{"id":2510,"date":"2019-06-12T07:33:51","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T07:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2510"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:36:58","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:36:58","slug":"14-instructions-on-how-to-plant-harvest-bell-peppers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-instructions-on-how-to-plant-harvest-bell-peppers\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Instructions on How to Plant & Harvest Bell Peppers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bell peppers are one of the most versatile ingredients known to man, and there are a thousand different things that you can do with bell peppers in the kitchen ranging from the base for an unforgettable stir fry through to a roasted bell pepper soup.
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There are several different types of bell pepper out there, including cherry peppers, orange bell peppers and red bell peppers \u2013 but the first thing you should know as a gardener who wants to plant them is the fact that most types of bell peppers will thrive under the right conditions.
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Bell peppers are higher in vitamin C than most fruits, and they also happen to add a great crunchy element to a salad \u2013 or great flavor to a range of other dishes. But first, you have to grow them!
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Here are 8 simple instructions on how to plant & harvest bell peppers that everyone can use.
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1. Seeds or Plants?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first choices a gardener will have to make once they\u2019ve decided to plant bell peppers is what they\u2019ll be growing it from.
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Most types of bell peppers are happy growing from seeds in most cases, but there are many varieties of bell pepper (especially previously modified, store-bought) ones that just won\u2019t work when grown from seeds.
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This is why most gardeners will choose to transplant existing bell pepper plants \u2013 and this can get you to the harvesting stage a lot quicker, which is the most exciting part of gardening where you finally get to see results.
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If you do choose to plant from seeds, the best time to do it is after the frost and cold of winter is already over: If there\u2019s one thing bell pepper plants hate, it\u2019s any exposure to the cold. Sometimes it can help to germinate seeds between layers of tissue paper first and then to transplant these into the ground.
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2. Spacing Pepper Plants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to make sure that your pepper plants will thrive happily in your garden for years to come, then it\u2019s important to make sure that you do some basic planning before putting your first plants into the ground.
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Pepper plants are best spaced at least 16 to 20 inches apart, with rows being spaced apart slightly further. This information can of course be disregarded if you\u2019re planting your bell peppers in a pot first, as long as you\u2019re leaving enough room for the roots system to flourish under the soil.
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Gardeners should also consider what\u2019s being planted close to their pepper plants. Ideal companions for pepper plants include things like carrots and spinach. Leave enough space between plants to ensure that roots can move freely \u2013 it can save you a lot of time and effort.
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Things you don\u2019t want to plant near pepper plants include things like potatoes and strawberries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Soil Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The right preparation of the soil is one of the most important factors for any gardener who would love to see their garden thrive, and the best garden is prepared into several \u201csections\u201d, each with a suitable soil for a specific type or family of plant.
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The first step to preparing the soil is loosening it with a garden fork and removing all of the stems, rocks and roots from it. Once this has been done, the next step is to work in a moderate amount of compost into the soil \u2013 all-natural compost that comes from the garden is usually considered best for this, although store-bought compost can also be used.
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When you\u2019re making use of store-bought compost or fertilizer, read the instructions and dilute as needed \u2013 also remember to avoid letting any compost touch the roots directly, this risks burning the roots due to the acidity this can add.
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4. Watering Pepper Plants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a general rule of effective green thumbs, it\u2019s a good idea to start with the first watering of the soil while you\u2019re still in the preparation phase for planting and officially before you\u2019ve put anything in the ground. Ideally, start to water, loosen and compost the soil at least two weeks before you plan to plant for the best possible results.
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Once your plants have made it into the ground, it\u2019s time to continue watering from there. If your soil preparation and planting was done right during the previous phase, you\u2019ll have soil that\u2019s not too tight and not too lose \u2013 and soil that drains the moisture through well enough for it to not stay moist.
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When watering pepper plants, make sure that you water the roots instead of the whole plant. Like many other fruit-bearing plants, bell pepper plants don\u2019t like having their roots wet for extended periods of time.
