deep into well - draining grime or potting mix . admit some compost in your potting mix or top an outdoor bed with two to three inches of compost .
Caring for Peppers
seedling that sprout indoors will need to go under fluorescent lighting as soon as they come forth from the grime . This will help them developstrong broth . Protect out-of-door seedlings from pest damage and watch them tight for signs of over or under watering .
Watering
Peppers should receive two inch of water per week . Adjust this amount to report for natural hurriedness and if potential deliver pee at the dirt level rather than from above . Peppers do not like wet foliage .
Feeding
Organic peppers will thrive from the compost bestow at planting and will not need fertilise until they begin to fruit . At this time , apply an extra two or three inches of compost as a mulch around the plants .
If using soluble fertilizer , quash products with ammonium ion - based nitrogen . This can cause peppers to bide in a vegetative growth DoS keep yield from developing .
Troubleshooting
seedling that seem to weaken at the stem and fall over are suffer from damping off . This common job is associated with too much wet . Water them less and provide air flow .
plant that fall bloom or suffer from rotting yield have a potassium inadequacy . Add potassium and lay off all nitrogen software .
