Pepper Plants and Seeds
Pepper plants and seeds are fun to work with (as you probably already know). So today is an update on the peppers and chiles that I have on deck — plants and seeds.
Bell Pepper, Yellow
This is a plant that I bought, with hopes of getting some more bells. As you’ll remember in some of my growing peppers in Florida posts, I traditionally have a hard time with bell peppers. This time I decided to just buy a plant and hope for the best.
It’s doing fairly well, and some blossoms are getting ready to appear — at least six so far. I’d have liked the plant to be a little larger, but I’ll see what happens. The size may have something to do with the fact that it’s been cooler than normal these last few weeks — days in the 60’s to low 70’s, nights in the 40’s.
Sweet Banana Peppers
The next on deck and growing well are the Sweet Banana peppers. I love the sweet bananas, and they are still a way from planting out in the garden, but they’ve been doing well, in spite of the cooler weather (I have them outdoors in a protected location).
Redskin Bell
Redskin, a bell with a “weeping” habit, is doing well. I figured I’d try another kind of bell, and grow it out on the screened patio in a pot, see what happens.
Purira Chile Pepper
I love growing the hot peppers that look like Christmas trees, with candles of all kinds of colors. Purira
Pretty in Purple Pepper (Hot)
Pretty in Purple is one is another of the ornamental but hot peppers. The leaves and stems are mostly purple, and the peppers are purple, ripening to red hot red. Put one or two in your chili for a nice heat.
Sweet Pickle
Name notwithstanding, I like to eat these Sweet Pickle peppers fresh. Kind of remind me of the Purira chile, with a Christmas tree appearance. These are great sliced up in salads, soups and salsa. Not hot at all — just sweet. One of these days I’ll have to try pickling them.
The Really Hot Chiles
My bhut jolokia has arrived, and I’m waiting for the mustard habaneros to show up. Thai hot, peter pepper, datil and hot-banero are also waiting in the wings. Hot-banero is the hottest habanero I’ve ever grown (my own strain), and I want to see how it stacks up against jolokia and the mustard habanero.
I’m not in a super-hurry for the really hot peppers; they like the warmth and it’s still pretty cool. In my experience, the hotter the pepper, the warmer the soil it needs to germinate, and the longer it takes to germinate. I don’t plan on putting any of the really hot chiles out in the garden until maybe the beginning of March.
But I will very shortly be germinating some jalapeno seeds — Jalapeno M variety. Debating on trying the Jaloro as well; those are some of my legacy (i.e. 10-year-old) seeds. Germination for the older seeds has been kind of low, but we’ll see what happens. Jaloro is a yellow jalapeno, instead of the usual green. But I like to use it red, which gives it a really nice kick.
Growing Peppers in Containers
Growing peppers in containers is easy, and most (if not all) peppers will thrive. In fact, some were selected for their ability to grow well in a pot! Let’s look at some things to consider when growing your peppers in a container.
Choose the Proper Size Pot
It’s not so much a problem with the pot being too big, but rather don’t go choosing one too small. Although many peppers don’t grow to more than 20″ tall, they still need enough room for their roots to spread out.
For the smaller peppers (under 12 ” tall), you’ll need a 2 gallon container. For the larger pepper plants, a 5 gallon or even 10 gallon container will give the peppers plenty of room to grow. Not sure what you need? Try a 3-gallon container and a good soil mixture with plenty of nutrients.
Oh, and remember — your container needs to have drainage holes, so excess water has a way to escape.
What Kind of Soil to Use
I prefer to use bagged soil, seeing as the soil in my yard is fairly sandy. I like a mixture of composted cow manure and organic potting soil. The composted cow manure feeds the plants, and the organic potting soil lets the plant’s roots grow freely. I generally use in a 50/50 ratio (just as much composted cow manure as potting soil).
I generally avoid any potting soil labeled as “african violet” or “houseplant” or any such designation. I also like to avoid pre-fertilized potting soil. If you can’t find any “regular” potting soil, try using sphagnum moss instead, at a ration of 40/60 (40% sphagnum and 60% composted cow manure). Here’s some more information on the kind of soil peppers like.
If you have access to real compost (meaning, from your own compost pile), by all means use that! Just make sure it’s fully “cooked” to destroy any lingering unfriendly bacteria or fungi.
Feeding and Watering
Your pepper plants will very likely need more frequent watering when being grown in a container, as well as more frequent fertilizing.
Watering should be done whenever you can stick your finger 1 inch into the soil and it’s dry (the tried and true method). Soon enough, you’ll get to recognize whether that means watering every day, every other day, etc. for your particular growing conditions.
