|
Peppers
(Capsicum
annuum, Capsicum chinense, and Capsicum baccatum)
CULTURE: Sow seeds 8
to 10 weeks before the last frost date for your area. Plant seeds 1/4
inch deep in well-drained soil in shallow flats. Maintain soil temperature
at least 75-85 deg. F (24 -29 deg. C) for good germination. Germination
of pepper seed takes 2 to 3 weeks, sometimes 4 weeks depending on variety
and soil temperature. Wet and cool conditions will cause poor germination
and damping off. Transplant to 3" pots as soon as several leaves have
developed. Maintain day temperature 75-80 deg. F (24-27 deg. C), and night
temperature at least 65 deg. F (18 deg. C). Water plants with warm water.
Transplant again to 5-inch pots if the seedlings become too large. Peppers
need to have an uncrowded root system, otherwise subsequent yields will
be reduced. Harden the plants by giving them plenty of light and setting
them outside for a few hours on warm days. Be careful not to let the plants
wilt. Don't rush the season: a good rule of thumb is to transfer peppers
to the garden after the dogwood blossoms have fallen, or when average
soil temperature is 65 deg. F (18 deg. C) or above. Space plants 18" apart
in rows or blocks. Wait to mulch peppers until July so that the soil can
heat up. Small- fruited varieties tolerate hot humid conditions better
than large-fruited varieties. Once flowering begins, fertilizer should
be withheld; otherwise, flowers may drop without setting fruit. Other
factors causing flower drop are low humidity (sometimes caused by wide
spacing), poor pollination, full fruit set, or night temperatures above
80 deg. F (27 deg. C) or below 65 deg. F (18 deg. C). In the greenhouse,
pollinate peppers the same way tomatoes are pollinated. Maintain high
levels of phosphorus for sustained yields. Once fruit production begins,
short stakes may be necessary to prevent large-fruited varieties from
falling over.
FLAVOR: Peppers
are fully ripe when orange or red. Although all peppers may be eaten in
the green stage, ripening to red or orange increases flavor and nearly
doubles the vitamin C content.
EXTENDED
HARVEST: Before the first killing frost uproot plants and place the roots
in a bucket of water and store in a cool location to extend harvest by
one month, or grow the variety 'Permagreen' which is an excellent keeper.
DISEASES:
Peppers are fairly disease resistant, but are susceptible to anthracnose,
bacterial leaf spot, and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Use resistant varieties
and control aphids. Mosaic may not kill plants but will greatly reduce
the yield. Keep cigarettes out of the garden and greenhouse.
PHYSIOLOGICAL
DISEASES: Sunscald is common on varieties that have sparse foliage. Blossom-end
rot is less common in peppers than tomatoes, and is due to inadequate
calcium supply or uneven supply of water.
SEED SAVERS:
Wear gloves when collecting seeds from hot peppers. Isolate sweet varieties
by 150', and hot and sweet varieties by 300'.
NOTE: Days to maturity are
days after transplanting.
PACKET: 0.5 g (about 60 to 100 seeds, depending
on variety) sows 35 to 100' of transplants.
SEEDS/OZ:
3,500 to 5,000 depending on variety.
| 
Peppers