Peppers are great fun and much easier to grow successfully than some other crops. Chili and sweet peppers are a diverse bunch; they are colorful crops and the assortment of shapes and sizes is a treat to behold in any greenhouse (tunnel) or on the open plot. The flavors are just as diverse, ranging from mild and sweet to eye-watering hot so there is sure to be something to suit everyone’s taste among the hundreds of varieties available from seed catalogues and specialists.
PROPAGATION
Peppers require a reasonably long growing season to produce best results and sowing early will give them that. Sow seeds in or cell trays (modules) using fresh multipurpose or seed compost. Since, peppers particularly the chilies, can be quite prolific, prolific, why not sow just a few seeds of each variety; each has its own unique flavor and it can be great fun to try lots of different ones to be able to pick fruit in a range of shapes and colors.
FEEDING
Although peppers are not as hungry as tomatoes, they do need regular feeding to keep them healthy and productive. Feeding with a high polash liquid fertilizer mixed at half strength watering ensures that plants always have plenty of nutrients. Feeding need not start until 3 weeks after potting on, since the compost will contain all the minerals your plants need until then.
HARVESTING
You can choose to harvest the fruit when unripe and green or fully ripe and colored up. It’s at this stage that chilli peppers are at their hottest and sweet peppers their sweetest. Peppers can be stored in a number of ways – slowly dried in a cool oven (or in sunshine), sliced, roasted and stored in oil, frozen or of course used fresh. If dried and stored in airtight jars they should last for up to a year – in time for the next harvest.