How to Grow Banana Peppers in Florida

Banana peppers are mild and sweet in flavor.

Banana peppers are a warm-season crop, but the humid weather of Florida encourages fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and fusarium. To discourage these diseases, grow banana peppers in the spring or fall, avoiding the hot humid Florida summer days. Plant in the early spring or fall, allowing at least 70 to 90 days for crop maturity.

Banana peppers are mild in flavor and may be enjoyed raw, cooked and pickled.

Things You'll Need

• Banana pepper transplants
• Trowel
• Starter fertilizer
• 12-12-12 fertilizer
• Soapy water, optional
• Sharp knife or kitchen shears

Instructions

1. Transplant banana peppers into the garden in the early spring, once night temperatures have risen above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the plants 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart.

2. Water and apply a starter fertilizer or diluted solution of water-soluble fertilizer after planting.

3. Water peppers at the ground level during dry weather to keep the soil moist but not wet. Avoid wetting the foliage.

4. Fertilize with a side dressing of high nitrogen fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, when fruit first appears. Apply at the rate suggested on the label.

5. Watch for aphids and other pests under the leaves. Aphids are a big problem in Florida Gardens. Wash pests away with a mild solution of soapy water or use an insecticide recommended by your county extension agent.

6. Pick banana peppers when they are approximately 3 inches long and the color changes from green to pale yellow, orange or red, depending on the variety. Cut the pepper from the plant with a sharp knife or kitchen shears.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Peppers
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peppers in the Home Garden
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: A Series on Diseases in the Florida Vegetable Garden: Pepper
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Production of Greenhouse-Grown Peppers in Florida