Sweet Peppers (Capsicum annuum)

The shape of sweet pepper fruit differs considerably.  There are five basic shapes:

  1. flattened.
  2. rounded, often slightly oval
  3. conical
  4. elongated
  5. blocky

 

Growing Advice

  • germinate pepper seeds in trays and prick out singly.
  • sow early – they need a long growing season so should be sown early, sometime between mid-January and mid-March.
  • transplants can be bought from garden centres
  • seedlings should have at least two true leaves.  Handle seedlings with care so not to damage roots or stem.
  • peppers are tropical and need a lot of light.
  • Do not pinch out the growing tip; leave the plant to grow naturally and support with canes.
  • they need high temperatures – covering the soil around peppers with black plastic helps keep moisture in the ground and maintain soil heat.
  • water diligently – seedlings and plants must never dry out and need regular watering in sunny hot weather.
  • peppers need high levels of nutrients.  Many tomato feeds provide this in a convenient way.
  • aphids can be a serious pest for peppers.  Wash plants to remove bugs.

 

For detailed guidance on cultivars of RHS recommended sweet pepper cultivars, see The Garden, August 2017.

allotment-peppers

The Pepper Patch – planted late June 2018.

Sweet Pepper – ‘Snack Orange’  (planted late June 2018)

  • big crops of smaller sweet orange fruits (5-8 cm long).
  • crops through late summer and autumn
  • fruit starts green and turns orange
  • plants reach 60cm high
  • likes full sun – protect from frost
  • prefers well-prepared soil with plenty of compost / rotted manure
  • plant at same depth as pot
  • water regularly
  • apply a high potash liquid feed twice a week after first fruits form
  • regular picking encourages more fruit development

 

Sweet Pepper – ‘Golda F1′ (Franchi)  (planted late June 2018)

  • large, thick-fleshed early to mid-season variety
  • fruit ripens to yellow
  • resistant to disease.
  • choose a warm, sunny spot
  • plant in good, well-drained soil
  • water regularly
  • for bigger crops, liquid feed with tomato fertiliser weekly once fruits have formed
  • regular picking encourages the yield
  • see http://www.seedsofitaly.com