Bell peppers grown from your own garden are fresher, sweeter, and better-tasting than those you buy in the grocery store. Growing your own bell peppers can seem like a challenging task, but it really doesn't have to be. Although peppers have a reputation of being finicky to grow, especially in cold climates, with a little planning and special growing techniques you can harvest big, fat bell peppers from your home garden this summer. If you want red, yellow, chocolate or orange-colored bell peppers, you just have to be patient. All peppers eventually change to their mature color. The wait is worth it because the fruits have a chance to develop their true sweetness and flavor.
Here's how to select, grow, and harvest your bell peppers.
Bell Pepper Varieties
There are a number of different bell pepper varieties grouped by size and color. These hybrids are good ones to try in your garden. 'Blushing Beauty' is an All-America Selections winner that matures from ivory to blush to a red color 72 days from transplanting. The plants also are very disease resistant. 'Golden Bell' changes from a light green to gold in only 68 days. For a bell pepper of a different color, try 'Chocolate Beauty'. Another fast-maturing pepper at 67 days, this bell pepper matures to a deep, rich, chocolate color. It's very sweet, but unfortunately it doesn't taste like chocolate.
For a monster-sized bell pepper, try 'Big Bertha'. This thick-walled pepper bears fruits that are 7 inches long and 4 inches wide. It's a meal in itself! Finally, another All-America Selections winner, 'Bell Boy', is very productive. Its blocky shape is perfect for stuffing.
For more bell pepper varieties, go here.
Setting Fruits
Peppers like warm soil and air, plenty of sun, nutrients, and water. Don't rush to transplant your peppers until the soil has warmed to at least 55 degrees F. Once planted, if you expect cool (below 50 degrees F) nights, cover the plants with floating row covers. This cheesecloth-like material lets air, water and light pass through, but keeps night temperatures a little warmer. Keep the floating row cover over the plants for a few weeks until the nighttime temperatures stay above the 50 degree F range.
The temperatures are also critical for setting pepper fruits. Pepper flowers sometimes fall off at temperatures below 55 degrees F or above 90 degrees F. So in cool areas, keep the row covers on the plants. In hot summer areas, consider adding a shade cloth over the plants on hot afternoons to keep the plants cooler.
Fertilizing and Watering
Peppers like a fertile soil. When planting, mix in compost and a handful of a balanced fertilizer. Add a side-dressing of this fertilizer when flowers begin to form and then monthly thereafter. If your soil is not high in magnesium, you can even try adding 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts (which contains magnesium sulfate) per 1 gallon of water and applying it to the peppers. Fertilizing with Epsom salts can encourage larger fruits and darker green foliage.
Give peppers a steady supply of water as well. Consider running soaker hoses or drip irrigation lines along the pepper bed. When watering, it's be
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
