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July
25, 2001
Peppers
like tomatoes and potatoes are members of the nightshade family and
native to tropical Americas. In its native environment it is grown
as a perennial, becoming a bush growing up to eight feet tall. Spanish
explorers "discovered" them in the 15th century. The peppery
flavor of hot varieties lead Columbus to confuse them with pepper
from the East Indies and the name stuck.
Peppers are divided into two groups. There are sweet or mild flavored
varieties often used for salads, garnishes, and for stuffing. The
hot varieties are used primarily for sauces and for flavoring. Peppers
are high in vitamin C and A, with highest vitamin A when fully ripe,
usually bright red or yellow depending on the variety. Plant seeds
indoors 8 to 10 weeks before optimum planting time in garden (night
time temperatures stay above 50F- at least June 1st here which equates
to a seed planting window of March 22 to April 5). They demand warm
temperatures and are more susceptible to cold damage than tomatoes.
Best soil temperature for germination is 80-90F which requires bottom
heat with a minimum of 60F the lower limit. Peppers can be started
indoors without bottom heat although germination may fall off at lower
temperatures. Peppers take 50 percent longer to germinate than tomatoes,
up to 20 days.
Grow seed flats where minimum temperature is at least 75F (days) and
60F (nights). Place flats in a sunny location. Transplant to trays
or pots when the tiny seedlings are easy to handle. Don't be in a
hurry to transplant to the garden. Rule of thumb: transplant in the
garden two weeks after tomatoes are set out or when the minimum night
time temperature will not go below 55F. Pepper plants may be set back
failing to set fruit if temperatures fall into the lower 40'sF. Recommended
minimum planting space is 18" apart and 24" between rows.
Peppers respond best with good organic matter/compost is mixed in
with the soil and when grown in full sun.
Days to maturity are from the time transplanted in the garden. In
our area (Finger Lakes) this is June 1 to Sept 15 or 106 growing days.
Any decent growing conditions beyond Sept 15 until first killing frost
is a gift and depends upon the local climate for the garden but keep
in mind that the days are getting shorter. An exceptional warm fall
could take the first killing frost date into November. I wouldn't
plan on it though. Threats of light frost can be protected against
by covering the plants overnight. Peppers will continue to produce
up to the first killing frost.
Select varieties that will mature in the garden well ahead of the
Sept 15 date. Most peppers, including a wide variety of hot ones,
will mature in 60 to 75 days. Some peppers, the southern hottest ones
especially, may require more growing days than available here. If
we have a cool summer, those requiring 90 or more days may not set
fruit at all even though the catalog days to maturity state otherwise.
Some of the smaller bushes, especially several hot varieties, can
be container grown and brought inside to continue producing all winter
if provided with enough sun. Containers should be filled with a porous
well draining soil mix with plants kept on the dry side to produce
compact bushier plants.
Shallow cultivation on a regular basis will help keep the weeds down
and aerate the soil. Peppers are heavy feeders and susceptible to
blossom end rot so water well adding a foliar fertilizer (fertilizer
mixed with water and poured/sprayed on the foliage) or side dressed
with a low nitrogen fertilizer following label directions. I prefer
foliar fertilizing and think plants respond better with it than loose
granular fertilizer placed on the ground. Foliar fertilizer goes to
work right away. Granular side dressing requires heavy irrigation
or much rainfall to become effective. Too much nitrogen in the fertilizer
produces plant growth rather than fruit. Nitrogen is the first number
on the fertilizer label. Select a low nitrogen fertilizer such as
5-10-5 or 5-10-10.
There are many pepper varieties to choose from. One tomato/pepper
speciality catalog list 120 and another 153 varieties. As with tomatoes
it is fun, and something to look forward to, trying a few different
ones each year along with the old standbys. New ones are introduced
every year. Local garden centers carry a number of good pepper plant
varieties for those who do not wish to start from seed.
Peppers will continue to bear right up to killing frost provided the
fruit is picked regularly as soon as they are large enough to harvest.
We often pick our peppers green. However if left longer on the bush,
they will ripen further often turning bright red, orange, or yellow
depending on the variety. Riper fruits have a shorter shelf life and
bruise easily which is why supermarkets charge premium prices for
those brightly colored beauties.
Hot peppers contain the chemical capsaicin with a non-linear "heat"
rating scale of "0" to "10" with "10"
being dynamite ("scorching") and very dangerous to handle
if not brutal on the palate. Sweet peppers are usually all "0's"
exhibiting no discernible heat. The Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets are
"10's". One local supermarket has a "heat" chart
with the pepper "heat" displayed near the hot pepper sales
area. The older Scoville heat scale was too ambiguous with units in
the thousands.
Jalapeno (hah-lah-PEH-nyoh) pepper is only a "5" ("hot")
on the heat scale and many hot pepper connoisseurs use it as a bench
mark as in "X" times hotter or less hot. For example some
references say Habanero peppers are 1000 times hotter than Jalapenos.
A "7" is "very hot" while a "3" is "mild-hot".
My palate registers peppers with ratings of "1", "2"
or "3" as relatively mild with a "5" as a warning
that going any higher up the scale isn't going to be pleasant at least
for me. Still, I have several friends whose mouths and stomachs are
lined with firebrick.
Some good sweet pepper varieties to try are Whopper Improved, California
Wonder, Bell Boy (All American Selection winner), Big Bertha, Blushing
Beauty (an ivory pepper that turns yellow when ripe and an All American
Selection winner), and Corno di Toro (an Italian pepper "Bulls
Horn" that is great for grilling)
Hot varieties are subjective to individual tastes. Some interesting
ones to look for are Thai Hot Dragon (8 times hotter than Jalapeno
rated about a "7" on the heat scale), Super Chili (another
All American Selection winner, one of the hottest chilies and great
for container growing), any of the Cayennes (good for drying), and
Serrano Chili (seh-RRAH-noh, "6-7" heat scale, some say
it has a better flavor than Jalapeno but keep in mind that it is much
much hotter).
Growing peppers is not hard and as long as we keep in mind that they
do not like cold temperatures they will produce large crops of delicious
and wholesome fruits for our harvest tables.
If you have any questions about peppers or any other gardening questions,
please call the Cooperative Extension Office at (315)-536-5123 and
leave a message for the Master Gardeners. Be sure to leave your name,
phone number and a time we can call you back. Happy green thumbing.
Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association
Last updated: 7/25/01
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