Pepper MASTER GARDENERS MG 292 March 1, 2003 Master Master Gardeners Gardeners Journal Journal Culture Because of our relatively short growing sea- son, peppers are best started in the green- house in early April and transplanted in early June after the garden soil has warmed to at least 60-65 o F. Sow seeds ½ inch deep in a sterile seeding mix, and keep uniformly moist. You can buy or mix your own sterile potting mix for starting transplants. The mix should include peat, sphagnum or compost to retain moisture; vermiculite or perlite for aeration; and mineral and nutrient sources to encourage growth after the first roots form. The optimum temperature for seed germina- tion for most peppers is 80-85 o F, but the rate of germination may be erratic, taking from 8 to 25 days to emerge. Pepper seedlings are slower growing so make sure to water care- fully and evenly, as damping off disease can be a problem. Transplant to a 3-inch pot when the seedling has 2 sets of true leaves, and grow at approximately 70 o F during the day and 60 o F during the night. Remember to give them plenty of light. Stocky, strong transplants perform best and will give the highest yields. A light feeding of a diluted fer- tilizer solution will help overall plant vigor. Transplant outside after the soil has warmed up, a very important component for success- fully growing peppers! Generally plant them outside after the tomatoes. Unlike tomatoes, don’t bury pepper stems any deeper than the transplant soil line. Set the plants 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches apart. Direct sowing outdoors is not recommended. Peppers are often planted in raised beds. This method improves soil drainage and al- lows access to the crop without causing soil compaction. Raised beds are typically 4- foot wide by any convenient length. Space plants 18 inches apart in both directions for wide row planting. Peppers grow best at temperatures of 70 to 80 o F during the day and 65 to 70 o F at night. Fruit set only occurs at temperatures of 75 to 85 o F. Tempera- tures below 72 o F or above 90 o F will result in blossom drop and poor fruit set. As peppers have shallow root systems, cultivate care- fully or use ground mulches. Season extend- ers such as floating row covers and plastic mulch can prolong the growing season and are recommended for warm-season crops such as peppers. Plastic mulch should be black or the new photo-selective plastic that maximizes soil warming yet controls weeds. Row covers, if used, should be removed when temperatures inside the cover exceed 90 o F for 2 or 3 consecutive days at mid af- ternoon, or for pollination. Pepper flowers are self-pollinated by insects, although about 12% will cross with other plants. A mild variety can become hot be- cause of cross-pollination with a pungent cultivar. Pepper fruit may be borne on the plant pointing either up or down. Irrigation It is very important to water carefully and evenly; when soil moisture is deficient blos- som end rot may occur; and under even greater stress, fruit abortion is possible. For healthy and rapid growth, your plants need about an inch of water per week. The use of drip irrigation in conjunction with plastic mulch provides a more constant supply of water and results in better fruit quality and less blossom end rot. Capsicum annum, and Capsicum frutescens Prehistoric remains in Peru show that pep- pers existed then, and they were cultivated in Central and South America in very early times. Columbus brought them to Europe in 1493, and they were quickly adopted and cul- tivated. In fact, it was the Europeans that gave peppers their name. The only pepper they had known until that time was the black and white spice we still sprinkle out of our peppershakers. When Columbus brought dried peppers back from the West Indies, Europeans said the fruit was "hotter than the pepper of the Caucasus," the familiar table spice. The name ‘pepper’ stuck, and we've been using it ever since. In spite of sharing the same name, our table pepper and the sweet and hot peppers we grow are not re- lated. The black and white pepper we grind is the seed of the plant, Piper nigrum. Our home garden peppers belong to two species: Capsicum annuum (annual), which includes most of the varieties of bell, New Mexican, jalapeno, and wax peppers, and Capsicum frutescens (bushy), which includes the Ta- basco varieties.