How to Grow a Sweet Pepper Plant

Sweet peppers are easy to grow, as long as you provide the right environment and care.

Sweet peppers include bell pepper types like Bell Boy, Purple Belle, Lady Bell and Chocolate Bell, as well as sweet salad peppers like the Gypsy and Sweet Banana varieties. If you provide the right conditions, sweet peppers are easy to grow and care for, provided your area is warm and sunny.

Things You'll Need

• Sweet pepper seedling plants
• Tiller or pitchfork
• Organic compost
• Shovel or garden spade
• Garden hose or irrigation system
• Organic mulch
• 12-12-12 NPK fertilizer
• Stakes
• Support cages, 2 feet tall
• Pruning shears or knife

Instructions

Planting

1. Choose a planting location for your sweet peppers that has full, direct sunlight and well-draining soil. Plant the sweet pepper seeds in mid- to late spring, after all chance of frost has passed. Ideally, wait until the air temperatures reach 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 degrees at night.

2. Prepare the planting site by loosening the soil down 12 to 15 inches using a tiller or pitchfork. Spread a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of organic compost on the soil bed, and then mix the compost into the top 12 inches of soil.

3. Plant the sweet pepper seedling plants 15 to 18 inches apart in the prepared soil bed. If you're growing the sweet peppers in rows, space the rows about 2 feet apart. Dig planting holes for the sweet peppers and plant them at the same depth they were at in the containers.

Care

1. Water your sweet pepper plants deeply and thoroughly once every week. Provide water to soak the soil down to and around the plants' roots.

2. Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch on the soil around the sweet pepper plants to help control weeds and retain soil moisture. Apply the mulch after the sweet peppers have become established after transplanting.

3. Feed your sweet pepper plants with a side-dressing of 12-12-12 NPK formula fertilizer right after the plants begin to set their fruits. Follow the application and dosage instructions on the fertilizer label.

4. Stake or cage larger sweet pepper plant types to support them and prevent them from falling over. Sturdy stakes inserted beside the plants in the ground or 2-foot-tall cages are best.

5. Harvest the sweet peppers when they've achieved their fully-ripened color. Cut the stem using pruning shears or a sharp knife to remove each sweet pepper. Harvest the peppers often throughout the summer to keep the plant blooming and fruiting continually.

Tips & Warnings

• If you'd like to grow your sweet pepper plants from seed, you can start the seeds indoors about eight to 10 weeks before the last expected spring frost. Start the seeds in pots or seed trays, following the instructions on the seed packet for proper sowing depth and spacing for the specific sweet pepper variety.

• High summer temperatures can damage sweet pepper plants, especially when conditions are dry. If temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter and there's low humidity, your sweet pepper plants might drop its buds and flowers. Mulching thickly and watering thoroughly during hot, dry spells can help prevent serious damage to your sweet pepper plants.

References

• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peppers in the Home Garden
• National Gardening Association: Plant Care Guides -- Pepper
• University of Illinois Extension: Peppers

Resources

• University of Missouri Extension: Growing Sweet Peppers in Missouri