Many seed catalogs have a wide variety of sizes and shapes for both the hot and sweet peppers. If you are a gardener living in an area with a short growing season it is best to choose the early variety of pepper. Even the earliest varieties will need at least 2 months from the time young seedlings are planted until they are mature enough for harvesting. You can find pepper seedlings at most garden centers and be sure you choose the plants that have stems that are short and sturdy and their leaves are a deep green.
When you start your
container gardening of peppers be sure not to use the same soil that you previously planted peppers, tomatoes or eggplant. All three of these vegetables are vulnerable to similar diseases. Always use fresh new soil with
organic matter mixed in along with 5-10-10 fertilizer. Remember to always transplant your young pepper plants in late afternoon or early evening so they will have a better chance to recuperate from the transplanting. After transplanting water the soil well. If you mixed in enough fertilizer in the soil at planting time you should not have to fertilizer again during the growing season. Peppers need a moist soil in order for fruit to form and a container vegetable garden needs more water than ground grown vegetables; water regularly and sometimes more often to keep moist during hot spells.
The sweet peppers can be eaten at just about any stage of growth. If you leave full-sized green peppers on the plant they will turn bright red and will be slightly sweeter. They can be harvested at either stage but red peppers should not be left on the plant because their presence will cause the ensuing peppers to be reduced in quantity. When you
harvest peppers always cut them from their branches; if they are pulled off they may break the branch.
Some of the peppers may need to be caged or staked depending on their growing habits. Bell peppers will need to be staked mainly because of the weight of the fruit. If you do not stake the bell peppers you run the risk of the weight of the pepper breaking the stems. Large hot peppers such as jalapenos may need a cage if they begin to overtake your patio gardening container.
Harvesting regularly will help your
patio gardening peppers to continue to bloom and produce more fruit. The bell peppers will become sweeter and the hot peppers will become hotter the longer they are left on the plant. You should allow the hot peppers to reach full growth and flavor before you harvest them.
