Homegrown peppers are fun to grow, healthful for you, and packed with flavor. They taste great whether eaten fresh, roasted or sautéed. Many people start with one variety and quickly discover it’s even more fun to experiment and grow multiple varieties that produce a medley of flavors.
The biggest mistake gardeners make is planting their pepper plants too early. You can start them from seed indoors early in spring, but it’s best not to transplant starter plants until the soil has warmed and night temperatures stay above 55-60 degrees.
Peppers do best in well-amended soil, so make sure to amend your vegetable bed before planting. They prefer a long, moderate growing season. If it is too cool, peppers might not quite ripen fully, and the fruit won’t set well when daytime temperatures stay above 90 degrees (shading them some can help during a string of hot days).
It’s very important to keep the soil consistently moist; otherwise the peppers can crack or get sun scald. Unless your soil is naturally high in calcium, make sure to apply a rich organic plant food high in calcium at the time of planting and every two months during the growing season. This helps prevent blossom-end rot.
Once your peppers change to their mature color, it’s time for harvesting. Then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.