I like to use my fertilizer at no more than 1/2 strength, but I fertilize a little more often — usually once every other week. When your pepper is first growing, it needs a fair amount of nitrogen, but once it starts producing flowers, it needs more phosphorus. I prefer doing things as organically as possible, so I like worm castings, fish emulsion and seaweed extract. (See the organic fertilizer and peppers post for more information.)
If I feel the plant needs a little boost of nitrogen or phosphorus (beyond the normal fertilizing), I’ll add in some blood meal (nitrogen) or bone meal (phosphorus). Both can be found in most garden centers.
I am debating adding an organic tomato fertilizer to this mix — after all, tomatoes and peppers are related and have similar requirements.
Staking or Caging
Some peppers may need to be staked or caged due to their growing habits. I usually find that bell peppers need to be staked, due to fruit weight. Large rangey plants like jalapenos may need to be caged if they start overtaking your container gardening area.
Ultimately, it’s up to you, especially since there are now peppers like Mohawk
Those Really Hot Chile Peppers
Please keep in mind that if you decide to grow the really, really hot chile peppers (like scotch bonnet, habaneros, etc.), please don’t do it around small children or pets. Just touching the fruit of these plants can cause severe irritation and burning.
I also would recommend staking or at least caging such chile peppers, if they are in an area where people will potentially be walking near them. All you need to do is brush by the peppers to get the oil on your clothes/body.
And remember, when staking or caging the extra-hot chile peppers, please use rubber gloves — preferably the disposable kind. That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way. (And naturally, also use the rubber gloves when harvesting the peppers.)
Growing Peppers in Containers is Easy!
That’s pretty much all you need to know about growing peppers in containers. This means that even if you don’t have a yard, you can have garden-fresh peppers. Just make sure that the spot where you plan to put the pots gets at least 8 hours of sun a day, and is in a warm spot (peppers like heat).
If you plan to grow your peppers from seeds, you may want to check out the growing peppers from seeds post. If your inclination is towards growing chile peppers, check out the growing chile peppers post.
Enjoy!
Pepper Questions
Here are some frequently asked pepper questions. Peppers are pretty easy to grow in general, but you may still be wondering about a few things before you plant your peppers.
Pepper Frequently Asked Questions
Are peppers easy to grow?  Yes! Most pepper varieties will grow and produce delicous fruits for you. If you have a short growing season or lots of cloudy days, however, you should stick with the tried and true peppers like a sweet banana pepper or perhaps the feisty jalapeno (both are known to be prolific). If you have a longer growing season with plenty of sunshine, you can grow almost any variety.
 So how do I grow peppers? Here’s a post on germinating pepper seeds that gives information on how to grow those great-tasting peppers from seed!
What kind of insects or diseases are possible?  Here is the lowdown on insects and diseases that could come to pay a visit on your peppers. Wherever possible, I’ve suggested organic (or at least chemical-free) solutions.
Can I grow peppers is a greenhouse? Â Sure! The key to deciding the varieties that would be best are 1) the size of your greenhouse and 2) the warmth and sunlight your greenhouse receives. Most pepper varieties take up relatively little space, so greenhouse conditions are more of a determining factor.
When should I plant peppers?  It really depends on your climate! For example, in South Florida, the Spring and Fall are our prime pepper-growing times, with Summer also being good for the chile peppers. Here’s a general rule of thumb; start your seeds indoors at 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost for a main-season planting. For more detailed information, check out the planting pepper seeds post.
How do I make chile powder? Â Chile powder (or more specifically, ground dried hot pepper) is very easy if you have a dehydrator, but you can still dry them in an oven or in a warm dry place! First, pick your peppers and make sure they are clean and dry. Place them in your dehydrator in a single layer and dry them until they crack when you try to bend them.
No dehydrator? Place the peppers in a single layer in a warm oven, with the door slightly cracked (about 200 degrees). It will take a long time, though, depending on the size of the pepper! Check every few hours and remove when dry. After the peppers are dried (by any means), crush the peppers (seeds and all!) with a mortar and pestle.
One final note; if you are dehydrating a very hot variety of pepper (habaneros, scotch bonnet, etc.), you may want to wear gloves, eye protection and a face filter while you are crushing the dried peppers. Yes, I’m being serious; these peppers are hot and if you’re at all sensitive, the fine pepper dust can wreak havoc with your eyes and lungs.
Oww! How can I cool down my mouth (and cool down the pepper)?  Check out the chile pepper post for some tips on cooling down that hot sensation!