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5. Spotted Disease?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the things that help to separate a good gardener from an excellent one is the way in which they take long-term care of their plants; a good gardener will do everything according to a set schedule, while an excellent gardener will spend the time in their garden to develop a good enough natural feel for what it\u2019s doing that they won\u2019t need the schedule.
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Gardeners should take a regular walk through their gardens to assess the state; this is ideally done at least a few times per week. Pay attention to the state of your plants, and look at factors like the very tips of the leaves or the stem itself \u2013 any signs of issues, disease or deficiencies will show here first.
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If you\u2019ve spotted disease in a bell pepper plant among the rest, the best thing for the rest of the plants can be to remove the affected plant before the disease starts to spread.
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6. How to Harvest<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting is the part of gardening that every gardener gets the most excited about, and this remains true for both newer gardeners and people who have been tending to their gardens for years. A good harvest means that you did well \u2013 and the great thing about bell pepper plants is that they can provide you with bell peppers from the same plant for years.
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When harvesting bell peppers, the most important thing to remember is that they shouldn\u2019t be harvested too late. If you leave bell peppers on the plant for longer than they should be there, they just end up decaying \u2013 and this can take a lot of energy away from the plant.
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Thus, harvest bell peppers off the plant when they are firm and supple \u2013 and remove any bell peppers that have gone past this point, though usually not for harvest.
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Any cuttings, trimmings and died-off plant material can go straight into your compost heap from there.
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7. Peppers in Winter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lot of gardeners out there have no idea that bell peppers are actually a perennial plant that will bear fruit throughout the year and continue for years after this if the conditions are right; the reason for this is that bell peppers can sometimes tend to die off in the colder months when exposed to the elements.
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Bell pepper plants really don\u2019t like cold, and for the best results you want to plant them in the weeks after the frost has gone \u2013 and you also want to ensure they\u2019re well-protected against the cold. For many gardeners, covering the pepper plants against the frost will do \u2013 other than this, if you live in especially colder areas prone to snow during winter, plant them in pots to begin with and bring them inside for the colder months of the year.
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Taken care of properly, there\u2019s absolutely no reason why your bell pepper plants shouldn\u2019t survive the winter.
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8. A Fruitful Next Harvest<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting the fruits of what you\u2019ve been working on all year is one of the most exciting things for any gardener, but the harvest should never be seen as the end of the process \u2013 in fact, the harvest is only the preparation for the start of an entirely new cycle for the plant.
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When harvesting from your bell pepper plants, it\u2019s a great time to assess the state of the garden: Check the pH of the soil, make the necessary adjustments and add some nutrients to the soil where necessary to ensure that the plant has what it needs to continue growing.
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If just before the winter, bring the pepper plants inside or cover with heat-protective tarp available at most nurseries: Cold is the most common killer for pepper plants, and properly protected they can last all year even through the cold months.
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Remember to add compost to the soil at least once per year to ensure a fruitful next harvest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Pepper Pests
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Unfortunately, pests love peppers as much as you do, and they will eat your crop if you don\u2019t take the necessary precautions to keep your plants free of pests. Here are a few of the common critters you\u2019ll find crawling on your peppers.
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Aphids are a pain for any gardener, and they are often the first pests to show up after the ground thaws. Ants bring the aphids, so if you are growing in pots, make sure you use a drip tray to prevent ants from carrying the aphids.
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Broad mites are another pepper pest that loves to hang out underneath the developing foliage of the plant. These pests feed on the leaves, causing them to narrow and thicken.
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Leafminers are tiny flies that perforate the leaves of your pepper plant. The miners lay eggs in the holes and slowly destroy the foliage.
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Melon Thrips are yellow-colored pests that like to set up residence in the flowers of the plant, giving you another good reason to keep picking flowers as they appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Dealing with Nutrient Deficiencies
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Nutrient deficiencies can play havoc with your peppers. The soil contains all the nutrients plants need to grow, but you need to fertilize the growing space to ensure that the peppers have everything they need to produce large fruits.
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The most common nutrient deficiency in peppers is calcium. When peppers don\u2019t have enough calcium available, they start to develop \u201cblossom end rot,\u201d a condition that causes large brown patches to appear on the peppers.
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It\u2019s easy to restore the calcium balance in the soil. Visit your local nursery and pick up some bone meal and calcium, then add it to your ground as required. We don\u2019t recommend that you dump old milk from the fridge onto the soil, as the lactose is terrible for the plant, and it also attracts pests to the plants.
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While it\u2019s impossible to reverse blossom end rot, you can prevent it from occurring in future crops by adjusting the calcium levels in the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11. Use Epsom Salts for Foliage
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Some beginner growers that have gardens in colder climates can stimulate growth and fruiting in their pepper crop, by using a mixture of Epsom salts and water. Epsom salts are high in magnesium, a nutrient that peppers need to flower and produce fruit.
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Mix one teaspoon of Epsom salts with a quart of purified water, and spray it onto the leaves of the plant. Your pepper tree will absorb the nutrients through its foliage, and start the fruiting process. After you finish with your foliar feeding, sprinkle another teaspoon of Epsom salts around the base of the plant, and cover it with mulch. This strategy allows the magnesium to absorb into the soil when watering.
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Magnesium is a critical nutrient, along with calcium. You can combine calcium powder into your spray bottle and use it for foliar feeding. Repeat this foliage treatment throughout the growing season, and you should notice a significant increase in crop yield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Use a Trellis
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When pepper plants start to fruit, the weight of the bells may force the plant to topple over onto the floor. If you aren\u2019t around to see this happen, then the chances are that when you finally enter the garden and find the plant, the rot will already have affected the fruits.
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Prevent this situation from happening to your crop by investing in a trellis for your garden. We recommend you user and A-frame trellis for growing peppers, as it provides support over a wide surface area, which is ideal for peppers. As the plants reach the height of the lattice, weave the branches into the gaps, and the plant will do the rest.
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We recommend that you install the trellis directly after planting to prevent having to work around a large and unruly pepper plant. Drive the trellis stakes at least a foot into the ground, with a maximum height of two feet for best results with supporting your plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. Prevent Rot
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As we mentioned previously, if your pepper plants touch the ground, you can expect them to start to rot. However, even if you put up a trellis, you will still need to check on your peppers every day during the harvest season. When peppers ripen, they fall from the plant and start to rot. If you leave your pepper plant alone for a few days during harvest season, you may come back to find your garden in a state of decay.
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Nothing draws disease and pests to your garden faster than the smell of rotting peppers. As any seasoned gardener can tell you, rotting material in your vegetable garden, turns it into a compost heap, resulting in the invasion of diseases such as mold, and pests like rodents and other bugs.
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Fortunately, its reasonably easy to remedy this situation. After constructing your trellis, lay drip trays on the ground in between the stems of the plants. The peppers fall onto the dry drip trays, and they don\u2019t rot as quickly as if they touch the ground. You can line the drip tray with the newspaper for best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Storing Bell Peppers
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Most gardeners will recommend that you wait to wash your pepper when you plan to cook it. However, we don\u2019t think that there\u2019s anything wrong with rinsing you pepper before storage. However, you need to ensure that the pepper is completely dry before storage, as any moisture on the surface will start to induce rot.
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After rinsing and drying your peppers, place them in a mesh produce bag and leave them in the crisper tray of the fridge. Your peppers should keep well in cold conditions for up to three weeks. The mesh bag gives the peppers plenty of room to breathe. Avoid using plastic Ziploc bags, as the contact with the synthetic surface will cause your peppers to rot faster.
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It\u2019s vital that you don\u2019t keep fruits in the same drawer as your peppers. Fruits release a gas called ethylene, which accelerates the rotting process in your peppers. When the skin of peppers becomes too soft, and you can press it in with your finger \u2013 then it\u2019s time to throw out your peppers.
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